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'04 OH RB Delbert Ferguson (Cincy signee)

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osuturfman

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That's right Buckeye fans, the name you've been hearing about since his 280 yard, 5 TD performance in the 2000 Division IV State Title game, may not even get a scholarship offer from the Buckeyes. After pulling up lame in a 40 yard timing session, Ferguson has increasingly placed doubt on his future. OSU coaches have not been calling as frequently as in months past and according to some sources Delbert has actually been making calls to the coaches himself out of worry.

Now I'm not saying that young Mr. Ferguson hasn't got an ounce of talent because we all know that to be completely false. What he, like other athletes of his age and ability, does have is potential. In my own opinion, I think it may be too little too late for DF. If he had an extra year with Coach Thom McDaniels (Warren G. Harding's Head Football Coach) and wasn't sitting behind a legimate All-State candidate in Richard Davis (a player who was vital in help Harding to the State Finals last season) then I might reconsider. After his stellar Freshman season, DF just faded into the crowd of very good backs from the Youngstown area. He made a name for himself and then proceeded to go through the motions so to speak at Youngstown Ursuline for the past two seasons. Now he wants to turn it on like a light switch and be Mr. Buckeye. And for these reasons and precursors I'm not sold on Delbert Ferguson.

Fumbles

Delbert has committed a great deal of fumbles over the past two years and this is not to say that he is lackadazical with the ball, he just does not protect it well. His upright running style (even more so than Maurice Clarett) can be attributed to his high number of fumbles as well. He's showed signs of improvement and weakness (ups and downs) over the past two years where he won't fumble for two games and then fumble 3 or 4 times in the following game. This is a problem that can and has to be corrected if Delbert is to succeed at the next level.

Speed

Everyone is quick to knock Delbert's speed, and rightfully so. DF is not fast by any stretch of the word, at least in terms of the college game. By high school standards DF is realtively fast but in college he could be struggling to run away LBs. This is another area that can be improved but only to a certain extent. I would say the best 40 time we will ever see Ferguson run is a 4.6.

Overall, DF is much like a smaller, less-skilled Clarett. He's got the same physical running style but he just won't cut it at the college level. I am very happy with the addition of Antonio Pittman to the recruiting class, he's the one back in Ohio that has me sold. I still wouldn't mind seeing DF in Scarlet and Gray, possibly as a SAM LB.

If we are going to take him though perhaps it would be a prudent choice to wait it out until after the football season and see how everything pans out. In any event, let's remember it is not the end of the world if we don't offer this kid by then end of summer camp. Come the end of January DF will still be on his mind and I'm sure OSU will be there in some capacity. Before any of that though he needs to go out and prove his worth, and by all accounts it's going to take an effort most have never seen from Delbert Ferguson.

In other news and notes from Northeast Ohio, recent Buckeye commit is recieving quite a interest from Coach Kirk Ferentz and the Iowa staff. Ferentz recently sent a personal letter to Mr. Lane inviting him to come visit Iowa and discuss his football future. Subsequently, Shaun Lane has prepared a letter that will be used in all future dealings with other schools expressing his appreciation for contacting him, stating that he is wholeheartedly committed to the Buckeyes, and thanking them kindly for not contacting him any further. If we only could have had Shaun talk to Irizarry, oh well, we had to have something to talk about last January.

-Turf Man
 
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Ditto, very good info Turfman. Keep it coming.

I remember back in February when Delbert turned down an invite to the OSU junior day, stating something along the line that the OSU coaches already knew who he was. He just came off as being a bit too confident in getting an OSU offer. I can't help but wonder if that has contributed to OSU's decreasing interest in Delbert.

I think he can still turn himself around. Summer camp will be a big opportunity to show the OSU coaches how much he's improved his speed, hands, and running technique. Also he can prove his worth under the watchful eye of Coach McDaniels, running against the top competition in the top division in Ohio.

9/6/03 is going to be an interesting date....Ferguson's Warren Harding against Antonio Pittman's Akron Buchtel
 
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I would have to believe that Coach McDaniels is going to work Del Ferugson about as hard as he has worked every other kid that has come through his program and by doing that I think DF will be good to go when he finishes his high school career. DF is going to have to learn humility and hard work because he will not just be given the starting job, he will have to earn it and still share time with the current start that is there.

I do believe that DF wants to be a Buckeye and he has shown that he is willing to work hard to get here, why else transfer to a school against tougher competition? If he continues to try and work on his work ethic he will be a Buckeye!

