Jets' Ferguson: Pro Bowl, here I come
Photo credit: Getty Images | Tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson of the New York Jets strikes a pose. (Nov. 2, 2008)
Standing underneath a tent to shield himself from the August sun, D'Brickashaw Ferguson stepped out of his usual persona, showing a more confident side.
Ferguson boldly predicted he's bound for the Pro Bowl in Miami once the season is over, essentially doing everything but booking a hotel room in South Florida to prove just how serious he was. Without hesitation, the usually low-key Freeport product proclaimed that this would be the season the jigsaw puzzle came together for him, implying that he was on his way to elite status as one of the NFL's premier left tackles.
"I said it because it's been in my heart," Ferguson said the other day. "I felt like the timing was right. Things just started to come into place."
He added, "I'm a Pro Bowl-caliber left tackle. I try to go out every Sunday and prove it. That's something I fight for and every game I take very seriously because that's something I always have in the back of my mind, really at the forefront of my mind."
Ferguson, who finally has a handle on his 6-6, 310-pound frame and seems to be more explosive this season, certainly won't get any argument from Brian Baldinger, the NFL Network analyst and former Massapequa High School player. Baldinger, a straight shooter, barely needed a nanosecond to ponder whether Ferguson is having a Pro Bowl-type season for the Jets, who host the Jaguars in a battle of 4-4 teams Sunday at the Meadowlands.
"Yeah," Baldinger said before rattling off the names of other good left tackles in the league such as Miami's Jake Long, Cleveland's Joe Thomas, Baltimore's Jared Gaither, Kansas City's Branden Albert and San Diego's Marcus McNeill. "Just go through the list of the guys. To me, D'Brick is as good, if not better than all of them."
Baldinger recalled watching footage of the Jets' preseason contest against the Giants, when Ferguson went up against speedy pass rusher Osi Umenyiora. He was held sackless and registered one quarterback hit and a combo tackle.
"After the Giants played the Jets, Osi Umenyiora basically got cut off at the knees by his coach and then he went AWOL," Baldinger said. "I was like, 'Well, did anybody see what D'Brick did to him?' He crushed him. The guy basically broke his sword. He couldn't rush the passer, he couldn't beat him and it made him look like he played with no effort. Two days later, Osi is AWOL and two days after that, he's apologizing to everybody on his team.
"And I was like, 'Somebody go watch what D'Brick just did to him.' "
Though Ferguson hasn't been flawless through the season's first eight games - he's been flagged for two false starts, has been called for holding once and has given up 21/2 sacks, according to Stats LLC - he has flexed his newfound muscles against some of the league's best, such as Houston's Mario Williams and Oakland's Richard Seymour. New Orleans' Will Smith is the lone player to really come through against him, recording 11/2 sacks.
Otherwise it's been a breakout season for Ferguson, who has become a pillar of durability, making 56 consecutive starts. He finally has found his comfort zone, taking all the advice and training he has received during these last two years and making it work for him.
Ferguson has learned how to effectively study video and even spent time in the offseason breaking down his technique and studying opponents. He is eating better, cutting back on the quantity of food he wolfs down and going for quality instead. He now knows when to load up on the starches, is aware that he needs to have protein in every meal and knows when it is time for a healthy shake or two.
"You have to fuel the body," he said. "You can have a great, fast car. But if you don't have that premium gas, you aren't going anywhere."
He also sought ways to improve his technique and training in the offseason with retired offensive line coach Jim McNally and 12-time Pro Bowler Will Shields, the Chiefs' former offensive guard. Ferguson worked on his hands and footwork not only with them but with Jets strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi while in the weight room.
"You find out what you are deficient in," Ferguson said. "Once you start filling those voids, the game starts changing. Slowly, those games where they said, 'Oh, he did all right, solid if unspectacular' turns into 'he played well. He really dominated. He's an excellent tackle. He's one of the better tackles in the league.' And that's always been a goal of mine."
Having the Freeport street on which he grew up renamed D'Brickashaw Ferguson Avenue last month was a proud moment. Now he's hoping he'll see his name somewhere else in a few months - on the back of a Pro Bowl jersey.
"I feel like I've been playing the best since I have been in this league and I definitely want to continue," he said. "You always say you try to cross those waters, but now it's 'I'm trying to go to Miami,' you know? And it's important for me that I accomplish that."
