Joe Ferguson

The quarterback who threw for 2,426 yards and a league-leading 25 touchdowns in 1975 while leading the Bills to back-to-back postseason appearances in 1980 and 1981.

Joseph Carlton Ferguson Jr., born April 23, 1950, is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for 17 seasons in the NFL, primarily with the Buffalo Bills. Selected by the Bills in the third round of the 1973 NFL draft as the 57th overall pick, he played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks before leading the Bills through the 1980s. Ferguson succeeded Terry Bradshaw as Woodlawn High School's starting quarterback and guided them to a state championship in 1968.

Quick Facts

Position: Quarterback
Born: 23 April 1950
Birthplace: Alvin, Texas, U.S.
Draftyear: 1973
Draftround: 3
Draftpick: 57
High school: Woodlawn (Shreveport, Louisiana)
College: Arkansas (1969–1972)

Lore & Background

Ferguson's professional journey began with an immediate quarterback competition against Dennis Shaw. He started the first game on September 16, 1973, throwing two passes before Shaw took over as O.J. Simpson ran for 250 yards in a 31–13 win. By the third game against the New York Jets, Ferguson was the primary quarterback, completing 7-of-17 passes for 74 yards in a narrow 9–6 victory. His best statistical season came in 1975, where he threw for 2,426 yards and a league-leading 25 touchdowns (tied with Fran Tarkenton) to 17 interceptions, achieving an 81.3 passer rating. Despite leading the league in passing attempts (457), yards, and interceptions in 1977, he remained a fixture for the Bills. He suffered a back injury in 1976 that cost him seven games, but returned to lead the team to the postseason as a Wild Card in 1980 and again in 1981.

Reader's Guide

Ferguson's career is marked by specific statistical peaks and valleys. He held the Arkansas Razorbacks' single-game completion record of 31 until 2012 and was MVP of the 1971 Liberty Bowl. In the NFL, he finished with 196 touchdowns thrown and 209 interceptions. He placed in the top 10 in pass attempts five times, completions and passing yards four times, and passing touchdowns six times. Ferguson was the fifth player to wear number 12 with the Bills before Jim Kelly retired it. Notably, his colorblindness was cited as a potential factor behind interceptions in later seasons due to confusion over white helmets in the division.

Did You Know?

Ferguson held the Arkansas Razorbacks' single-game record for most completions (31 against Texas A&M in 1971) until it was broken in 2012.
In 1984, Ferguson's colorblindness playing against teams with white helmets was reportedly behind his high interception rate that season.
He once shared the NFL record for consecutive starts by a quarterback (107) with Ron Jaworski until September 30, 1984.
Ferguson briefly came out of retirement in 1995 to serve as a backup for the San Antonio Texans in the Canadian Football League.
He was diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma cancer in May 2005 and acute myeloid leukemia in January 2008, recovering from both by July 2009.