Orion Township — The day after the Detroit Lions' season ended, following a disappointing loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship, Frank Ragnow was mentally and physically exhausted.
The three-time Pro Bowler had battled through a number of injuries during the year, and the emotional toll of falling of just short of the Super Bowl added an air of melancholy to the moment.
Lions center Frank Ragnow has no plans to retire.
Before he would have time to reflect on the organization's remarkable turnaround, or using the loss to San Francisco as fuel to take the next step, Ragnow's sole focus was the same as many players when the grind of a season comes to a screeching halt; getting right through rest and recovery.
How he described the way he was feeling, the toll the year had taken on him and the road ahead, it left room for speculation that Ragnow was considering early retirement. And, predictably, with a player of his caliber, it gained legs among fans and media, alike.
But months removed from his heat-of-the-moment reflection, Ragnow still can't believe how much things got blown out of proportion.
"I was frustrated," he said ahead of a skeet-shooting event for his foundation Rag Remembered on Thursday. "It was kind of annoying. All I said was I'm going to need some time to heal up the day after the game. That was my intention and then it took off, which was kind of annoying, but it is what it is."
Ragnow, 27, isn't retiring. It's not something he's even considering. In fact, he's feeling better, physically, than he has in a while thanks to a continued offseason commitment to getting his body right. That process really started turning around for him last year under the guidance of Detroit's new training staff, led by the organization's director of player health and performance, Brett Fischer.
"I feel really good," Ragnow said. "I feel as good as I've felt in a while. This has been my best offseason, 100%. I really dove into a lot of things to take care of my body and I feel like I'm clicking right now. The goal is to keep it a steady trajectory into the season."
Instead of having to worry about his body, Ragnow's attention is back to getting to the Super Bowl. Like many of his teammates, he hasn't let the taste of the NFC Championship, where the Lions blew a 17-point lead, leave his mouth.
"It's a huge motivating factor," he said. "It's so frustrating and I try to keep it fresh in my mind, remembering how horrible that felt. I'm not going to speak for everybody, but I think it's in the back of a lot of guys' minds. We should have done it, and a lot of that was on us, but we're all back and ready to roll. It's so exciting."
The team's reigning Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee, Ragnow continued his good works in the community with Thursday's event, which was attended by more than a dozen teammates. Inspired by the sudden passing of his father, Jon, when Ragnow was still in college, his foundation is designed to help grieving families dealing with loss through outdoor activities.
"I was just thinking about the amount of guys coming to support me is absurd," Ragnow said. "I think it just speaks to how fortunate we are as a team, as an organization, to have continuity. We've gotten to know each other and developed real relationships outside of being co-workers. We're friends, good buddies.
"...It's kind of hard to grasp (the impact we're having through the foundation)," Ragnow said. "It's been pretty dang cool. The fishing we do in the fall, it's very intimate. Even the camp this summer. It's been cool to see we're not only helping these families, but these families are starting to connect with each other, developing relationships and a support system. That's been so cool to see."
