By Dana Williams
Nearly 50 students were randomly selected by administrators to hear New York Jets offensive lineman D'Brickashaw Ferguson give a motivational speech in the school's library as a part of MHS's celebration of Black History Month.
Brown explained that he established a friendship with Ferguson - known to many Jets fans as "Brick" or "D'Brick" - during the years that he worked as an administrator in the Freeport School District. Before introducing his 6-foot-6 friend, Brown spoke briefly about his athletic - and academic - achievements. At Freeport High,
Ferguson was a three-year starter and the recipient of the
Thorpe Award as Nassau County's top football player, graduating with honors in 2002. At the University of Virginia, he started every game, became the university's first all-conference tackle since 1998 and completed his bachelor's degree in religious studies in three and a half years, among other achievements.
Ferguson's leadership on and off the field, Brown said, is what makes him an exceptional young citizen. "Brick dared to be different and he didn't follow the crowd," Brown said, adding that Ferguson was offered the opportunity to play professional football during his career at the University of Virginia, but turned it down because he wanted to finish college. "He's a gentleman, a scholar, and he's really someone that we all can be proud of."
Ferguson was the fourth pick in the NFL Draft in 2006 - after Mario Williams, Reggie Bush and Vince Young - and he has flourished with the Jets. Since joining the team, he has started every game as left tackle, was named to the NFL's All-Rookie Team - as voted by Pro Football Weekly and Pro Football Writers Association - and was selected as an alternate for this year's Pro Bowl.
In his speech to the students, he recalled how he struggled when he was young to find a sport that he was passionate about, but eventually found his calling in football. "It was hard, but I never gave up," Ferguson said. "I decided I wanted to play football and I just worked really hard at getting better." He encouraged the students to determine what they want to do in life now and start working toward their goals.
He may make millions of dollars a year as an NFL star, but one of the things Ferguson touched on was the importance of being financially responsible. "It's great when you have all this money," he said. "But you still have to get an education, because you don't want to lose all your money." The students' expressions ranged from admiration to amazement moments later as Ferguson revealed that he is a student at Downing College and is working to get a master's degree in business administration.
"D'Brickashaw is a gentleman and has a character that we all should want to have," Superintendent Dr. James Hunderfund said. "Success is what you make it, and he made his own success ... and we really appreciate that he came to speak to our students today."
Ferguson said he hopes his story helps students learn that with education, hard work and perseverance, they can achieve their goals. "I just wanted to encourage the students to follow their passion," he told the Herald. "I think it's important to stress that to young people because only they know what their passions are, and they are the ones that can make their dreams come true."
For many students, Ferguson's story was not only remarkable, it was inspiring. "I liked that he cared about graduating high school with good grades and going to college," said 14-year-old Jerry Voltaire, a freshman. "Even though he was a football star in high school and college, I really liked that he still focused on being a good student."
Junior Adam Hamburger, 16, shared similar sentiments after getting his Jets cap autographed by Ferguson. "When he talked about how he didn't follow other people and that he worked hard in school, I thought that was really important," Hamburger said. "Hearing his story was pretty awesome because it was different, and I liked that the most."
Comments about this story? DWilliams@
liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 205.
