Brian Ratigan update
Posted: 09/07/2010 - by Charlie Narmi
A Quick history lesson then a great article: Brian Ratigan graduated from St. Albert in 1989 and most longtime St. Albert fans consider him to be the greatest Falcon athlete to ever come out of St. Albert. In addition to carrying a near perfect 4.0 gpa at St. Albert, he was a 1st Team All-State Athlete for the then 2A Falcons in Football, Basketball and Baseball and was a great track athlete.
The 6'5 225lb Senior at Homecoming against Maryville, Missouri caught a slant pass from QB Brian O'Connor over the middle that was tipped by a Maryville player; Ratigan tips it back up in the air with his right hand as its falling to the ground and he catches it one handed with his left hand for a TD. Later that year in the playoffs out at Griswold with time running out before the half, Ratigan was overthrown on a fade route in the endzone. The Falcons ran the same play again, with everyone in the stadium knowing it was coming to him again, and he caught it falling out of the endzone with 3 Tiger defenders hanging all over him. He was the Iowa Gatorade Football Player of the Year and the Iowa Gatorade Athlete of the Year his Senior year. He was recruited to Notre Dame to play football in the fall of 1988, the year the Fightin' Irish won their 11th National Title.
His Junior Year in Baseball he hit two home runs at Lewis Central deep into their tennis courts and he also hit home runs his Junior and Senior year over the St. Albert batting cages. Sometime check those distances out - it's a LONG way.
In basketball he was the Center on the only undefeated basketball team in Council Bluffs history. He's still the All-Time leader for St. Albert in field goal percentage at 67%/game. His rebounding was amazing and his slam dunks used to rattle the backboard.
In track he set the Falcons School Records his Senior Year in the shot put and discus throws (he still holds the shot put record).
Below is a great article that was passed onto me by Steve O'Neill (& thanks to Jeremy Petry for a few of the stories)...
Dr. Brian Ratigan, one of three orthopedic surgeons and a team physician for this year’s Notre Dame football team, is not easily impressed.
When he was a four-year monogram winner at Notre Dame from 1989-92 as an inside and outside linebacker, plus special teams stalwart, Ratigan was part of a Notre Dame program that had as much talent as any college roster from the past 50 years. Four straight years from 1987-90, the Irish recruiting classes were ranked No. 1, and it resulted in winning streaks of 23 games in 1988-89 (the longest in school history) and 17 games in 1992-93 (the second longest at Notre Dame since 1950).
Yet, when he watches the Notre Dame practices now, he admits this program might not be too far away from returning to prominence.
“The talent we had was ridiculous,” said Ratigan of his days with the Irish. “We had 10 to 14 guys going to the pros every year. But when I walk through the locker room and on to the practice field now, I am so impressed with the abilities of these players.
“I can’t tell you we were more talented than these guys. I think we had a great group who played together, but the talent I see out there now … these linebackers are phenomenal with their abilities. It’s just about playing together and getting the teamwork down, which I think they’re being taught how to play like college kids now.”
The tempo of practices has particularly caught his attention.
“I used to go off the field, take my helmet off, take a knee, get a breather for three or four plays, and then go back in,” Ratigan said. “Now, they come off the field, their helmets stay on, their chinstraps are buckled, and they might be in the very next play. I love it. They’re practicing like a game situation. The game is going to be fun for them.”
A brilliant student in high school where his lone blemish of a perfect GPA was a “B” in American literature, Ratigan earned his degree in Business Administration at Notre Dame but still had an itch to enroll in medical school. While playing for the Colts, he took pre-med courses at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis in the off-season and later graduated from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, in wife Maura’s home area.
Having played in the pros, Ratigan especially appreciates the “college touch” Kelly provides after serving as a college head coach the past two decades.
“It’s totally different in the college and pro level,” Ratigan said. “Your expectations are a whole different level. You have academics and you have other things to juggle. You have social relationships with people from all over the country that you’re trying to get to know … and then you meet all these different people on the team.
“There’s a lot more than just showing up to work. The NFL is a 9 to 5 job. Is it the best job? Sure. It’s pretty darn good. The pay is one thing, but the schedule is easy, you work out, you’re paid to stay in shape. It’s very much like a job. Is it fun? It’s still fun to go out and play, but it’s not as fun as going through college where everybody is the same age, compared to when you’re 22 and the guy you’re going against is 35 and is annoyed with you because it’s like, ‘Get rid of this little pesky guy.’ ”
After working on medical staff for NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball teams at Philadelphia and Los Angeles most of the past decade, Ratigan joined South Bend Orthopedics in August 2008 and became the team doctor for the Irish baseball team (Ratigan also had a tryout as a player with the Florida Marlins). From the moment he enrolled in medical school in 1998, Ratigan said his dream was to return to Notre Dame. This summer, he was given the opportunity — perfect timing in a new era under Brian Kelly.
“I don’t want to get overly excited about anything, but his grasp on football is obviously phenomenal,” Ratigan said. “His interaction with the media is great, but his interaction with the players — I’ve seen how players respond to him. I would have loved to play for him, and that’s probably the best compliment I can give.
“He will get everything out of you as long as you do your part. He’ll lead you in the right direction if you give the effort. I was more than happy to give the effort, and this team is giving it.”
In August, former Irish head coach Ara Parseghian (1964-74) spoke in practice to the team about the “Three E’s” — Effort, Execution and Endurance. Ratigan said a fourth “E” could be added into the mix with Kelly: Efficiency.
“I don’t see the day to day operations in meetings, but I can only imagine how efficient they are, just like practice,” Ratigan said. “He’s a master of efficiency and has a very strong personality. His wife seems to be very strong as well, having been a cancer survivor. I’m excited about getting to know him better over the years.”
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