I would really like to see him come here, so I will be pulling for him to get his attitude and work ethic in order.
 
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I would have to believe that Coach McDaniels is going to work Del Ferugson about as hard as he has worked every other kid that has come through his program and by doing that I think DF will be good to go when he finishes his high school career. DF is going to have to learn humility and hard work because he will not just be given the starting job, he will have to earn it and still share time with the current start that is there.

I do believe that DF wants to be a Buckeye and he has shown that he is willing to work hard to get here, why else transfer to a school against tougher competition? If he continues to try and work on his work ethic he will be a Buckeye!

I would really like to see him come here, so I will be pulling for him to get his attitude and work ethic in order.
 
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I think that vg comes of harsh at times when writing about other sites. However, he did admit that this was speculation and a rumor for an e-mail. vg still has a grudge against Bucknuts because he was banned. He sure can hold on to a resentment IMO. He does have some entertaining info occasionally.
 
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Great post.

Something I heard from someone who follows Youngstown HS football closely about Ferguson and Coach Tressel from two summers ago. Coach Tressel was going into his first season at OSU, and Ferguson had just completed his freshman season of HS ball.

I was told that Ferguson was playing summer baseball or something like that. Coach Tressel made it a point to find out how he was doing, wished him luck, that kind of thing. And this was after the kid's freshman year - so obviously Coach Tressel was aware that he had some talent, and wanted to be in the kid's ear even then.

Do I believe that Ferguson may have overvalued himself? Yes. Do I believe that Ferguson may earn a scholie by attending the summer camp? Yes.
 
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Delbert Ferguson article

Thought some would be interested in how he was doing

http://www.enquirer.com/bearcats/2004/08/12/UCfb-0812.html

Thursday, August 12, 2004
Bearcats catch a big break and a prized running back

By Bill Koch
Enquirer staff writer


He's the jewel of coach Mark Dantonio's first University of Cincinnati recruiting class, one of the top running backs in Ohio, a back so talented he seemed destined to play in the Big Ten or the Pac-10.

But during the ninth week of the season, on Oct. 19 of last year, Delbert Ferguson's future was thrown off track.

Playing for Warren Harding High School against Massillon, he was making a cut when one of the Tigers' safeties rammed into his left thigh with his helmet. Ferguson fell to the turf with a broken femur and had to undergo surgery.

When he did, many of the schools that had been recruiting him fell out of the running.

"I had Iowa, Syracuse, Washington State, Michigan State," Ferguson said Wednesday. "We had a lot of schools to choose from, but when I broke my leg, all of them went different places. It came down to Washington State, which stayed with me, and Cincinnati."

Ferguson, a cousin of former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett, chose UC based on the good feelings he received from the trainers and how they would oversee his recovery, because he liked the coaching staff and because he liked the idea of staying in Ohio.

"It was a big coup," Dantonio said. "It sends a message throughout the state of Ohio that we're going to be able to recruit on a big-time level."

Ferguson was first-team all-state at Youngstown Ursuline in 2001 and 2002 before transferring to Warren Harding for his senior year, where he was following in the footsteps of his cousin.

He ran for 4,982 yards and scored 60 touchdowns in his career.

"They compare us a lot," Ferguson said of Clarett. "I don't mind being compared to him. I just want to play as good as him."

At 6 feet 1, 223 pounds, Ferguson is a big, bruising back. But the UC coaching staff won't know how good he can be for at least a few weeks - and maybe longer - until he regains full strength in his leg.

"The biggest thing the trainers are saying to this point is that the fatigue factor is still there a little bit," running backs coach Tim Hinton said. "He's building that muscle fiber up. He's getting better every day and stronger every day. We're excited about seeing what potential is there. If he's half as good as what he looks like on high school film, we've got a good one."

Ferguson graduated from Warren Harding in December and participated in spring practice at UC. He wasn't able to do much physically but tried to learn the mental aspects of college football.

He said he still feels occasional soreness in the leg, but he's optimistic he'll be at full strength soon.

In a sense, he's starting over as a football player. He still has the reputation but must prove that the leg is OK and that he's the player he used to be.

Asked if he would be at UC if he hadn't been injured, Ferguson paused before answering.

"I can't really say," he said. "But I'm here and I'm excited about it. I'm happy to be here."
Click to expand...
 
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After a serious leg injury, its tough for a back to regain the invincible mindset. Many times, that mental block prevents them from ever returning to form.

Hopefully, Del can get past that...best of luck
 
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