For Detroit Lions center Frank Ragnow, a Vikings fan growing up in Minnesota, the opportunity to block for new teammate, Adrian Peterson, is literally a dream come true.
Ragnow said he spent the past day asking teammates how he should introduce himself to Peterson, who played his first 10 seasons with the Vikings and officially signed a one-year deal with the Lions on Monday.
“I was freaking out so much,” Ragnow said. “What year was he drafted, what was it like (2007) or something like that? I think I got a jersey right when he entered the league and I remember, 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’s freaking out, all my friends back home are freaking out. It’s pretty cool.”
[ Lions told Peterson he could start Week 1; Patricia noncommittal about role ]
Ragnow said he kept his emotions in check when he met Peterson, opting for the simple introduction: “Hey, I’m Frank.”
“(Inside I was like,) ‘I’m Frank and I’m from Minnesota and oh my God, oh my God,’ but I tried to keep it cool,” he said.
[ What Lions’ signing of Peterson means for the team’s other running backs ]
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett. The Free Press has started a digital subscription model. Here’s how you can gain access to our most exclusive Lions content.