Aaron Joseph "A. J." Suggs (born December 8, 1980) was the starting quarterback for Georgia Tech in the 2002 season, and for the University of Tennessee during portions of the 2000 season. Suggs went to McEachern High School and graduated from Georgia Tech with a B.S. degree from the College of Management in 2004.
| Date of birth | December 8, 1980 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Powder Springs, Georgia, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Quarterback |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) |
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| US college | Georgia Tech |
| NFL draft | 2004 / undrafted |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1999–2001 | Tennessee |
| 2002–2003 | Georgia Tech |
Early years
editSuggs was a four-year starter for the high school football team at McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Georgia. He earned many honors including All-State, All-Region, All-District, and AP Player of the Year for the state of Georgia. After his senior season, he was named to the SuperPrep All-American team.[1]
College career
editSuggs started his career at the University of Tennessee under head coach Phillip Fulmer. He was given a redshirt season in 1999.[2] In 2000, he started four games for the Volunteers and played in three others, completing 53.8 percent of his passes for 785 yards, with five touchdowns and three interceptions.[3] His best game came against LSU where he had 319 passing yards and three touchdowns.[4] He was initially sharing playing time with sophomore Joey Mathews but both ultimately lost out to freshman Casey Clausen.[5][6][7]
Suggs transferred to Georgia Tech in 2001 and ushered in the new Chan Gailey regime, being the first skill position player to play for Gailey who was not recruited by previous coach George O'Leary.[1][8] Due to eligibility transfer rules, he had to sit out the 2001 season.[7] During that time, he apprenticed under former star quarterback George Godsey and eventual Delaware transfer Andy Hall.[7]
In 2002, Suggs posted a 7–6 record as a starter, throwing 12 touchdowns, 15 interceptions, 2,142 passing yards, and completed 57.3% of his passes.[9][10] Suggs's last start was in 2002 against Fresno State University in the Silicon Valley Bowl. He was taken out of the game in favor of redshirt freshman Damarius Bilbo.[11]
Suggs's most notable game was a victory on November 2, 2002, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Georgia Tech was 5–3 headed to face a #10 and 9–0 N.C. State squad led by All-American quarterback Philip Rivers. Suggs led the Yellow Jackets past N.C. State by a score of 24–17 with a dramatic fourth quarter rally that ended Rivers's Heisman hopes and N.C. State's national title run.[12][13] Suggs passed for 211 yards and a touchdown in the victory.[13][14]
Suggs lost the starting job in 2003 to true freshman quarterback Reggie Ball. Ball started every game but two for the next four years. Suggs's main playing time as a senior in 2003 came in a loss to Georgia after Ball was injured and in a rout of the Tulsa in the Humanitarian Bowl.[1][15][16]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "Official profile". Archived from the original on October 30, 2006. Retrieved November 8, 2006.
- ^ "Suggs Announces His Intention to Transfer". Tennessee Volunteers Athletics. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ "A.J. Suggs 2000 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ "Tennessee at LSU Box Score, September 30, 2000". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ "Mathews Named Starting QB; Captains Named". Tennessee Volunteers Athletics. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ "COLLEGES: FOOTBALL; Tennessee's Suggs To Join Georgia Tech". New York Times. January 3, 2001. Retrieved February 26, 2007.
- ^ a b c Peck, Ryan (August 30, 2002). "Battle-tested Suggs comes back home to Georgia Tech". The Technique. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved February 26, 2007.
- ^ "Chan Gailey Named Georgia Tech's 11th Football Coach". Georgia Tech's Yellow Jackets. December 29, 2001. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ "A.J. Suggs 2002 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ "2002 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ Suggs benched in Silicon Valley Classic
- ^ "Georgia Tech at North Carolina State Box Score, November 2, 2002". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ a b Kretschmann, Scott (November 8, 2002). "Tech outscores NC State in final period to end No. 8 Wolfpack's bid for an undefeated season". The Technique. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved February 26, 2007.
- ^ Jackets Rally Past Wolfpack
- ^ "A.J. Suggs 2003 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ "2003 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved August 22, 2018.