Nebraska Cornhuskers offensive lineman honors stepfather in Senior Day ceremony

The Nebraska Cornhuskers football team celebrated senior day against Big Ten foe Iowa in Lincoln Friday afternoon. Nebraska (5-7, 3-6 Big Ten) ultimately lost 13-10 to the Hawkeyes (10-2, 7-2) who took home the Heroes Trophy in the win.

Prior to the game, the Cornhuskers honored their senior players, including offensive lineman Nouredin Nouili. The senior right guard earned his way to scholarship status in 2021 after transferring to Nebraska as a walk-on.

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When Nouili, a native of Frankfurt, Germany, ran out onto Tom Osborne Field Friday afternoon, his jersey looked a little different than usual. His No. 63 had the last name “Ragaller” across his back in honor of his stepfather, Ralf Ragaller.

He embraced his parents and little sisters Luna and Duna in one of the more emotional moments of senior day.

Nouili originally played soccer as a kid but, after he lost interest in the sport, Ragaller introduced him to football. Nouili picked it up with a local youth team and took one practice to love his new sport.

Football became a family affair for them after the switch. Ragaller, a longtime New England Patriots fan, recalls Nouili fell asleep during the Patriots’ Super Bowl comeback win against the Atlanta Falcons in 2017. He woke up the future Husker lineman in time to see the Patriots get the win.

Ralf and Melanie Regaller made the trip to Lincoln from Germany for the Nebraska spring game in April. They catch every one of Nouili’s games despite the seven-hour time difference but enjoyed his final game of 2023 in person.

Nouili’s bounced back in 2023 after being suspended for all of the 2022 season following a failed drug test. He returned this fall as a senior and started 11 of 12 games at right guard for the Huskers and earned a spot on the Nebraska athletics’ Brook Berringer and Tom Osborne Citizenship Teams.

Friday marks his last game for Nebraska before he’s scheduled to graduate this winter with a degree in criminology and criminal justice.