http://nypost.com/2016/04/08/remember-dbrickashaw-ferguson-for-how-he-lived-up-to-nickname/ Brian Costello Sports Remember D’Brickashaw Ferguson for how he lived up to nickname By Brian Costello April 8, 2016 | 10:37pm D’Brickashaw Ferguson has the perfect nickname: “Brick.” A brick is sturdy, hard to move and stands up to whatever is thrown its way. So was Ferguson as the Jets’ left tackle for the last 10 years. Ferguson has decided to retire, capping a remarkable career of durability and consistency Jets fans should appreciate because it could be a long time before they see it again. The 32-year-old played a remarkable 10,351 snaps out of a possible 10,352 in his career. The one snap for which he was not on the field was a trick play on the Jets’ final play of the 2008 season, when then-coach Eric Mangini took all the offensive linemen except Nick Mangold off the field. Ferguson never appeared on an injury report. He never missed a practice. Do you know how amazing that is? Rex Ryan likes to say the NFL has a 100 percent injury rate. Ferguson proved him wrong. He never twisted an ankle, never hurt his knee, never even got poked in the eye — at least badly enough to let anyone know. The Jets took Ferguson with the fourth pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. It was the first pick by former general manager Mike Tannenbaum and Mangini. Fans and media were clamoring for one of USC’s Heisman Trophy-winning stars: Reggie Bush or Matt Leinart. The Saints offered the No. 2 pick, which would have been Bush, for the fourth and 29th (which the Jets used on Mangold) picks. Tannenbaum declined. Instead of Hollywood, Tannenbaum tapped the 6-foot-6 tackle out of Freeport, Long Island, and the University of Virginia. The Jets passed on sexy, but got steady instead. Ferguson was all steak and no sizzle. Tannenbaum had watched quarterbacks Chad Pennington and Jay Fiedler go down with injuries in 2005. He knew even if John Elway were available in the draft, it would not matter if the Jets could not protect him. During the early practices of his rookie year, the Jets could see they made the right decision. Mangini decided to test him by making him practice with the first-, second-, and third-team offenses — not something the No. 4 pick in the draft usually does. He wanted to see how Ferguson responded. It was the same way it would be for the next decade. He was unfazed and unflappable. From Leon Washington to Chris Ivory, Ferguson opened up holes for the Jets’ running backs, and from Pennington to Ryan Fitzpatrick, he kept the quarterbacks off the ground. Ferguson ended up playing 167 straight games. Only Giants quarterback Eli Manning has played more since 2006. It is easy to overlook offensive linemen sometimes, but Ferguson’s career should be celebrated. The three-time Pro Bowler was a key piece of the offensive line that helped the Jets to back-to-back AFC Championship games. Ferguson, one of the smartest guys in the locker room, surely has a post-football plan, and there is no doubt he will be successful in whatever he decides to do. The next time Jets fans may see him is when the team inducts him into its Ring of Honor, which should not take long. For 10 years, Ferguson was an anchor for the Jets. He was a steadying force in sometimes really rocky waters. He was Brick.
One of Tanny's bright spots. I didn't remember that 'Brick was Tanny's first ever draft pick. Good job Tanny!
Yup. Right here on TGG. "He's too thin". "He'll never handle a bull rush". "He'll never weigh enough". "He's a bust".
We focus so much on the negatives we overlook those positive qualities. He was one of the first lineman that made me notice the importance of footwork in lineman, he was great and durable.
That is true. Plus as fans we are not with them 100% of the time like coaches. Judging a player is like only watching half of a criminal trial and then making a judgement.
Really one of the more unbelievable things I've ever read. Never appeared on an injury report? No wonder he wanted to retire before he did. As sad as it is to see a sturdy Jet retire, and a great player for us, it's great to see a player be able to walk away with full health after a successful career. Interesting to note, I believe Brick finished his collegiate career with a 3.5 GPA as a 4 year starter at Virginia (and early on in his career weighed as little as 250-260 pounds when he arrived at Virginia.
So as not to be hypocritical, you would have to give Bryce more than 2 full seasons of play before recommending a QB change.
Nice try. Geno has had 2 years of play plus a year on the bench and you haven't given up on him. Bryce has 1 year on the bench. So if he plays all of 2016 and 2017 at replacement level, you should still be calling for him to start in 2018.
No I'm going by what most people on here expect. After 2 years in the NFL you can tell if a QB is any good.
Remember him? Jeez he's not dead yet. The thing that sticks out the most with all this is that Mangini is a dick
I forgot, you let Willie Colon do the talking for you. To be serious, I agree Geno hasn't had a totally fair shot, but if I were in charge, I'd be less concerned about giving people fair shots and more concerned about putting the right guy on the field. And despite not getting a totally fair shot, Geno's play and behavior have indicated that he will most likely fail in any situation.
