Ralph Sager graduated from Ferndale High after lettering for three years in both football and track. He was the high school state record-holder in the javelin throw. The preseason football pressbook for Everett Junior College in 1960 noted that Sager is “a quarterback who runs like a halfback.” He showed his running and passing skills throughout the year, including a 78-yard run that led to a 5-yard touchdown pass for the winning score against a highly touted Boise Junior College team. In the spring of 1961, Sager set a state and national record in the javelin toss with a throw of 210 feet, 9 and ½ inches. His school record is 216 feet, 8 ½ inches, which was achieved in two team matchup against the University of Washington freshman team. Sager returned to campus when the 1960 football team he led was inducted into the college’s Hall of Fame in 2013.
