"So many feelings rushed back to me -- the drive, the desire," Tech's all-time rushing touchdown leader said. "I really wanted to play again."
It had not been that long since he last felt the magic of playing for thousands of screaming fans in a professional football stadium. Yet, it would be this quiet, rural college campus outside of Cleveland that would serve as the next step in his football career.
Suggs is one of the most decorated running backs in Virginia Tech history. He is the school record holder for touchdowns in a single season (28), most career touchdowns (56) and set an NCAA Division I-A record when he scored at least one touchdown in 27 consecutive games.
Tech running back coach Billy Hite was and still is very close with his former backfield standout.
"His work ethic was outstanding on the field and in the weight room," Hite said. "He showed a kind of determination that was really special."
His talent led to his drafting in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns; however, he was never able to play a full season because of a series of injuries.
After three seasons of sharing carries with fellow tailback William Green, Suggs was cut by the Browns when he failed a physical that was required to complete a trade to the Jets. Following a brief stint for the Dolphins in 2006, Suggs left the game of professional football for good.
Now, Suggs has returned to the gridiron in a different light. After two years of selling annuities for New York Life, he realized he could not stay away from the game any longer. He would then head back to campus, this time that of Oberlin College as the Yeomen's new running backs coach.
Manzie Williams, an assistant coach at Oberlin, helped bring Suggs in. During Suggs' tenure as a Brown, Williams served as an intern to the Browns' athletic trainer and the two developed a close friendship. Through Williams, head coach Jeff Ramsey was able to contact the former running back about a coaching position.
"He's played at the highest level of football," Ramsey said. "That gives him another level of teaching that only he can really provide."
His name recognition alone has caused a stir around the Oberlin campus. On one of his first days as a coach, he held a question-and-answer session for the anxious players seeking football knowledge from the running back they used to watch on Saturdays and Sundays.
"We have a pretty young team that his knowledge can have a big impact on," Ramsey said. "And two experienced running backs who I think he can really help develop into big-time players."
His presence at the campus has helped on the recruiting trail as well. The coaches have noticed an increasing number of high school prospects showing interest in the university.
"My goal is to wind up as a Division I coach," Suggs said. "I'd love to come back to Tech; I grew up there and had four really great years there."
His colleagues believe that he can go far as a coach as well.
"What sets Lee apart as a great coach is his desire to help others, to make a difference in someone's life," Ramsey said. "That kind of motivation makes a better coach than one just in it for the paycheck."
Suggs proves this on and off the field. He's been able to mentor the players and at age 28, he's still young enough to be able to relate to them. Away from football, he has taken up a position as a schoolteacher at Oberlin High School.
Does he miss the roar of the crowd, the thrill of representing thousands of fans on game-day?
"Absolutely. I miss the camaraderie, the competition, the feeling of being on a team."
But that's not to say he hasn't dedicated himself fully to his new career. With dedication to his work and strong ethics, Lee has firmly established himself as a reputable coach.
"As a coach you need to surround yourself with good people. Any coach on any level of football would be lucky to have Lee on their staff. I just hope he doesn't come here to take my job," Hite chuckled.
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