Blake Ferguson – April 25, 2020
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Saturday, April 25, 2020
LS Blake Ferguson
(I know you obviously play a unique position. Were you expecting to get drafted, especially this high?) – “For me, I always had my sights set on being drafted, and so that was a goal from Day 1. Coming into today, I knew that there was an opportunity for me somewhere and I’m fired up to be in Miami and looking forward to the opportunity.”
(I know your brother obviously plays for the Bills. You’re in the same division now. Are you looking forward to those twice-a-year battles?) – “(laughter) We were just talking about that. From the beginning we talked about, ‘oh, what if I end up in your same division and we get to play each other twice a year?’ And here we are. So I’m fired up and I’m certainly going to be doing my fair share of trash talking to him.”
(What was the draft experience like for a player like yourself?) – “It’s pretty stressful and it’s stressful for everybody; but for me, I was fortunate to have my family around. I was sitting there watching the picks just like everybody else was, and then my phone started buzzing. It’s been a cool experience, and I’ve been forward to this day for a long time.”
(What were your conversations like with the Dolphins just now? And I guess you’ve probably spoken with Danny Crossman, the special teams coach? What was the relationship like there?) – “It’s an awesome organization and I spoke with a couple of folks just now. They’re fired up to have me there and I’m fired up to be coming. I know Crossman well. He coached my brother in Buffalo for a couple of years, and I think he probably trusts our bloodline. He knows the Fergusons are a good group of snappers.”
(You’re the latest in what has been a real heavy LSU class of draftees. You guys are one away I think of breaking the record. How much have you guys talked about that and how does it feel that you’re part of the group that can help make that happen?) – “It’s going to be so cool when a couple more cards fall and the LSU Tigers – the 2019 Tigers – break the record because this year we knew we’d have a special opportunity, and this has been an incredible draft class, starting with Joe (Burrow) all the way from top to bottom. I love those guys and I’m fired up to see where the rest of them go.”
(Why long snapping and how does this become the family trade?) – “(My brother) Reid actually started doing it before I did. He was in, I believe eighth or ninth grade, and he started doing it because the guy that they have on the team that was doing it had gotten hurt. So he tried it out and said, ‘hey, I’m not really playing a whole lot at tight end, so I’m going to test out what I’ve got at long snapper.’ He went to some camps, had some success, and then I kind of fell in line with him because I knew that I wasn’t going to have the genetic makeup to a world-class tight end or world-class linebacker. (laughter) I wanted to play at the next level, which was college, and then ultimately play in the pros. So that was an opportunity where I could see the field and I could contribute to the team.”
(I wanted to ask you about the LSU-Alabama game. First of all, how much trash are you going to talk to DT Raekwon Davis and QB Tua Tagovailoa? And second, how impressed were with you by what Tua did that day so shortly after undergoing surgery?) – “That game is one that we mark on our calendars every year. It’s no secret that LSU-Alabama is one of the most highly competitive games in all of football, and so that’s one that I look forward to every year. I grew up with half of my family being Alabama fans, so that’s one that I’ll be able to look back on this past season and I’ll certainly talk some trash to Tua as well. (laughter)”
(I wanted to ask you about the LSU vs. Alabama game. First of all how much trash are you going to talk to DT Raekwon Davis and AB Tua Tagovailao? Second, how impressed were you about what you did Tua did that day after undergoing surgery?) – “That game is one game we mark on our calendar every year. It’s no secret that LSU vs. Alabama is one of the most highly competitive games in all of football. That’s one that I look forward to every year. I grew up with half of my family being Bama fans. That’s one I’ll be able to look back on this past season, I’ll certainly talk some trash to Tua as well.”
(I wanted to ask you about the family connection of long snapper. You takeover for your brother at LSU and now I guess you get to see him twice a year because he is up in Buffalo. How special was it for you to take over for him at LSU, and how special could it be to see him at the NFL level?) – “It’s going to be awesome. It’s been a fun journey the last couple of years. I was fortunate enough to be at LSU with him for one season. I got to redshirt under him, then after that I was able to takeover and leave my mark on LSU. Like I said earlier, this is one we’ve been looking forward to for a long time. To be in the same division as him is going to be very special.”
(What’s the pre-draft process been like? I know it has probably been different than different years for a long snapper with the coronavirus is going on. How do show your skills in a situation like this?) – “I was fortunate to be able to go into the Senior Bowl and to the Combine. A lot of guys this year didn’t get to have their Pro Days. I didn’t get to have a Pro Day, so I was really banking on the film that they got from the Senior Bowl and from the Combine. For me, I sent out a Pro Day video. I recorded a Pro Day video where I was doing long snaps and short snaps so they can see the progress that I have made from the Senior Bowl, to the Combine to my Pro Day. That was really all we could do. We weren’t able to have personal workouts, the individual workouts with teams. That’s really all I could do.”
(I know you said in good fun trash talking your brother, and trash talking QB Tua Tagovailoa, so I ask this question in good fun too. Is it normal for long snappers to trash talk?) – “No. I try to keep my mouth shut as much as I can because of the position that I play; but I pick and choose my battles.”
(I think I’d be remiss if I didn’t you for your best Ed Orgeron impression. A lot of NFL reporters love asking LSU players that. Give it to us if you can.) – “I don’t do a great ‘Coach O’ impression. Everybody kind of has their own impression of him, but for me I always think it’s funny because you can’t really do a ‘Coach O’ impression without yelling. It’s like as loud as you can be. I guess I’ll give you a ‘ONE TEAM, ONE HEARTBEAT!’”
(I hope to not get super serious here, but I saw that you are a diabetic and have done something for the American Diabetes Association. With the COVID-19 situation, have you taken extra steps, and have you thought about how you could integrate yourself with this team when it’s time to report?) – “It’s one that I certainly have to be careful of, having a preexisting condition. But I spoke with my doctors and I spoke with some people from a couple of different foundations that I work with that are medical doctors. They reassured me that if your blood sugars are healthy and stable, you’re going to be at a much lower risk of contracting the virus as opposed to if your blood sugar was high or really spiking up and down. I do a really good job of keeping my blood sugar within range and tracking pretty steady. I feel like I’m at a lower risk as (far as) being a diabetic, but I’m certainly taking the precautions necessary to stay safe. I’ve been staying home and quarantining myself with a couple of members of my family. I’m really trying to stay safe just like everybody else.”
