The Journal & Courier sports department is proud to present the 26th annual Student-Athlete of the Year awards.
Seeger’s Paul Ragan and Faith Christian’s Olivia Barber were chosen by members of the sports department from a list of candidates from the 28 high schools in the Lafayette area.
The selections were based on a student-athlete’s athletic and academic achievements, along with community activities. The winners were asked to write about what high school athletics meant to them.
Ragan competed in football at Seeger. He was a four-year varsity letter winner and three-year starter. As a senior team captain, Ragan was recognized as a Journal & Courier all-area selection as a defensive end, along with All-Wabash River Conference and All-Bi-County honors, while being named to the Indiana Football Coaches Association’s Class 2A all-state team and Region 4 all-star list along with being an academic all-state honoree.
Ragan ranked fourth in his class with a 4.135 grade-point average while also earning a general studies associate’s degree from Ivy Tech with a 4.0 GPA. He spent his free time volunteering with junior high football, restoring hope, Hope Springs, along with youth clinics and a church mission trip while also being a member of the National Honor Society. Ragan will attend Taylor University, continuing his football career while majoring in chemistry.
Here is his letter on what winning this award means to him:
When asked what high school sports have meant to me, the short answer is everything. I have only been a one-sport athlete for the past three years, but I have spent all year-round training to be the best I can be. Learning how to put every ounce of effort into something over the past four years has made me the man I am today.
The passion I have for football is unlike anything else. To me, there is nothing like football, having to fully rely on each one of your teammates. Once the ball is snapped, not one player is more important than the other. To be successful on the field, you need to become more than just a team; you need to become a family. I have a lot I could say about what football has meant to me over the past four years, but I will just give a brief overview.
I moved from northern California back to Indiana at the end of my eighth-grade year. Being able to be a part of the football team in the summer allowed me to be a part of something special immediately. Instead of having to be the new kid coming in as a freshman, I already had great relationships. More than that, I had a family, just in two months of working my tail off with the guys.
At the end of my freshman year, I suffered a severe nerve injury to my brachial plexus in my left shoulder. So severe that my left arm was completely paralyzed and numb for six months. Over that period of time, my biggest fear was the very likely fact that I would never play football again. Instead of letting myself get down, I decided to dedicate myself to learning how to kick. I wanted to find a way to get back on the field and help my team. I never became a good kicker; in fact, I was horrible. But I did kick in one game once we got up by a lot. Two days later, on Sunday, while my family was praying over me, God miraculously healed my arm, and I regained full function. The doctors cleared me to play the very next week. Through all of that, I was able to significantly grow in my faith, which is the most important thing in my life. I learned that you need to trust in God, no matter what circumstances you might be in.
In my junior year, I was made a team captain. That year, we were extremely young and inexperienced; we had a total of one senior on our team. We finished the year 3-7; overall, a very disappointing season. However, we put the work in and came back ready the next season. Finishing with the best record Seeger has had in twenty years, 9-2. Including beating Lafayette Central Catholic not only once but twice for the first time in almost twenty years as well. I have never enjoyed anything more than my senior season.
Maybe my biggest highlight throughout my four years has been getting to play under my dad (Seeger head football coach TJ Ragan). For a lot of people, being a coach’s kid isn’t a good thing, but I have loved being able to play for him. It has been able to make us much closer, and being able to be a part of the culture he was trying to set was something special. I also thank him for not only coaching me, but also making me earn everything.
More than anything, football has taught me so many valuable life lessons. I’ve learned the importance of hard work, and just truly how much better it feels if you work for it versus getting a handout. I’ve learned that team success is so much more important than personal accolades, and yes, I’ve been fortunate to receive a lot of personal accolades. But all that actually matters is the team’s success. Most importantly, I’ve learned that I need to honor God with everything in my life. That I need to be playing football for the Lord, not myself.
I will be continuing at Taylor University to play football and major in Chemistry. I chose Taylor because I truly believe it is the place I can play great football and receive a great education, but most importantly, learn how to honor God with everything.
Thank you so much for this honor. I am speechless. Thank you to all my teammates for everything; I love you guys.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Seeger’s Paul Ragan wins male Journal & Courier Student Athlete of the Year
Reporting by Paul Ragan, for the Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Paul Ragan, for the Journal & Courier | USA TODAY Network
