Royal Oak Tribune

Ragnow: ‘I’m going to embrace Goff’

- By John Maakaron www.si.com/nfl/lions This article was produced by the staff at Sports Illustrate­d/All Lions. For more, visit si.com/nfl/ lions

Detroit Lions center Frank Ragnow is excited to begin working with new head coach Dan Campbell and Jared Goff, the new quarterbac­k he will be hiking the ball to.

“I’m super excited for Jared Goff,” Ragnow said during his appearance on Ben Leber’s podcast. “I think Detroit will embrace him. I’m going to embrace him. I’m just excited to open this new chapter with Coach Campbell.”

Ragnow can only hope to develop as strong of a bond with Goff as he did with Detroit’s former quarterbac­k, Matthew Stafford.

The duo developed a strong bond during the emerging center’s first three years in the league.

“The first guys I called were (Taylor) Decker and Frank (Ragnow.)

“Those guys have put their bodies on the line for me.

“I felt like I owed it to ‘em. I didn’t want them to hear it any other way,” Stafford said via the Free Press.

“Go get a gold jacket, man” was the message both Taylor and Ragow had for Stafford, as he embarks on his new journey with the L.A. Rams.

Just how much respect does Ragnow have for his former teammate?

Enough to view him as a

“superhero.”

“He is a dude.

“He’s the ultimate dude’s dude. I just can’t say enough about the guy,” Ragnow said.

“He’s so cooler-than-life. “Maybe that’s because I’m so much younger and I grew up watching him.

“But, I just look at him like a superhero.”

With Goff under center, Ragnow and the entire organizati­on are hoping to build upon the lackluster 14-33-1 record from the past three years.

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