Terrell Suggs tears Achilles tendon

BALTIMORE, May 3 (UPI) -- Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs told ESPN Thursday he tore his Achilles tendon during an offseason practice in Arizona and will have surgery.

Suggs said he was at his old high school in Chandler, Ariz., last week practicing the conditioning test required by the Ravens when he felt something turn and called for a doctor's exam, the sports broadcaster reported.

He said he expects to recover in four to six months, but the average return time to play in an NFL game is 11 months after Achilles tendon surgery, a study published by the American Academy Orthopedic Surgeons indicates.

"That's just going to make it so much sweeter when I run out of that tunnel and prove everyone wrong," Suggs told ESPN about reports he could miss the entire 2012 season.

"I've never had a real bad injury before -- sometimes you have to go through something like this to make you better."

"We are in contact with Terrell. He will see a specialist early next week and we'll know more at that time," the Ravens said in a statement.