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Lions Center Frank Ragnow ‘Freaking Out’ About New Teammate Adrian Peterson

In Tuesday’s Hot Clicks: Lions lineman Frank Ragnow is starstruck by his new teammate, a wild block from Kawhi Leonard and more.

Dan Gartland

Lions Center Frank Ragnow ‘Freaking Out’ About New Teammate Adrian Peterson
Lions Center Frank Ragnow ‘Freaking Out’ About New Teammate Adrian Peterson /

He played it cool, though

Growing up in Victoria, Minn., Lions center Frank Ragnow probably thought blocking for Adrian Peterson could happen only in his wildest dreams. And yet, Peterson is now Ragnow’s teammate in Detroit. 

Ragnow, a first-round pick in 2018, is entering his third season as a starter on the Lions’ offensive line. Previously, he’s had the pleasure of blocking for guys like Ameer Abdullah, LeGarrette Blount and Kerryon Johnson. Now, after Peterson was let go by Washington, the Lions have added a surefire Hall of Famer to the running back room. It would be exciting for any young lineman, but especially so for the Minnesota native Ragnow. 

“I was literally asking the o-line room like this past day how I should introduce myself because I was freaking out so much,” Ragnow told reporters on Monday. “What year was he drafted? What was it like, 2008 or something like that? I think I got a jersey right when he entered the league. I remember I mean, ‘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 is freaking out. All my friends back home are freaking out. That’s pretty cool.”

Peterson was actually drafted in 2007, about three weeks before Ragnow turned 11. By the time Ragnow had graduated from Chanhassen High School and enrolled at Arkansas, Peterson was a Vikings legend, so you can understand why Ragnow is overjoyed to be sharing a locker room with him. Somehow, he managed to control himself when he first met Peterson, though. 

“Hey, I’m Frank,” Ragnow said his introduction went. “I just kept it cool.”

But on the inside, Ragnow said he was thinking, “I’m Frank and I’m from Minnesota and oh my gosh, oh my gosh.”

Ragnow is letting his inner fan come out a little bit, though. He said he asked his mom to see whether she could find the Peterson jersey he had growing up so that the man himself could autograph it. 

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Dan Gartland
DAN GARTLAND

Dan Gartland is the writer and editor of Sports Illustrated’s flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, covering everything an educated sports fan needs to know. He joined the SI staff in 2014, having previously been published on Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a graduate of Fordham University, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).

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