'I still have family members that won't talk to me' - Early round NFL draft pick made some family mad because he didn't go to Tennessee

The Detroit Lions selected offensive lineman Tate Ratledge with the No. 57 overall pick (round two) in the 2025 NFL Draft. 

Ratledge, a two time First-Team All-SEC selection (2023 and 2024), spent five seasons playing with the Georgia Bulldogs. 

The former four-star recruit, however, grew up as a diehard fan of the Tennessee Vols. And he had plenty of family members that badly wanted him to sign with Tennessee out of high school. 

Ratledge, in fact, said during a recent appearance on the Like a Farmer podcast that he has family members that still won't even speak to him because of his decision to sign with Georgia. 

"I grew up a huge Tennessee fan, a diehard Tennessee fan," said Ratledge. "I was born in Chattanooga, TN. My grandmother might have rolled over in her grave when I committed to Georgia. I still have family members that won't even talk to me because I committed to Georgia. It's that diehard on that side of the family. My dad was a huge Tennessee fan, but when I decided I wanted to go to Georgia, it was pretty set in stone.

"I never even thought about flipping -- even when Coach (Sam) Pittman left, who was the offensive line guy at the time. He was the guy you wanted to play for if you're an offensive lineman. He left (Georgia) seven days before I signed. And I stuck with [Georgia] and it ended up being the best decision I ever made. It was not always Georgia, but it ended up being Georgia and I loved it."