Frank Ragnow once played through a fractured throat. He played last season on basically one leg. He's gritted his teeth this season through toe, back and knee injuries.
The knee injury happened in the Lions' Week 13 win over the Saints, which knocked Ragnow out of last week's loss to the Bears. It wouldn't hold him down longer than that. Detroit's Pro Bowl center started and played every offensive snap in Saturday night's rout of the Broncos a week and a half after undergoing meniscus surgery, according to his brother.
"Dude's a certified psycho," said his younger brother Jack. (We'd have to agree.)
The extent of Ragnow's operation isn't clear, but he was no worse for the wear in his return. Detroit's offensive line had its best performance in weeks. When Ragnow limped off the field in New Orleans two weeks ago, the Lions feared the injury was significant, potentially season-ending. They felt better after he went through testing, and there he was on Saturday night, back like he never left.
With Ragnow in the middle and the rest of the offensive line settling back into place, quarterback Jared Goff completed 70 percent of his passes and threw five touchdowns. Running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery piled up 185 yards and 6.6 yards per carry. It was an offensive clinic after Detroit's first three drives.
Ragnow, by the way, was also announced this week as the Lions' Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee for the work he does through the Rags Remembered Foundation, the nonprofit he started last year in honor of his late father that helps connect grieving children with the outdoors. He was celebrated Saturday night with a video tribute at Ford Field.
"Frank Ragnow is the ultimate teammate who lays everything on the line to help the person next to him," said Dan Campbell. "He deserves every aspect of this award for the young lives he has touched."
Then Ragnow laid it on the line again, just another week in the world of Grizzly Man Outdoors.