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Former Arkansas star announces retirement from NFL at age 29
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Former Arkansas star Frank Ragnow is hanging up his cleats and retiring from the NFL, the standout center announced on social media on Monday.
The move is a surprising one, to say the least, with Ragnow coming off back-to-back 2nd-team All-Pro honors with the Detroit Lions. He was selected by the franchise with the 20th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and went on to start 96 games for Detroit.
Ragnow was regularly hailed for his toughness throughout his career, but it sounds like playing through various injuries and ailments has taken its toll on the lineman. He admitted trying to convince himself “that I’m feeling good, but I’m not.” He ultimately made the decision to prioritize his health and his family’s future.
Here is Ragnow’s full statement from social media:
These past couple of months have been very trying as I’ve come to the realization that my football journey is ending and I’m officially retiring from the NFL. I’ve tried to convince myself that I’m feeling good but I’m not and it’s time to prioritize my health and my families future. I have given this team everything I have and I thought I had more to give, but the reality is I simply don’t. I have to listen to my body and this has been one of the hardest decisions of my life. The Lions organization has been absolutely incredible throughout this process and I can’t emphasize this enough how grateful I am for this team and all the fans. It was an absolute honor going to battle for you all.
Ragnow was a standout performer during his time in Fayetteville and will go down as one of the top 25 players in Arkansas football history. He was a back-to-back first-team All-SEC and All-American performer in 2016 and 2017 after being named to the SEC’s 2014 All-Freshman team.
Once in the NFL, Ragnow was named to 4 Pro Bowl teams with 3 2nd-team All-Pro nods. He became a cornerstone piece for the franchise and helped establish a new era of Lions football under Dan Campbell.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
