FAYETTEVILLE -- It speaks well of Bret Bielema that the Arkansas coach would hastily arrange a flight home for a grieving player and, with his wife, Jen, accompany that player on that sad flight home.
However, it would speak better of college football if this didn't speak so well above its norm.
After returning to Fayetteville on Saturday night after his Razorbacks routed Alcorn State in Little Rock, Bret and Jen dined out, enjoying the precious few relaxing hours they will have together this Alabama Week.
The No. 1-ranked and reigning national champion Crimson Tide roll into Reynolds Razorback Stadium for Saturday's 6 p.m., ESPN-televised SEC game.
Bret's phone rang. A distraught Marty Ragnow, the mother of Arkansas junior starting center Frank Ragnow, called from Minnesota. Jon Ragnow, Frank's father, had died suddenly from a heart attack.
The coach located Frank, summoned him to the Fred Smith Football Center, then handed him the phone with Marty Ragnow on the line breaking the tragic news as best she could.
Meanwhile, Bielema located Stephens Inc. CEO Warren Stephens, who provided the plane for immediate flight.
Tuesday on The Playbook, a national show on Sirius radio, Bielema was asked about accompanying his player to Minnesota then arriving back in Fayetteville not long before the sun rose commencing a long work day of the season's longest work week, every coach's week when beset by Alabama.
Without false modesty, Bielema said, "This story isn't about me."
It's about a shocked, grieving son needing to get home fast to his family with shoulders to lean on along the way.
So if the UA, on a moment's notice, can whisk a jet transporting Bielema to see a recruit or address a Razorback Club, then why the shock that a plane with the coach in it would fly home a player ambushed by the death of his dad?
Well, in today's win-at-all-cost college athletic world, you know there are coaches whose prime concern would be jetting the player from the funeral to practice over flying him home five days before the funeral.
Arkansas is fortunate to have a coach above that.
And college football seems not so fortunate its ranks perhaps don't abound with others more like him.
That said, death's lesson always teaches the living that life must go on. A college football team is no exception.
So on the same show leading off with Bielema asked about Ragnow, the next question asked: Who fills in for Ragnow?
Bielema said right guard Jake Raulerson, who did start one game at center when he and Ragnow swapped positions, would stay at right guard while sophomore Zach Rogers works first-team center.
Bielema said he didn't see the point of "replacing one man with two."
That two-for-one scenario would hold forth if Raulerson moved from guard to center and backup right guard Colton Jackson elevated to starting guard rather than promote backup center Rogers to first team.
Sports on 10/05/2016