George Ragsdale facts for kids

George Ragsdale (born April 4, 1951) is a former American football player and coach. He played college football at North Carolina A&T State University. Later, he played professionally for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the National Football League (NFL). He also played in the United States Football League (USFL). George Ragsdale was mostly known for returning kicks during his playing days. He also served as a head coach for a short time at several universities. Most recently, he was an interim head coach at Central State University in 2021.

George Ragsdale's Football Journey

George Ragsdale was born on April 4, 1951. He grew up loving football. He played college football at North Carolina A&T. After college, he joined the professional ranks.

Playing Professional Football

George Ragsdale played as a running back and was especially good at returning kicks. A running back is a player who carries the ball. A kick returner catches the ball after the other team kicks it and tries to run it back as far as possible. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL from 1977 to 1979. After that, he played in the USFL for the Tampa Bay Bandits in 1983 and the Oklahoma Outlaws in 1984.

Coaching Career

After his playing days, George Ragsdale became a football coach. He coached at many different schools. He often coached running backs or was an offensive coordinator. An offensive coordinator helps plan how the team will score points.

• North Carolina A&T: He coached at his old college, North Carolina A&T, for many years. He was a running backs coach and helped find new players. He also served as an interim head coach in 2008. An interim coach is someone who takes over for a short time.
• Other Colleges: He coached at Morris Brown College, Norfolk State University, and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
• Grambling State: In 2013, he became the interim head coach at Grambling State University. His time there was short.
• Central State: Most recently, he was a running backs and wide receivers coach at Central State University. He also stepped in as their interim head coach in 2021.

George Ragsdale has spent many years in football, both as a player and a coach.