University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Tate Ratledge
September 05, 2023 | Football, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Georgia offensive lineman Tate Ratledge is 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds. He's big, he's strong, he's still sporting his mullet, and back in high school in Rome, Ga, Ratledge was also the punter for Darlington. It's a funny image, someone so big back there booting the ball on fourth down, but Ratledge was the best man for the job, he said.
These days, Ratledge, a redshirt junior, doesn't have to worry about punting — Brett Thorson has that well taken care of — but he does have to worry about all of the great defensive lineman and pass rushers he'll see throughout the season. In 2021, Ratledge missed most of Georgia's run to the national championship due to a broken foot, but he was right in the thick of things throughout 2022, starting 14 of the 15 games. He even got his hands on the ball once, recovering a fumble against Vanderbilt.
During a recent Quick Chat, Ratledge talked about his punting days, the rare chance to touch the ball in a game, the best part of his summer, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: Of all the upgrades to the football locker room and lounge areas since you've been here, is there one thing that you keep coming back to over and over again?
Ratledge: I'm an offensive lineman, so Bones, for sure, where all of the food's served. It doesn't get much better than Bones — they have great food and you can eat as much as you want. Sometimes I've got to watch it a little bit because I'll get a little bit on the heavy side, but they do a great job of helping us get into our bodies what we need to perform well.
Frierson: I remember being in college and eating a lot of junk, so I bet it's nice to have someone looking out for you when it comes to what you eat.
Ratledge: Definitely. We have so much staff that if you go without something that you need, you're doing something wrong. There's a million people there to help you. Especially when we get out of here late, just knowing that there's something for us to eat and we don't have to worry about it when we get out of here, that helps a lot.
Frierson: Is there one thing they do that you always look forward to?
Ratledge: They do demos every Wednesday, cooking demos, and it's usually steak or some kind of seafood. I'm a big steak person, so I'm always trying to get better at cooking a steak.
Frierson: What was the best part of your summer?
Ratledge: Being around the guys is always a good part of it. Having everybody here and building that bond with everybody.
Me and a couple of offensive linemen, we flew out to Dallas and worked with a trainer down there. That was a great experience for all of us, just working on our technique and building that bond between us.
Frierson: We've got the U.S. Open tennis on the TV right next to us as we do this. Do you spend much time watching other sports? Do you watch much football in your free time?
Ratledge: I watch a lot of football when I'm not playing it. I also went to a boarding school when I was in high school, so I was around a lot of foreign students, and a lot of my best friends lived in the dorms. I was a day student, but being around them a lot of the time, they really got me into soccer. I'm not a huge soccer fan, but that's probably the sport I watch the most outside of football.
Frierson: Do you have a favorite team?
Ratledge: Man U (Manchester United) — that's the team my friends were into and I was kind of forced to be a fan of. It wasn't really something I chose. All the guys I hung around were big Man U fans, and they bought me my first jersey, or kit, as they would call it.
Frierson: Who is the funniest guy on this year's team?
Ratledge: I'm going to have to give that to Jordan Hall. That's one funny human. There's never a dull moment around Jordan Hall. It just comes out naturally; his first day being here, he almost had me in tears I was laughing so hard.
Frierson: I know you recovered the fumble against Vanderbilt last season, but do you remember the last time you touched the ball in a game before that?
Ratledge: In high school, on a fumble recovery, and I actually scored on it (returning it 35 yards).
Cade Brock, one of our walk-ons, who played in high school with me, he slanted through the A gap — he was our nose man — and he hit their running back. The ball popped up and just landed in my arms, and I just took off with it.
Frierson: I can't imagine how good that must have felt.
Ratledge: [Laughs] Oh, it was great. We celebrated, and I think Cade got an excessive-celebration penalty. He did like a cartwheel coming off the field. We had a great time after that. That's one of my core memories from high school.
Frierson: Is there one position you wish you could play for just one play?
Ratledge: Taking it back to high school, the last time I did touch the ball regularly was when I was the punter. I had a 41-yard net average. I had a little bit of a leg on me; I could maybe give Brett Thorson a run for his money [laughs].
Frierson: Are you ever out there before practice firing off some punts just for laughs?
Ratledge: Not really at practice, I think that would be frowned upon, but if we're at the facility just getting extra work in by ourselves, we'll definitely mess around and kick a few.
Frierson: Have you still got a good leg?
Ratledge: Ooh, not as good. It's not as good as it used to be.
(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.
