Before he captured the world’s attention with a bite in the World Cup on Tuesday, Luis Suarez long had a problem of having the reputation of a biter. A racist. And often just an overall menace.

But in a pre-World Cup interview with Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl, he said that he was ready to change all of that.

Coming into the World Cup, Suarez had bitten two other people during games and was also suspended in 2011 for calling Patrice Evra a racial slur. In total, he’s been suspended for 18 games during his Premier League career.

In the SI story he explained what happened when he bit Chelsea fullback Branislav Ivanovic in April 2013:

“First, it was a matter of frustration in the heat of the play,” he explains. “You feel frustrated because the play didn’t go well. [He was bodied off the ball in front of goal.] Second, you react in a fraction of a second. Something that may not seem like a big deal suddenly is, and you aren’t conscious of your reaction or the repercussions.”