Ferguson Is Jets' Man of the People

NEW YORK, April 29 -- The masses were howling. This is the great annual drama of the NFL draft: What will the hometown New York Jets do? It has often been a moment wrought with disaster. And, with the Jets holding the fourth pick, the stakes were even higher. As the clock high above the stage ticked down, the roar from the masses grew louder.

Fortunately D'Brickashaw Ferguson understands this. The Virginia tackle grew up on Long Island, in the heart of Jets country. He understands all too well the roar of the masses. This is good, for when his name was called Saturday as the Jets' first-round pick -- and the masses mostly cheered -- he walked to the stage with a smile.

"I couldn't be happier," he said.

There have been many players who never handled playing at home. But Ferguson seemed thrilled at the prospect of playing a short drive from his home town of Freeport. He leaned into the microphone at a news conference and laughed easily.

"The fact that the Jets fans showed me a lot of love really speaks volumes to me," he said. "I know I'm welcome here at this city. It is my home. This is where I plan to stay. So let's make it happen."

Edwin and Rhunette Ferguson looked as delighted as their son Saturday. They have become something of draft celebrities for naming their son after the priest Ralph de Bricassart, a character in "The Thorn Birds." And then they learned their child would be playing professional football just down the street. This bit of news thrilled them.

"This is what all the work and preparation was for -- all of this," Edwin Ferguson said.

Rhunette even said she hoped D'Brickashaw would choose to live at home.

Then she paused and looked at Edwin. They both laughed.

"I think he's going to need more leg room," Edwin said.

The Fergusons didn't have much time to consider living arrangements, Saturday. As the draft began, it seemed New York might trade up to take USC running back Reggie Bush and there would be no telling how far Ferguson might fall. But when the trade talks ended without a deal and the afternoon crept on to the fourth pick, there grew a hope around the Ferguson table that D'Brickashaw might actually end up with the Jets.

Then the phone rang. The Jets were on the line.