Reggie Ragland preps for BCS National Championship game
Reggie Ragland at the Bob Jones Decatur game this season
By Brett Beaird, Special for the Madison Record
Fort Lauderdale, Fl. – After starring at Bob Jones high school for three years, Reggie Ragland appreciates the challenges of playing college football at the highest level possible. Ragland has spent the week in Fort Lauderdale helping Alabama prepare for the national championship game against Notre Dame.
When asked what his reaction has been to participating in a national championship game environment Ragland said with a smile that it was hectic but a lot of fun.
“I really have enjoyed the experience in Fort Lauderdale this week,” Ragland said. “I’ve met a lot of people, seen a lot of people. This is a neat place to visit. But I know we came here to win a football game and I’ve been trying to do anything possible to get my team ready to play Notre Dame.”
As a senior linebacker at Bob Jones in 2011, Ragland made 97 tackles with 22 tackles for loss and six sacks after a stellar junior season with 91 tackles and with 21 tackles for loss. He garnered a five-star rating from Scout.com and was ranked as Scout.com’s No. 1 middle linebacker prospect and the No. 9 overall player in the class. Ragland chose Alabama over Auburn, Tennessee and Florida.
“Preparing for a national championship game has shown me the things that I need to do and what not to do to get ready to play at this level,” Ragland commented. “To make it to the national championship is a lot of hard work.”
Ragland said it has been a big adjustment from playing at Bob Jones to Alabama.
“The two biggest changes between high school and college to me is the speed of the game and the playbook,” Ragland admitted. “The Alabama playbook is a NFL style playbook. There are a lot of plays and they are complex especially on defense. But once I adjusted to the speed of the game, the playbook has been the biggest challenge.”
Ragland worked hard in summer camp and won a spot on special teams in the season opener against Michigan in the Cowboy Classic in Arlington,Texas. Ragland, one of eight true freshmen who played in the season opener, sustained an ankle injury against Michigan in the second half and missed several games before returning in mid-season.
Along with participating on special teams, Ragland is simulating Notre Dame All-American linebacker and Walter Camp award winner Manti Te’o in practice. Ragland plays the same position and is nearly the same size as the Notre Dame All-American. Ragland is 6-foot-2, 247 and Te’o is 6-2, 255 pounds.
Ragland has appeared in 10 games this year and made eight tackles. He received special team honors from the Alabama coaches for the Auburn game after recording a tackle and recovering a fumble.
“I have been simulating Manti Te’o in practice,” Ragland explained. “The offensive line has tried to kill me in practice, but I get better every day going against the top offensive line in the nation. I’m using my hands better and improving at learning how to get off blocks. I’ve been watching a lot of film on the Notre Dame defensive line and they are very good.”
Ragland is very aware of upholding the legacy of the linebacker position at Alabama with such former Alabama and NFL greats as Derrick Thomas, Cornelius Bennett and Rolando McClain.
“I go back and watch film and see what some of the great linebackers at Alabama did to become successful,” Ragland said. “It’s fun to do some of the things that they did to become great players. I try to be the first player at practice and I stay after practice to get in some additional work. Alabama has such an incredible history of former players who have played the position that the history of the former players who played linebacker is a high bar to reach.”
Earlier this week Alabama coach Nick Saban sent home two freshmen linebackers for curfew violations. Ragland was not among the pair, in fact he has been a model citizen.
“I am representing Madison well,” Ragland chuckled. “I even trimmed my beard to look good for the big game and to look good for all the people.”
