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After Great Season, Jay Ratliff Wants More
By Jeff Caplan, Ft. Worth Star-TelegramAugust 11, 2009
SAN ANTONIO — Jay Ratliff nearly tripled his tackles and more than doubled his sacks and quarterback pressures to earn his first trip to the Pro Bowl last season.
The Dallas Cowboys’ down-and-dirty nose tackle, a mystery seventh-round draft pick in 2005, the 224th of 255 players selected, crafted one of the NFL’s best success stories as he compiled the greatest season of his career.
So how did he celebrate?
"The first thing was to forget about it," the no-nonsense, 6-foot-4, 303-pounder guilelessly said. "This is a new year. With that recognition comes more responsibility."
Ratliff, the lone playmaker on the line last season, is expecting double-teams coming his way now that he’s a marked man. He again anchors a defensive line that includes, on his left, a slimmed-down Marcus Spears playing for a new contract, and on his right, new addition Igor Olshansky replacing Chris Canty.
Spears and Olshansky are solid players, but neither is a prolific backfield disruptor. Last season they totaled 11 combined sacks and tackles for loss. Ratliff racked up 13.5. His career-high 7.5 sacks ranked second in the NFL among defensive tackles, one behind Washington’s Albert Haynesworth (then with Tennessee) and Minnesota’s Kevin Williams, and tops among nose tackles in the 3-4 scheme.
If defenses choose to double Ratliff in his fifth season, he’ll need some help from his friends.
"We’re off to a great start," Ratliff said. "We still have things we have to work on, but for the most part I think we’re definitely headed in the right direction. With Igor, there was definitely no drop-off at all. He came in, he wasn’t behind at all, he already knows the defense, he already knows the schemes and he’s a strong guy. He’s holding it down over there."
Ratliff is known by teammates as a snarling menace on the field. He instigated the lone fight in training camp last week when he blindsided 313-pound offensive tackle Marc Colombo after a pass attempt. The two heavyweights exchanged several blows before being separated.
"Jay is a very intense person. Jay walks around mad," Spears said. "He’s one of the greatest guys that you can meet and just a big friend to all of us, but when he gets on the football field he transforms."
He’s transformed himself from a backup contributor to a game-changer; an impact player who coach Wade Phillips said uses his quickness to blow by foes in the mold of fierce former Vikings defensive tackle and potential Hall-of-Famer John Randle.
Like Randle, Ratliff’s rise is grounded in determination and perseverance, all the way back to Auburn. He started there as a tight end, moved to defensive end and finally to defensive tackle, leaving NFL scouts without an accurate gauge of his ability at any one position.
He joined the Cowboys under former coach Bill Parcells and backed up nose tackle Jason Ferguson, but was also considered an option at defensive end.
"I believe I had an opportunity. Now, at what position I didn’t know," Ratliff said. "But I wanted to make sure I just knew everything at every position so when called I’d be ready."
When Ferguson got hurt in the 2007 opener, Ratliff answered the call. He excelled in Phillips’ scheme, earned a modest payday — one he’s already outperformed — and headed into 2008 as the unquestioned starter at nose tackle.
"Jay Ratliff is one of those guys who goes beyond what you think he can do," Phillips said. "Because he was a late-round pick, I think you didn’t think he was going to be a No. 1-type player and a Pro Bowl player, but he is."
Heading into 2009, Ratliff knows the No. 90 on his chest might as well be a target.
The Dallas Cowboys’ down-and-dirty nose tackle, a mystery seventh-round draft pick in 2005, the 224th of 255 players selected, crafted one of the NFL’s best success stories as he compiled the greatest season of his career.
So how did he celebrate?
"The first thing was to forget about it," the no-nonsense, 6-foot-4, 303-pounder guilelessly said. "This is a new year. With that recognition comes more responsibility."
Ratliff, the lone playmaker on the line last season, is expecting double-teams coming his way now that he’s a marked man. He again anchors a defensive line that includes, on his left, a slimmed-down Marcus Spears playing for a new contract, and on his right, new addition Igor Olshansky replacing Chris Canty.
Spears and Olshansky are solid players, but neither is a prolific backfield disruptor. Last season they totaled 11 combined sacks and tackles for loss. Ratliff racked up 13.5. His career-high 7.5 sacks ranked second in the NFL among defensive tackles, one behind Washington’s Albert Haynesworth (then with Tennessee) and Minnesota’s Kevin Williams, and tops among nose tackles in the 3-4 scheme.
If defenses choose to double Ratliff in his fifth season, he’ll need some help from his friends.
"We’re off to a great start," Ratliff said. "We still have things we have to work on, but for the most part I think we’re definitely headed in the right direction. With Igor, there was definitely no drop-off at all. He came in, he wasn’t behind at all, he already knows the defense, he already knows the schemes and he’s a strong guy. He’s holding it down over there."
Ratliff is known by teammates as a snarling menace on the field. He instigated the lone fight in training camp last week when he blindsided 313-pound offensive tackle Marc Colombo after a pass attempt. The two heavyweights exchanged several blows before being separated.
"Jay is a very intense person. Jay walks around mad," Spears said. "He’s one of the greatest guys that you can meet and just a big friend to all of us, but when he gets on the football field he transforms."
He’s transformed himself from a backup contributor to a game-changer; an impact player who coach Wade Phillips said uses his quickness to blow by foes in the mold of fierce former Vikings defensive tackle and potential Hall-of-Famer John Randle.
Like Randle, Ratliff’s rise is grounded in determination and perseverance, all the way back to Auburn. He started there as a tight end, moved to defensive end and finally to defensive tackle, leaving NFL scouts without an accurate gauge of his ability at any one position.
He joined the Cowboys under former coach Bill Parcells and backed up nose tackle Jason Ferguson, but was also considered an option at defensive end.
"I believe I had an opportunity. Now, at what position I didn’t know," Ratliff said. "But I wanted to make sure I just knew everything at every position so when called I’d be ready."
When Ferguson got hurt in the 2007 opener, Ratliff answered the call. He excelled in Phillips’ scheme, earned a modest payday — one he’s already outperformed — and headed into 2008 as the unquestioned starter at nose tackle.
"Jay Ratliff is one of those guys who goes beyond what you think he can do," Phillips said. "Because he was a late-round pick, I think you didn’t think he was going to be a No. 1-type player and a Pro Bowl player, but he is."
Heading into 2009, Ratliff knows the No. 90 on his chest might as well be a target.