FOXBORO, Mass. — When Matthew Judon takes the field during Patriots training camp, it's no surprise that he is a fan favorite. 

And with the iconic red sweatshirt underneath his jersey, Judon is always easy to spot. 

The red long-sleeves are a staple for the veteran linebacker, with him also wearing them during games. But, why is that? 

On Friday, he answer the question after the third day of training camp in 90-degree heat.

And of course, he still had the red sweatshirt on.

Judon took inspiration from a linebacker he spent time with at the beginning of his career.

Having been drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL draft, he joined one linebacker who had a lot of experience in the Ravens defense. And he credits this veteran with the reason for always wearing the long-sleeves.

So the much awaited answer: Terrell Suggs

“I seen one of the greatest pass rushers in my eyes do it,” Judon said. “I give a lot of my game to him because I stole from him. So this is one thing I stole from him. It was one year, like he came in, he was a little overweight, and he practiced his butt off and he wore a long sleeve every day and by the end of the camp he had a six pack and he was ready.”

“So I was like, man if he can do just that little thing, and just forget about the elements, forget about how hot he is, forget about how cold he is, forget about the circumstances that’s going around and just focus on football, like that’s what I want to steal from him and that’s what I did,” Judon added. 

From 2003 to 2019, Suggs made a name for himself in the NFL, becoming a two-time Super Bowl Champion, NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (2003) and NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2011), and a seven-time Pro Bowler. With a career 887 tackles, 139 sacks, and 39 forced fumbles it's no wonder why the Patriots linebacker wants to model his career after his former teammate.  

And Judon is also well on his way to matching Suggs. Since entering the league, Judon has 355 tackles, 62.5 sacks, and nine forced fumbles across his seven years. 

And of course, as Bill Belichick said about the Patriots top pass rusher, "wears the red, brighten things up."  

Featured Image via Sophie Weller – A to Z Sports