Dear Frank Ragnow,
We know you tried to convince yourself you felt fine, but every Lions fan could see the grind you endured. You braced that aching toe, taped the groin that never fully settled, and still lined up for exactly 100 career games (including the playoffs)—all while anchoring one of the league’s best offensive lines.
We just never imagined the day would come when you’d finally tell your body no more.
When the retirement news broke, Detroit didn’t first worry about the depth chart or the salary cap. We worried about you. You weren’t just our center; you were our center piece—the quiet engine driving an offensive renaissance that turned the Lions into 15-win contenders.
You did it the hard-hat way, including playing through multiple injuries.
You once said, “If my legs work, I’m out there.” That words-and-deeds toughness became the heartbeat of Motown football—so much so that we took it for granted until your retirement Instagram post:
“I have given this team everything I have and I thought I had more to give, but the reality is I simply don’t… It was an absolute honor going to battle for you all.”
Frank, the honor was ours. You showed a generation of Detroit kids what commitment looks like. You proved a first-round pick can still bring lunch-pail humility. And you reminded a long-suffering fan base that sometimes the good guys really do anchor winning football.
So now go be healthy, be Dad, be Husband—be Frank, the human, not just No. 77. Ford Field will always keep a spot warm for you, and every future Lions center will hear your name whenever he puts hand to pigskin and scans a defense.
Once a Lion, always a Lion.
With gratitude and respect,
Detroit Lions Fans