Yes, you deciphered that title correctly. D’Brickashaw Ferguson, at 315 pounds, is a black belt in Shotokan karate. Quite impressive if I must say so myself, but it is just one of many aspects of life that Ferguson excels at doing. He is also a three time pro bowler as a member of the Jets, a former TV star, former All-American at Virginia, and most importantly, incredibly involved helping others in the community.
D’Brickashaw is named after Father Ralph Debricassart, a fictional character in the 1977 novel and 1983 mini-series, “The Thorn Birds.” Since being drafted #4 overall by the Jets in 2006, Ferguson has built a reputation for being one of the best left tackles in the game, and is noted as being extremely agile for his position. His success has led to his hometown, Freeport New York (about an hour east from the Jets stadium), naming a street after him. It is his work off the field however that deserves just as much notoriety, as D’Brickashaw has his own foundation that helps many different aspects of the community, with a focus of students pursuing a great education.
“The Mission of the D’Brickashaw Ferguson Foundation is to improve the quality of life for students by awarding academic scholarships to those deserving eligible students who reside in the New York area,” Brickashaw says on his website. “The foundation will provide resources that will enhance and contribute to each student’s pursuit of higher education.”
The Foundation will also provide financial support to churches by way of grants for the repair and construction of church owned edifices, according to the website. “Ultimately,” D’Brickashaw states, the foundation will provide resources to churches, schools, and to fund food banks and clothing ministries in hopes to building up the respective communities there by showing God’s love in action.
One of the categories D’Brickashaw’s foundation helps with is mentoring students about one’s self reliance. The foundation does this by providing a vehicle that assists high school and college students to “realize a more fruitful transition from dependence on others to self reliance as they mature physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.”
Ferguson also hosts several events promoting the foundation’s mission annually. His main events include his “build a bike” day, the “skills and drills” program, and a dinner dance that is held to promote and raise money for the foundation. D’Brickashaw recently hosted his build a bike day on December 12, 2012. Children between the age of 9 and 12 showed up thinking they were building bikes for others who are less fortunate. In a surprise announcement however, at the end of the day they end up being able to keep the bikes as a result of their willingness to help others. Ferguson states that “While the Build-a-Bike Workshop is a lesson on teamwork and community involvement for the children, it’s also a lesson on giving back for the adults.”
On May 21st, 2012 The Foundation hosted its 3rd annual Skill And Drills Event under the umbrella of its Mentorship Program. High school seniors from around Long Island, accounting for about 200 students, came together at Hofstra University to attend a conference which dealt with “How To Prepare For First Semester Experience In College” as well as learn how to interact with others of totally different background and culture. Students listened attentively to Ferguson, who graduated from Virginia in seven semesters with a Religious Studies degree.
Finally, Ferguson found an extra way to give back to his Long Island community this year, as he decided to author a children’s book, followed by hosting a book signing at Barnes and Noble in his hometown of Freeport. At a book launch over the summer, D’Brickashaw introduced “GO GREEN!” the first installment in his “Brick’s Way” series, which aims to “entertain children while inspiring them to make a difference in their community.” “We wanted to put out a message we could be proud of,” said Ferguson, who was joined by his wife, Kirsten, and his mother, Rhunette. The big man took his post behind a lectern and began reading “GO GREEN!” aloud to dozens of children and their parents. They had all come to see their hometown hero, and in turn, Ferguson took his time signing every book, football, and jersey after the reading.
D’Brickashaw Ferguson has never missed a game in his NFL career, starting all 112 games since being drafted to go along with six playoff starts. He has been as consistent as they come not only on the field, but off the field as well, as he makes his presence felt in the community several times a year.
Follow Ferguson on twitter @DBrickashaw and @PlayerInsiders
