Tate Ratledge back from injury better than ever before

Tate Ratledge‘s hair and his College Football career have more in common than you might think. Ratledge has become known on campus, and throughout the College Football social media circles, for his mullet. But that didn’t happen in one day.

According to the Rome, Ga. native, Ratledge went through about a six month awkward phase with his hair. Not allowed to have any length of hair that would touch his collar at Darlington School, he had to grow it out. Now it’s here to stay. The same could be said about his football career. After starting the season-opener of the 2021 season against Clemson, Ratledge broke his foot on the first drive of the game. That injury ended his season, putting him in a little bit of an awkward phase. And instead of the growth coming on his head, Ratledge’s growth when it came to his football career gave him a new perspective. Now, back healthy from last season’s Lisfranc injury, he’s here to stay, just like his hair.

“I’m feeling great,” Ratledge told media members on Tuesday. “It’s been a process getting back of course, but the more I work at it the better I feel. It’s been a pretty good fall just getting back into it.”

Ratledge remembers the play like yesterday. The Bulldogs got the ball first in the top-five matchup between Georgia and Clemson. He was making his first career start at right guard after a long offseason battle between him and Warren Ericson. JT Daniels to Brock Bowers for a pickup of seven on the first play. A false start on Justin Shaffer backed the Bulldogs up to 2nd and 8, but Bowers made another catch. This time, the gain was only for four yards, bringing up 3rd and 4. Clemson star defensive lineman Bryan Bresee bull rushed Ratledge, he stepped back and withstood the blow, but he knew something was wrong right away. Daniels completed his pass to Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint to move the chains, and Ratledge moved with them.

“I knew right away when it happened,” Ratledge said. “I looked at Warren McClendon, our tackle in the game, and I said, ‘Warren, my foot’s broke.’ He was like, ‘Uh, what do you mean?’ Then the next thing I know, they’re calling a play like they didn’t process it. So, I had to get up, run a play and then the next time I got a chance I tapped my helmet and got out. That’s how that went down.”

Going back and watching the replay, you can see Ratledge and McClendon talking to each other. Without knowing the injury had happened, you would assume that was just a normal conversation between a guard and tackle. But after he made an effort to block Bresee once again on a give to Zamir White, this time whiffing on the All-American defensive lineman, Ratledge hobbled off the field. Season over.

Asked what it felt like to play through the pain, Ratledge joked he wouldn’t have wanted to know what it would have been like without adrenaline still pumping. However, in a more serious tone, Ratledge addressed how frustrating the injury was, but also how much of a learning experience it was.

“It’s frustrating for sure. Kind of took it as a growing experience though,” Ratledge said. “At first it kind of messed with me a little bit, but you live and you learn. So, I think overall it ended up being a good thing for me. Got my head in the right spot, and I think it really put things in perspective for me — don’t take things for granted.”

For the former top-five offensive tackle in the country, it could have been frustrating watching Georgia make its run to the National Championship knowing he could have – and probably should have – been a part of it. That’s where the awkward phase could have come in. But after the injury “messed with him a little bit,” Ratledge was able to get back on track and feel like he was a part of the special season.

“I think with our offensive line room and being around them the whole time, I definitely felt like I was a part of it,” Ratledge said. “I think we have a really close group, so they really brought me into it and made me feel like I was a part of it.”

“A lot bigger one than they know,” he continued, speaking on the role that his teammates played in keeping his spirits up. “It was seeing them every day is really what kept me sane during that time. It was coming in here and just seeing them going to meetings, talking to them. So, they played a really big role in that.”

Now Ratledge is back, and like his mullet, he’s here to stay. Despite battling turf toe throughout fall camp, Ratledge has as good of a chance to start at right guard as anybody does next Saturday when Georgia and Oregon square off for the season-opener.

“A lot of joy,” Ratledge said in describing his emotions getting back on to the field. “First day of practice, I had the biggest smile on my face I’ve ever had in my life. It was just great to be back out there and get back to it.”

“The first big step was how it happened, sitting on a bull rush,” he continued, speaking on the regaining confidence in his foot. “I think one day I got bull rushed and instinctively just stuck it back there. After that, it was like, ‘Okay, I can do this now.'”

Overall, Ratledge says that he sees the game a little bit differently than before the injury. He’s got a greater level of appreciation for it. Not to mention he thinks he sees things a little bit better too having spent all that time not being able to do anything but watch.

“Just more thankful for it,” Ratledge said. “Looking out there now and really just watching, I see defenses better I feel like. Other than that, it’s really just being thankful to be back out there … More mentally sharp. I think I recognize things a lot better before they happen. I think old me was more just go. Now me is seeing stuff happen and reacting to it better.”

How he’ll react to that first bull rush next week against Oregon is still to be determined. But if there’s anything to know about Ratledge, it’s that both he and his mullet are here to stay.