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Jaylon Ferguson
refer to caption
Ferguson at 2018 C-USA Kickoff
No. 45
Position: Outside linebacker,
Defensive end
Personal information
Born: (1995-12-14)December 14, 1995
Zachary, Louisiana
Died: June 21, 2022(2022-06-21) (aged 26)
Baltimore, Maryland
Height: 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight: 270 lb (122 kg)
Career information
High school: West Feliciana
(Bains, Louisiana)
College: Louisiana Tech (2014–2018)
NFL Draft: 2019 / Round: 3 / Pick: 85
Career history
Career highlights and awards
  • C-USA Defensive Player of the Year (2018)
  • 2× First-team All-C-USA (2017, 2018)
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles: 67
Sacks: 4.5
Pass deflections: 2
Fumble Recoveries: 2
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Jaylon O'Neal Ferguson (born December 14, 1995 – died June 21, 2022) was an American football player. He played as an outside linebacker and defensive end. Jaylon played college football for Louisiana Tech. Later, he was chosen by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2019 NFL Draft. He played for the Ravens for three seasons.

Early Life and High School Football

Jaylon Ferguson grew up in St. Francisville, Louisiana. He went to West Feliciana High School. There, he played both football and basketball for four years.

College Football Career

Jaylon started his college football journey at Louisiana Tech in 2014. He took a "redshirt" year, which means he practiced with the team but didn't play in games. This allowed him to gain experience and keep an extra year of eligibility.

In 2015, Jaylon played in 12 games and started five of them. He made 35 tackles and had six sacks. A sack is when a defensive player tackles the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage.

Setting Records at Louisiana Tech

As a sophomore in 2016, Jaylon became a star. He set a new school record for sacks in one season with 14.5 sacks! This showed how good he was at getting to the opposing team's quarterback.

In 2017, his junior year, Jaylon continued to play well. He had 38 tackles and seven sacks. He decided to stay at Louisiana Tech for his senior year in 2018.

During his senior season, Jaylon broke even more records. He broke his own school record for sacks in a single season with 17.5. He also became the all-time career sack leader in NCAA FBS history. This means he had more sacks than any other player in the top division of college football. He achieved this during the 2018 Hawaii Bowl game, where he was also named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the winning team.

College Statistics Overview

Here's a look at Jaylon Ferguson's performance during his college years:

Jaylon Ferguson Defense
Season Team GP Cmb TfL Sck Int PD FF
2015 Louisiana Tech 12 35 15.0 6.0 0 1 2
2016 Louisiana Tech 14 49 14.0 14.5 0 2 3
2017 Louisiana Tech 11 38 12.5 7.0 0 0 0
2018 Louisiana Tech 13 65 26.0 17.5 0 3 2
Totals 50 187 67.5 45.0 0 6 7

Professional Football Career

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand size 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 4+34 in
(1.95 m)
271 lb
(123 kg)
34+12 in
(0.88 m)
9+18 in
(0.23 m)
4.82 s 1.69 s 2.78 s 5.12 s 8.08 s 32.0 in
(0.81 m)
9 ft 9 in
(2.97 m)
24 reps
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day

The Baltimore Ravens chose Jaylon Ferguson in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He was the 85th player picked overall.

First Season with the Ravens (2019)

Jaylon made his first NFL appearance on September 22, 2019, playing against the Kansas City Chiefs. Two weeks later, he got his first career tackle against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He earned his first NFL start on November 3 against the New England Patriots.

On November 17, Jaylon recorded his first career sack in the NFL. He sacked quarterback Deshaun Watson of the Houston Texans. A few weeks later, he got his second sack against the Buffalo Bills, tackling quarterback Josh Allen.

Later Seasons (2020-2021)

In Week 4 of the 2020 season, Jaylon got his first sack of that year. He sacked Dwayne Haskins during a game against the Washington Football Team. Jaylon was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the Ravens in November 2020, but was back with the team just two days later. For the 2020 season, he played in 14 games and started one, finishing with 2.0 sacks and 30 tackles.

In 2021, Jaylon appeared in 10 games for the Ravens. He recorded six tackles during this season.

Personal Life

Jaylon Ferguson had a son and two daughters with his fiancée.

Jaylon passed away in Baltimore on June 21, 2022, at the age of 26. The Baltimore Ravens released a statement saying: "We are profoundly saddened by the tragic passing of Jaylon Ferguson. He was a kind, respectful young man with a big smile and infectious personality. We express our heartfelt condolences to Jaylon's family and friends as we mourn a life lost much too soon."

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Jaylon Ferguson para niños

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