Clint Ratkovich could have bemoaned his fate.
Instead, he embraced his faith.
It was April 8, 2022 and Ratkovich’s hopes of being selected in the NFL Draft had just been dashed by a torn anterior cruciate knee ligament — an injury he suffered in a private workout with the Green Bay Packers.
“Right when it happened, about 30 or 40 minutes in, it took that little time,” Ratkovich said on Friday, when he scored his first CFL touchdown to help the Saskatchewan Roughriders defeat the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers 19-9.
“I couldn’t believe it. I’d never really had an injury like that growing up. It was my first major one, so I was kind of shellshocked at first.”
But not for long.
“I got closer to my faith,” Ratkovich said. “It’s the man upstairs.
“In some of those moments when you’re down and injured, it’s easy to look at the dark spots and give up on yourself. There was just that perseverance and I had a great base around me.
“My family and my friends kept pushing me to get back. I’m glad I did. Hopefully I can keep helping this team win some football games.”
Saskatchewan improved its record to 5-1 on Friday, when Ratkovich scored the game’s lone touchdown — on a 15-yard pass from Shea Patterson.
The six points underlined the success of Ratkovich’s journey. He has rebounded from the lows of April 2022 by earning a CFL roster spot and the respect of everyone around him.
“The Rat Dog does so much for us,” Head Coach Corey Mace said.
“He’s a stud on special teams. He plays fullback. He plays tailback. If we ever got into a jam and needed him to play receiver, he could do that. Mentally, he’s prepared for whatever we throw at him. He’s a pro’s pro.”
Leading up to his first full-time opportunity in professional football, the 6-foot-1, 220-pounder was a multi-purpose contributor in the college ranks.
At Western Illinois, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Technology in addition to helping the Leathernecks football team in an assortment of ways over 35 games.
After redshirting in 2016, he rushed 97 times for 429 yards and three TDs and caught 128 passes for 1,204 yards and another 10 scores over three seasons.
He was also a team captain in 2018 and 2019.
A captain’s role was also part of the equation in 2021, during his only season at Northern Illinois.
He rushed 98 times for 448 yards and 12 TDs — one of which was a 96-yarder — for the Huskies. As well, he caught 13 passes for 113 yards and two TDs en route to receiving Third-Team All-Mid-American Conference recognition and an invitation to the East-West Shrine Bowl.
The Roughriders, well-represented at that annual showcase of graduating collegiate players, paid close attention to Ratkovich and soon made their interest evident.
Leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft, he was touted as a candidate to be selected on Day 3. Then came the knee injury … the “30 or 40 minutes” of shellshock … and the beginning of the road to recovery.
“I called my brother and talked to him about it,” Shane Ratkovich’s proud sibling said. “I talked to my fiancée, now my wife, and I was just talking about how I was going to get back and about taking those next steps forward.
“What do I have to do? How’s the surgery going to look? How’s the rehab going to look for the knee? I was paying attention to the time frame and just staying on schedule. I appreciate them staying behind me and pushing me all the way.”
Ratkovich tackled the recuperation with such determination that, by the end of 2022, he had signed with the Atlanta Falcons.
In three 2023 pre-season games with the Falcons, he caught one pass for five yards and earned high grades from Pro Football Focus.
Waived by the Falcons on Aug. 29, he signed with the CFL’s Roughriders on Feb. 13. He made the team on the strength of impressive performances during training camp and the pre-season.
Always modest, the 26-year-old Ratkovich is quick to credit others — such as Running Backs Coach Anthony Vitale — for a successful start in the CFL.
“It’s easy to do multiple things, but it’s hard to do them well,” Ratkovich said. “I appreciate Coach Vitale. He takes the time to train me as a running back but also in the blocking game and in kind of that tight end/super-back spot.
“It’s a testament to him for taking that extra time to work with me and getting me right for the game so we can keep this rolling.”
