D'Brickashaw Ferguson

Lore & Background

Ferguson's given name was inspired by Father Ralph de Bricassart, a character in the 1977 novel The Thorn Birds. He attended Freeport High School in the Long Island village of Freeport, New York. He nearly gave up football during his freshman year in high school. Considered a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, Ferguson was ranked as the No. 29 offensive guard prospect in the nation. He chose to attend the University of Virginia over Michigan State. While at Virginia, he started 49 games for the Cavaliers, was named to the All-American first-team during his final season, and was placed on the all-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team two years in a row. He started at left tackle in four consecutive bowl games. He played linebacker on a special defensive package employed sparingly in 2003. He earned a religious studies degree in only 3.5 years. He was an All-America selection in 2004 by Pro Football Weekly. Ferguson was one of six players the NFL invited to New York for the 2006 NFL draft events. He was selected 4th overall by the New York Jets. On July 26, 2006, Ferguson signed a five-year deal with the team. He started every game at left tackle for the Jets since the beginning of the 2006 NFL season. On January 8, 2010, Miami Dolphins Tackle Jake Long withdrew from the 2010 Pro Bowl due to injuries and Ferguson was named as his replacement. He was invited to the 2011 Pro Bowl. He was ranked 79th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2011. On April 8, 2016, Ferguson announced his retirement from the NFL after 10 seasons, having made 160 consecutive starts and never missing a game. He played 10,707 out of 10,708 regular season offensive snaps in his career.

In Their Own Story

The snow fell heavily at Giants Stadium, blurring the lines between the green turf and the gray sky. On the left edge of the line, D'Brickashaw Ferguson planted his cleats deep into the frozen earth. The opposing defensive end, a monster of muscle and speed, charged with everything he had. Ferguson didn't flinch; he simply stepped, pivoted, and absorbed the impact like a fortress wall. With a calm focus that belied the chaos around him, he locked out the rusher, creating a tiny pocket of safety for Mark Sanchez to launch a pass downfield.

Reader's Guide

Ferguson's hometown of Freeport, New York, dedicated a street to him on September 29, 2009. South Ocean Avenue, where he grew up, received secondary signage as D'Brickashaw Ferguson Way. His father, Ed Ferguson Sr., is a native of Nassau, The Bahamas, and his older brother, Edwin, also graduated from the University of Virginia. He is also a black belt in Karate and brown belt in Taekwondo. Ferguson was the inspiration for the recurring East–West College Bowl sketch on the Comedy Central sketch comedy series Key & Peele. One iteration of the sketch featured real-life football players, including Ferguson himself. D'Brickashaw and his ex-wife had two children before divorcing in December 2021. He has since welcomed a third child with his current wife, Stephanie, in April 2025. In May 2025, Ferguson graduated from Jefferson University's nursing program. He pursued nursing to follow in the footsteps of his mother and grandmother, both of whom were nurses.

Did You Know?

• Ferguson's given name was inspired by a character in the 1977 novel The Thorn Birds.
• He earned a black belt in Shotokan karate and a brown belt in taekwondo.
• He played 10,707 out of 10,708 regular season offensive snaps in his career.
• He graduated from Jefferson University's nursing program in May 2025.