Adrian Peterson’s Arrival Had Lions Center Frank Ragnow ‘Freaking Out’
Don’t count Lions center Frank Ragnow among those skeptical about the idea of Adrian Peterson in Detroit.
Granted, Ragnow has a bit of bias — and it has nothing to do with the two now being teammates. Peterson, the legendary running back, recently signed with the Detroit Lions.
How did Ragnow, who grew up a Vikings fan, react to his current team adding Peterson? Let’s just say he definitely felt some type of way about the move.
Adrian Peterson just signed with the Detroit Lions
After spending the first decade of his career in Minnesota, the sight of Adrian Peterson in Detroit will be a strange one.
Things will look even weirder if Peterson plays as well as he did during his two years in Washington. Peterson ran for 1,940 yards and 12 touchdowns in 31 games with the Redskins.
Through 13 seasons, Peterson recorded 14,216 rushing yards and 111 touchdowns on 4.7 yards per attempt. A seven-time Pro Bowler, Peterson has also earned four first-team All-Pro nods.
Peterson’s new home also provides him a spot to continue climbing the record books. Entering the 2020 season, Peterson is 4,140 yards short of breaking Emmitt Smith’s rushing yards record.
Peterson is also 54 rushing touchdowns shy of passing Smith’s 164 touchdowns.
The NFL MVP in 2012, Peterson has run for 1,517 yards and 11 touchdowns on 5.18 yards per attempt in 15 games against the Lions.
Frank Ragnow is a rising star in Detroit
An All-SEC offensive lineman who played center and right guard at Arkansas, Frank Ragnow joined the Detroit Lions in 2018.
The 20th overall pick that year, Ragnnow has started all but one of the Lions’ 32 games in the last two years. Pro Football Focus credited Ragnow with allowing just two sacks and committing five penalties in 996 snaps last year.
Ragnow, who turned 24 in May, is a bright spot on a Lions team that hasn’t made the postseason since 2016.
Frank Ragnow was extremely happy the Lions signed Adrian Peterson
Before he ever became an NFL center, Frank Ragnow grew up in Victoria, Minn.
Victoria is just under 30 miles outside of Minneapolis. That meant Ragnow spent much of his childhood and teenage years watching Peterson play for the Vikings.
According to the Detroit Free Press, Ragnow openly admitted to “freaking out” when he learned the Lions signed Peterson.
“What year was he drafted, what was it like [2007] or something like that? I think I got a jersey right when he entered the league and I remember, A.D., All Day baby. I remember him running for 296 [yards] vs. the Chargers. I mean, wild. Just wild. I can’t even describe it. My family’s freaking out, all my friends back home are freaking out. It’s pretty cool.”
How did Ragnow react to meeting Peterson in person?
“Hey, I’m Frank,” Ragnow recalled telling Peterson.
Internally, Ragnow had a much different reaction when he introduced himself to his former idol.
“[Inside I was like,] ‘I’m Frank and I’m from Minnesota and oh my God, oh my God,’ but I tried to keep it cool,” Ragnow said.
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