D'Brickashaw Ferguson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
D'Brickashaw Ferguson

Ferguson with the New York Jets in 2009
No. 60
Position:	Offensive tackle
Personal information
Born:	(1983-12-10) December 10, 1983 (age 41) New York City, New York, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight:	310 lb (141 kg)
Career information
High school:	Freeport (Freeport, New York)
College:	Virginia (2002–2005)
NFL Draft:	2006 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4
Career history
New York Jets (2006–2015)
Career highlights and awards
3× Pro Bowl (2009–2011) PFWA NFL All-Rookie Team (2006) New York Jets Ring of Honor First-team All-American (2005) 2× First-team All-ACC (2004, 2005) Virginia Cavaliers Jersey No. 66 retired
Career NFL statistics
Games played: 160 Games started: 160 Fumble recoveries: 4
Player stats at PFR

D'Brickashaw Montgomery Ferguson (born December 10, 1983) is a former American professional football player. He was an offensive tackle for 10 seasons with the New York Jets in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers and was named an All-American. The Jets picked him fourth overall in the 2006 NFL draft. He was also chosen for the Pro Bowl three times. Ferguson is known for his amazing record: he started 160 games in a row and never missed a single game in his whole career!

Early Life and Football Dreams

D'Brickashaw Ferguson's unique first name was inspired by a character from a book called The Thorn Birds. He grew up in Freeport, a village on Long Island, New York. He went to Freeport High School. It's hard to believe, but he almost quit football during his first year of high school!

Even though he almost quit, he became a top player. Rivals.com, a website that ranks young athletes, saw him as a promising offensive guard. He decided to play college football at the University of Virginia instead of Michigan State.

College Football Career

While at the University of Virginia, Ferguson played for the Virginia Cavaliers football team. When he started college, he weighed about 260 pounds. Sometimes, he would even drop to 245 pounds during the season.

He started 49 games for the Cavaliers. In his final season, he was named to the All-American first-team. This means he was considered one of the best college players in the country! He was also chosen for the All-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team two years in a row. He was the first offensive tackle from Virginia to get this honor since 1998. Ferguson even played in four bowl games for the Cavaliers. He also earned a degree in religious studies in just three and a half years.

Becoming a Pro Football Star

When D'Brickashaw finished college, some people thought he might be too small for a professional offensive tackle. But he showed them! At the NFL combine, where players show off their skills, he weighed in at 312 pounds.

Ferguson is known for his strong lower body, athleticism, and flexibility. He even has a black belt in Shotokan karate and a brown belt in taekwondo! His arms are also very long, measuring 87 inches (about 221 cm). This helps him block defenders.

The NFL invited Ferguson to New York for the 2006 NFL draft. This is a big deal, as only a few top players get this invitation. The New York Jets picked him as the 4th overall player in the draft. This was a huge moment for him and the team!

On July 26, 2006, Ferguson signed a five-year contract with the Jets. From the very beginning of the 2006 NFL season, he started every game at left tackle. He was meant to take over from another great player, Jason Fabini.

Ferguson's hard work paid off. In 2010, he was named a replacement for the 2010 Pro Bowl due to an injury to another player. He was also invited to the 2011 Pro Bowl. His fellow players even ranked him 79th on the "NFL Top 100 Players of 2011" list.

On April 8, 2016, D'Brickashaw Ferguson announced he was retiring from the NFL. He played for 10 seasons and made an incredible 160 consecutive starts. He never missed a single game! In his career, he played 10,707 out of 10,708 possible offensive plays. In his retirement message, he thanked all his coaches, teammates, and fans for their support.

Life Outside Football

D'Brickashaw Ferguson's hometown of Freeport, New York, honored him on September 29, 2009. The street where he grew up, South Ocean Avenue, was given a special second sign that reads "D'Brickashaw Ferguson Way." His father, Ed Ferguson Sr., is from Nassau, Bahamas. His older brother, Edwin, also went to the University of Virginia.

Ferguson is also known for being part of a funny TV sketch! He was the inspiration for the "East–West College Bowl" sketch on the Comedy Central show Key & Peele. In these sketches, comedians Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele pretend to be football players with very unusual names. One time, real football players, including Ferguson himself, even appeared in the sketch!