Long Rehab Pays Off For Terrell Suggs Being At Super Bowl XLVII

It has been a long and strange season for Terrell Suggs. It was thought that Suggs would miss a large part of the 2012 National Football League season after rupturing his Achilles in the offseason. Suggs returned around midseason for the Baltimore Ravens completely healthy and has helped the Ravens get to Super Bowl XLVII. It has been a great week for Suggs just to get to this point after falling one game short last season.

“You know, last year we felt we had a really good chance at making it to the Super Bowl, and I thought, ‘This is what a Super Bowl team looks like,’ but then I was reminded in New England that you don’t know what a Super Bowl team looks like because you’ve never been there. However, through everything we’ve been through this year, all my injuries, missing the first six games and the guys we lost throughout the year and losing three games down the stretch, it’s just, a lot of things happened.”

There were a lot of things that have gone on with this team this season including Ray Lewis announcing his retirement after the season ends. Suggs was shocked about that announcement.

“They told us in the team meeting that we would have him back for the playoffs and it was like ‘Okay, here we go.’ He always talks to the team before the game, the middle of the season and going into the playoffs. I thought it was another day at the office, ‘Let’s get ready for the playoffs,’ but he said some key words. It struck me. It really focused our team. It really focused our team, not only to get it done for him, but just how precious this time and these moments are. You don’t get these opportunities every day.”

Suggs should know that better than anyone when you think your season is lost before it even starts. He will have a challenge trying to get through the offensive line of the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl but I expect Suggs to make life hard on Colin Kaepernick and company. Suggs truly knows how precious every day and game really is.

Andy Schmidt is a columnist/writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @ASchmidtSports, like his Facebook page or add him to your network on Google.