The focus was on preserving the voice ‘for the rest of my life’



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Frank Ragnow’s fractured throat kept him from going out for the past two weeks, a period in which Ragnow was completely focused on preserving his vocal cords for the future.

This meant that Ragnow couldn’t speak at all for two weeks. During that time he was named a Pro Bowler, which a player could celebrate with family or friends with a phone call. Not Ragnow.

“I wanted my mom to FaceTime and literally couldn’t talk to my mom,” Ragnow said on Friday, via the team’s official website. “It was just frustrating wanting to celebrate with my family because they were so excited.”

Ragnow could return for Detroit’s final game of the 2020 season on Sunday, having participated in Lions practice this week on a limited basis and landing on the weekend injury report as questionable (throat).

He sounded better on his first visit with members of the media since being injured in a game against Green Bay, and he acknowledged that his long-term use of his voice was more important than playing in a few. end of season matches.

“The main concern the last few weeks has been my vocal cords and really my voice in general,” Ragnow said. “Otherwise I would try to be there, but I didn’t want to disturb my voice for the rest of my life.

Running out of time wasn’t easy, Ragnow said, especially when Ragnow knew he was physically fine, he just couldn’t speak – a vital ability for a lineman who is tasked with making calls. pre-snap for the rest of the group. Ragnow admitted he felt guilty for not playing, but enjoyed his time of silence a bit, even though it didn’t suit his significant other.

“My fiancee wasn’t too happy with me, because, you know, I would use it to my advantage,” Ragnow explained with a slight smile. “Like ‘Hey, can you do the dishes?’ I can’t speak, I can’t answer, and all kinds of stuff like that. “

Ragnow said he wasn’t sure exactly how it happened, but believed his fractured throat was caused by pads hitting his neck in a strange way. Ragnow said he knew something was wrong when he had trouble speaking, likening the sound of his voice to a dog’s broken squeaky chew toy.

He eventually learned the nature of his injury and proceeded to follow the doctors’ advice to allow his injury to heal. With the Lions now out of action and playing under the guidance of an interim head coach, Detroit’s chances didn’t really depend on Ragnow’s involvement.

He is now on track to make a full recovery and enters 2021 as one of the league’s most promising young centers. We’ll see if he can prepare for a final go-around this season, but his future remains bright – with his voice intact for the road ahead.

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