UGA Football: Tate Ratledge Chat

Type Georgia offensive lineman Tate Ratledge’s name into the Google search bar and the second suggestion reads “Tate Ratledge mullet.” Informed of this when he sat down for a Quick Chat recently, the big (6-foot-6 and 315 pounds) redshirt sophomore offensive lineman laughed and shook his head, which caused that long hair in the back to dance a bit on his collar.

 

Yes, Ratledge has a mullet. It’s a bit silly, and he knows it’s a bit silly. That hair has come close to the chopping block several times, he said, but it’s still there. And the man is much more than his mullet.

 

Ratledge, who missed almost all of Georgia’s national championship season in 2021 due to a broken foot, gave an answer when he met with the media before the season started that deserves to be highlighted here. Asked about the role his teammates played in helping him through his recovery, Ratledge, from Rome, Ga., gave a terrific response: “A lot bigger one than they know. It was seeing them every day (that) is really what kept me sane during that time. It was coming in here, just seeing them, going to meetings, talking to them. So they played a really big role in that.”

 

During our Quick Chat, Ratledge talked about his hair, his days playing other sports in high school, his national championship ring, and much more. Here’s some of what he had to say:

 

Frierson: Where do you keep your national championship ring? Do you ever wear it?

 

Ratledge: It’s sitting on my desk at home, open up where everybody can see it. I think I’ve worn it once, and that was when I took it back home to show it off to people. To me, I’m like, if I wear this I’m going to lose it.

 

Frierson: Do you get a charge every time you look at it?

 

Ratledge: Most definitely. It’s still surreal to me. It was a great experience, and definitely every time I look at that ring I get goosebumps.

 

Frierson: Were you always the big guy in school or did you have a huge growth spurt at some point?

 

Ratledge: I was always the big kid, definitely. I’ve been the biggest in my class since I was little. I’ve never really been smaller than anybody.

 

Frierson: Was it ever hard being the big guy?

 

Ratledge: Oh, definitely. I used to go home and tell my mom, crying, that I wanted to be the same size as everybody else. I felt out of place.

 

Frierson: Did sports help you get through that?

 

Ratledge: Most definitely. Dad used to always tell me, when I’d say that, that one day everyone will want to be your size. That turned out to be true. And sports definitely helped me embrace it.

 

Frierson: I saw where you played basketball and did the shot put in high school, so how would you describe yourself as a basketball player?

 

Ratledge: [Laughs] A football player wearing shorts and a jersey [laughs]. I was physical, a lot of fouls.

 

Frierson: What about in track?

 

Ratledge: I did the shot put and discus, and I ended up getting our (Darlington) school record in high school. I loved it.

 

Frierson: How would you describe Rome, Ga., to people that haven’t been there?

 

Ratledge: I think it’s a great place to raise a family. Quiet town, stuff to do if you need to go do it, and I’m a big fan of it. It’s a small town and word gets around fast, of course. It’s a very close-knit community, especially with certain high schools around the area.

 

Frierson: What’s something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?

 

Ratledge: Steak and mashed potatoes, definitely.

 

Frierson: How are you at cooking?

 

Ratledge: I can do something on the grill every now and then, but I wouldn’t say I’m the best. I can make it work.

 

I lived with Chad Lindberg last year and he’s a grill master, so I didn’t do much of the grilling. I let him take it away and he did a really good job every time.

 

Frierson: Who is the funniest guy on the team?

 

Ratledge: I’d say Aliou Bah. He’s got a personality better than anyone I’ve ever met. There’s not a time when you’re around him when he’s not making somebody laugh. It’s all natural to him, he’s not going out of his way to do it. He’s just naturally funny.

 

Frierson: How valuable is that during the long grind of summer workouts and the preseason?

 

Ratledge: We’ll be out there running, we’re all dying, and Aliou will say something. We’ll all hear it and it will break us up. We have a couple of guys like that: Christen Miller and Sedrick Van Pran will do that every now and then.

 

Frierson: Do you have a creative side? Is there anything creative you do or wish you could do?

 

Ratledge: I do not. There is nothing creative or artistic about me [laughs]. I’d definitely love to learn how to cook really well, just because I’m a big guy and I like to eat. Good food’s always appealing to me.

 

Frierson: How much has your diet changed since you go to college?

 

Ratledge: My mom was a really good cook, so of course I miss her meals. But it was the portions — I ate a lot of really big meals when I was in high school. Here, it’s definitely a lot leaner; a lot of the same meals it’s just different ingredients to make it a little bit leaner. And the portions aren’t what I used to eat [laughs].

 

Frierson: When you type your name into Google, the second suggestion is “Tate Ratledge mullet.” I didn’t know if you were aware of that.

 

Ratledge: I was not aware of that.

 

Frierson: Are you amazed at how your hair has kind of become this object of attention?

 

Ratledge: I’m pretty surprised at how big it got. I just got it as a joke and once it started kind of getting recognized, and started to blow up, I was like, I might as well just keep this thing.

 

I’ve been close to cutting it off a couple of times. In the mornings, it’s out there.

 

Frierson: What do you do to get away from school and football?

 

Ratledge: In the fall, if I have time, I like to go deer hunting. I enjoy that and I like being outside in the woods. I also play video games just like everybody else does. To get in there with friends and have a good time, it takes your mind off of everything.

 

I’ve also got a dog and I love spending time with my dog — probably the best purchase I’ve made since I’ve been in college. That’s definitely my favorite part of going home, him jumping on me when I walk in the door.

 

Frierson: What is your dog’s name and what kind of a dog is it?

 

Ratledge: He’s a pit bull and his name’s Zip — I rescued him.

 

If I didn’t have a girlfriend, I wouldn’t have a dog. As much as I’m gone, to just leave him at the house wouldn’t be fair to him. If I didn’t have a girlfriend that could help take care of him, I definitely wouldn’t have gotten one. She’ll go over there during the day and take him for a walk, feed him, whatever he needs. And at night I’ll come home, take him out, feed him, show him some love.

 

(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)

 

 

Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men’s Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He’s also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.