Why Georgia football’s Tate Ratledge already had a lion tattoo before Detroit drafted him
Before new Detroit Lion Tate Ratledge ever put on a jersey with his new team, the Georgia football offensive guard already had some ink that is fitting for the organization that will now employ him.
Ratledge added some tattoos before the 2024 Bulldog season including a Lion on his right forearm.
“That kind of came full circle and I didn’t even process that until now, but I mean, just a little bit of foreshadowing, I guess,” Ratledge told reporters after the Lions drafted him Friday night.
The Rome native was selected in the second round with the No. 57 overall pick.
Ratledge shared the backstory of the lion tattoo.
“I mean, I think lions are the king of the jungle for a reason,” he said. “Just their mentality, their attitude, the way they go about their whole life. I mean, I think that’s just something that I kind of attached my lifestyle to, just that mentality that is never satisfied, never quits. So, I think that’s something that ties into my life and the way I play the game.”
Ratledge held a draft party with about 25 people with family and friends back home.
He said the Lions taking him when they did in the draft “was out of nowhere. I didn’t – I couldn’t even process what was going on when I got the call. I mean, this means the world to me, I mean, it means the world to my family, every sacrifice they’ve made to help me get here. I mean, I couldn’t ask for a better team, a better situation to go to. I mean, I’m just – I’m so excited, I still haven’t even really, fully processed it yet.”
Ratledge stands out not just because he’s 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds but because he sports a mullet. He said at Georgia’s Pro Day he wouldn’t mind getting a shampoo commercial.
“The mullet, it kind of started as a joke during COVID,” he said. “My dad cut it in our front yard. It was just a complete joke, ended up keeping it, had like an eight-month awkward phase, now it’s turned into this. So, it is what it is. It’s caught a lot of attention, I guess.”
Said Lions general manager Brad Holmes: “Tate fits what we’re looking for. Whether he’s got his mullet or not – but he plays the game the right way. He’s tough, he’s physical, he’s a lot more athletic than you may think, and he’s got a lot more versatility than people may realize, and that’s when he really, really rose through the process for us.”
