Kansas City Chiefs Laddie Morse

Chiefs Find “The Man” in Reggie Ragland

LadnerMorse December 22, 2017 No Comments

 

 

 

“The Man.” It’s a moniker that has always been there no matter what team you are on or watching. It can also mean the wrong thing, e.g.: “He’s running from the man.” Of course, we all know that’s not the context for this reference to, “The Man.” Many will say that Justin Houston is the man on the Kansas City Chiefs defense right now. I love JH but think that even he answers to another… higher power: Eric Berry. Eric Berry is the closest person we have witnessed to being, “The Man” for the K.C. Chiefs in recent years. His leadership off the field as well as influence on the field only comes around once a generation. However, I think there’s a new sheriff in town. One who is quickly taking the place of the best tackling machine in Chiefs history, Derrick Johnson and his name is Reggie Ragland.

 

“Linebacker, Reggie Ragland, who returned for his Senior year, to make good on a pledge he made to his momma, that he’d get his degree. Just because he’s big, doesn’t mean he’s not scared of his momma.” ~President Barak Obama, 2016

 

It may have been a misrepresentation to say Reggie was “scared” of his mother. It’s more like… he honored her. Sound like someone you already know? Eric Berry has that same reverence for his parents. Respecting your parents often leads to a healthy respect for others and you’ll notice as he is interviewed that he is an intent listener: a good way to determine if someone is respectful. 

 

“Walk softly and carry a big stick.”

Like Derrick Johnson, the Chiefs all-time tackles leader, Ragland leads by example. What that also means is, production:

 

 

If you have not stopped watching the Chiefs during their mid-season lull, you will have noticed a linebacker who keeps flashing across the line of scrimmage, that being Mr. Ragland. Earlier, I was talking about “respect” and what fans seem to respect most is, production on the field. We’re seeing that from Ragland and it’s become standard for him to impose his will on a ball carrier.

 

 

Perhaps what is most impressive about this play is, that Reggie Ragland takes the forward momentum of the RB, and totally changes the direction of that momentum. Add in the fact that he was tackling the normally bruising Marshawn Lynch and it makes this “turning back the tide” even more impressive. Following the Raiders game Reggie said, “he was excited to play against Marshawn Lynch, and was disappointed to see him retire. Then added, he’s physical “but I’m physical, too.” That’s how Reggie Ragland sees himself: as physical.

 

 

How many years have we thought, if only we could find a thumper to play next to DJ. Well, DJ may be on his last legs, and Kevin Pierre-Lewis may be ready to step in for him, but the Chiefs have definitely found their “thumper.”

 

 

 

 

While the Chiefs-family will never have another player who means what Eric Berry means to the organization. Reggie Ragland has his own story and while it is not as sensational as Berry’s, it is no less real.  In Reggie’s sophomore year of college, “The year before, my dad suffered a stroke, I found out my mom was diabetic, so, that was a tough year for me.” When Ragland suffered a concussion in the last game of his Junior season, he said he didn’t want that to be the last impression people would have of him and that was also motivation to return for his Senior year.

 

Following his last year at Alabama, in the spring of 2016, Ragland was initially ranked as a middle-of-the-first round pick. Inside Linebackers like Reggie Ragland who can hit and play sideline to sideline are rare and I remember dreaming that the Chiefs would draft him. Then, a medical report said he had an “enlarged aorta” but that the condition wouldn’t effect his playing career. That, as much as anything else, dropped Ragland down the draft board and the Buffalo Bills eventually moved up to take him at pick #41 in the second round.

 

So! Reggie Ragland has a big heart huh? True enough. When he was in college he part of the Alabama leadership council and was a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award (to honor student-athletes who make a difference on and off the field). Ragland recently stated this about why he continues his work with youth,

 

“Because this life is short-lived, as far as being a professional athlete. I might play 10 years but I’ve got 40 or 50 years after that to live. So, I want to instill something to the kids, ‘work hard’ and make sure the time that you have being in the spotlight and the fame and all of this stuff, use to your advantage. And that’s what I’m trying to do now, just let people know that, I want to be a good person, I want to help people and that I’m just not some jock or some guy that gives money and plays football and don’t try to help people. I don’t want to be known [for that]. I want to be known as a good guy on and off the field.”

 

Andy Reid spoke of Reggie Ragland’s progress on Wednesday saying that, “Yeah, Reggie’s done a nice job. He’s getting better every week, more familiar with the defense. He brings a great attitude and when he hits you, he’s gonna thump you a little bit so, he brings a little pack with his punch.” Ragland has not only been bringing a “little pack with his punch” but he’s been doing well in coverage:

 

 

 

 

Both John Dorsey and Brett Veach should be congratulated when it comes to scavenging players from other teams. However, the move to trade for Reggie Ragland is the best of all those moves. We don’t even know what the ceiling is for a player like Ragland because he’s essentially in his rookie (first) year of action. But, I feel comfortable saying, this is the best of all the trades the GM’s for the Chiefs have made in the past five years, perhaps with the exception of the Alex Smith trade.

 

Below, I like the way Ragland defends the line of scrimmage. After initially penetrating the los, Ragland turns Los Angeles Charger’s running back away and limits his progress.

 

 

 

I also think it’s very sweet that Melvin Gordon and Reggie Ragland exchanged jerseys after the game.

 

 

 

I’ll leave you with a few tweets/opinions on Reggie Ragland:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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