Greater Rockville Centre coverage is funded in part by Toast Coffee + Kitchen, now open in Long Beach. Click here to visit the website.
D’Brickashaw Ferguson once said he considered giving up football during his freshman year playing for Freeport High School. Good thing he stuck with it.
The New York Jets announced Thursday that the Long Island native will be inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor when the Jets host the Patriots on Oct. 30.
Jets owner Woody Johnson had this to say about Ferguson on newyorkjets.com.
“There are a few things you hope for when you select a player fourth overall in the NFL draft. First, you want him to be a responsible citizen and role model. Second, you want him to be a leader in the locker room. Third, you want him to be reliable while performing at a high level for a number of seasons.
“D’Brickashaw has exceeded each of these expectations during his career and will be remembered as one of the finest players in Jets history.”
Ferguson, who played at Virginia, was drafted by the Jets with the fourth overall pick in 2006. He was a three-time Pro Bowler and never missed a game or start from 2006-2015, appearing in 160 regular season contests plus seven playoff games. He played played 10,707 out of a possible 10,708 snaps — with the lone miss coming when the Jets lined up for a desperation lateral on the final play of a 24-17 loss to Miami in 2008.
In 2009, the Village of Freeport named a street after their football star.
In addition to Ferguson, the Jets announced they will also be inducting cornerback Darrelle Revis and center Nick Mangold this upcoming season. Mangold will be the first honored with a ceremony at MetLife Stadium during the Jets’ game against Cincinnati on Sept. 25 and Revis’ will be Nov. 27 against Chicago.
The three played most of their NFL careers together with the Jets and are among the most popular players in franchise history. They are also the first players to be inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor since Pro Football Hall of Fame center Kevin Mawae in 2017.
Revis spent eight of his 11 NFL seasons with the Jets after being the No. 14 overall pick out of Pittsburgh in 2007. He’s considered one of the game’s greatest shutdown cornerbacks — with his “Revis Island” nickname a nod to how often he completely locked down opposing wide receivers during his prime.
Mangold was one of the NFL’s best centers during his career, with his seven Pro Bowl selections second to only Pro Football Hall of Famer Winston Hill’s eight for the most all-star games in franchise history. Mangold was a two-time AP All-Pro pick and started all 164 games he played during his 11 NFL seasons.
With Associated Press.
Top: FILE – New York Jets’ D’Brickashaw Ferguson laughs while speaking to the media about retirement during a press conference on Thursday, April 14, 2016, at the team’s practice facility in Florham Park, N.J. The Jets will induct former cornerback Darrelle Revis, center Nick Mangold and left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson into the team’s Ring of Honor during separate halftime ceremonies this season. The team announced Thursday, June 2, 2022, that Mangold will be the first honored with a ceremony during the Jets’ game against Cincinnati on Sept. 25. Ferguson’s induction will be Oct. 30 against New England, and Revis’ will be Nov. 27 against Chicago. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)
