On The Clock
Dave Ragone

After guiding Louisville to two consecutive C-USA championships, QB Dave Ragone was primed for a big senior season.

But no one accounted for a shoddy offensive line, weak running game, the loss of two top receivers and a weird midseason funk.

The result was a 7-6 record and regression in nearly every category for Ragone. His completion percentage (54.8 percent) was the lowest of his career. Only 23 touchdowns tied a career low. Worst of all, Ragone was sacked 45 times in 13 games.

At the recent NFL combine in Indianapolis no quarterback was as effective as Dave Ragone. Coming off a terrible senior campaign at Louisville, this was the big lefty's last opportunity to make a statement, and he did just that.

PSR's George Von Benko recently put Dave Ragone On The Clock.

PSR: Looking back at last season you have to be shell-shocked. It was pretty rough wasn't it?

DR: It was challenging in different ways. You kind of knew that when you lose that many starters and that much experience on offense that you are going to struggle. But I learned a lot from this year and to be honest with you I wouldn't give any of it back. To the naked eye, people that don't know that much about football look at the numbers and say it was down from my junior year. But what I learned on and off the field last year was something that I can hopefully use in the future.

PSR: The pros admire your leadership. That is a big part of your game isn't it?

DR: Definitely, like I said it challenged me in different ways and I think I became a better leader than I was my junior year. I was faced with a different set of problems and different types of adversity and I learned how to overcome it and it made me stronger.

PSR: Did you feel that you had a good showing at the combine in Indianapolis?

DR: I feel I answered some of their questions about what kind of arm strength and accuracy I have. It hard to be accurate when your running around back there. I just played with what I was dealt and I feel that I answered some of the critics. I'll be the first to tell you that it helps to have a supporting cast and it makes you look a little better than you are and not having a great supporting cast makes you look a little worse than you are.

PSR: Have you gotten a sense where you might be picked in the draft?

DR: You have your people telling you one day you're this round, the next day you're this round. One day this team likes you, the next day they don't. It's been pretty steady of what teams are interested and what teams are not, but you're still about a month from your name being called on draft day, so it's really hard to pinpoint where you are going. People will say I will go anywhere from the middle to the late first round some say I've fallen farther. I feel I helped myself at the combine.

PSR: Pittsburgh may be in the market for a young quarterback. How would you feel about going to the Steelers?

DR: If you were to mention the teams that I would be interested in—it would definitely be a Pittsburgh type team. I'm from a Cleveland environment and I grew up watching Pittsburgh and the towns are very similar. I have nothing but admiration for coach Cowher and I remember when I was little watching him as a special teams coach for the Browns. If you could wave the magic wand it would be a great location to go to. Especially being able to learn from Tommy Maddox and Charlie Batch. It would be a great situation.