Great D'Brick article in The Sporting News

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If you don't have the magazine, go get it, if not, I'm going to research the article, it's just on a few cool things.

Some of the things he notes out is:

"A dinner table of 4 would include himself, his grandmother, Malcon X and Dave Chapelle"...the article explains how he's like each in all 3.

Explains that even though he's only 6'5 1/2, 297 he has quick feet and would be a good force against quicker NFL DE's which is the way the league is turning into today.

Also two times did they mention going at 4 to the Jets.

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Ok ladies & gents, here it is:

DINNER WITH D'BRICK

Michael Bradley

For Sporting News

It would be some kind of dinner party. Malcolm X. Dave Chappelle. Evelyn McLendon. The talk would be insightful. Funny. Even a little profane.

The host would be D'Brickashaw Ferguson, who sees no problem including his maternal grandmother with a civil rights icon and an irreverent comedian at a table set for the three people (alive or dead) he'd most like to share a meal with.

"I think she'd be OK," Ferguson says. "She passed when I was young, but I was told she was comedic and serious."

Ferguson's choice of dinner companions reveals much about his personality. Like Malcolm X, he is a man of strategy and action. Like Chappelle, he enjoys making others laugh. Like McLendon, he is strong-willed and confident.

Ferguson can play football, too. The Virginia tackle is considered the top offensive lineman in the 2006 draft and could go as high as fourth overall. Long and quick, Ferguson uses his sharp mind, superior athletic skills and myriad tactics to defeat opponents. Ferguson was in the Cavaliers' lineup from the beginning of his freshman year, even though he weighed just 260.

"In terms of athletic ability, he's very, very good," an AFC scouting director says. "He slides his feet well and is gifted in terms of balance and foot quickness."

Ferguson also is an educated man who values achievement and abhors pretense.

"There's no bling in his life," Virginia coach Al Groh says. "He's interested in being, not having. Good teams have guys like him."

As Ferguson prepares for the challenges of NFL life, it is instructive to examine him through his proposed dinner guests.

MALCOLM X

As Ferguson was growing up, he spent many Saturday nights watching boxing with his father, Edwin. He saw how fighters used different styles to succeed and decided to incorporate a variety of strategies into his arsenal.

"Football is a battle between me and the defensive end," he says. "He's going to use different techniques to get to the quarterback. There are different styles, like a speed rush and multiple hand techniques. I like to analyze what kind of player my opponent is."

When Malcolm X said, "By any means necessary," some considered that a call to violence. What he meant was every possible solution had to be considered. Once Ferguson decides on a strategy, he's ready to act -- on or off the field.

Clearly, he's much more than a football player. He completed a bachelor's degree in religious studies in 3 1/2 years at Virginia and says he chose that major to understand and appreciate different cultures -- while bringing meaning to his life.

"As beings on this earth, we have to think about our purpose and why we were put here," he says. "It has to be more than just money or being good in our field. I see religion as a vehicle people can use as a guide to develop a reason for living."

Top tackles haven't lived up to billings

D'Brickashaw Ferguson's status as the top offensive tackle in this year's draft does not guarantee he'll be a premier NFL player. As evidence, we offer the last three tackles drafted among the top five in their classes.

LEONARD DAVIS, Cardinals (second overall, 2001). Part of his problem has been the team's decision to move him repeatedly -- from right guard, to right tackle, back to guard and finally to left tackle, where he has played the past two seasons. Davis has good feet for a man his size (6-6, 381) and can mash opponents in the running game -- when he wants to. The problem: He doesn't want to often enough.

MIKE WILLIAMS, Bills (fourth overall, 2002). Williams has tremendous size (6-6, 360) and can be overpowering at the point of attack, but he lacks the lateral movement to be a good pass protector and doesn't finish blocks consistently. He lost his starting job late last season and was moved to left guard, where he struggled. Unless he shows more motivation, he could be released this offseason.

ROBERT GALLERY, Raiders (second overall, 2004). He was expected to be a cornerstone at left tackle, but all of his 31 starts have been at right tackle. Gallery is tall enough and strong enough to handle the biggest and most powerful ends, but he tends to be passive at times and allows defenders to get their hands on him before he establishes contact. He also has problems against speed rushers. He's expected to improve with a Hall of Fame tackle, Art Shell, as his new head coach.

Because Ferguson read a lot as a youth, he learned the ability to reason is vital. But, like Malcolm X, he knows that without action, thinking lacks power.

At last month's Senior Bowl, Ferguson clearly was a man of action. He tormented highly regarded Boston College defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka and handled Penn State end Tamba Hali.

Ferguson says he participated in the Senior Bowl to erase any questions about a minor knee injury he suffered in late September that forced him to miss two games. His decision impressed scouts.

"When a guy who's that well thought of goes down and competes, that's definitely a plus," an NFC director of player personnel says.

Dave Chappelle

A tradition at Virginia is the Freshman Show -- a training camp rite that requires newcomers to perform for the veterans. Ferguson chose his best Groh imitation and killed.

"Actually, I thought it was pretty funny," Groh says. Ferguson parodied one of Groh's favorite motivational sayings, but later that week at practice, the young tackle failed to heed Groh's maxim. "It's OK to be a comedian, if you do what you're making fun of," Groh told him.

Lesson learned. But don't expect Ferguson to stop making others laugh. He loves to crack wise, whether he's describing his 7-foot-plus wingspan -- "I was raised by birds," he says -- or laughing about his frugal nature. Recently, while training in Orlando, Ferguson rented a gas-guzzling SUV. "I couldn't deal with it," he says. Ferguson traded the truck for a sedan, which was closer in style to his 2002 Taurus, a car Ferguson swears he'll keep, even after signing an NFL contract. "He's very thrifty," Edwin says.

Ferguson's humor isn't as hard-edged as Chappelle's, but like Chappelle, Ferguson is comfortable charting his own course. When Ferguson was a high school All-American at Freeport (N.Y.) High on Long Island, many expected him to choose Syracuse, as two previous top-shelf Freeport athletes had. But he liked the in-depth view of Virginia he got from older brother Edwin Jr., who was a student at the school.

"People were surprised," he says. "Going to Syracuse was the thing to do, but I didn't just want to follow suit. I wanted to discover a new path."

Evelyn McLendon

Ferguson's first name was going to be Montgomery until McLendon heard about it. "She thought it sounded too English," Edwin Sr. says. It was on to the second option, which came from the wildly successful novel and subsequent TV miniseries The Thorn Birds. Father Ralph de Bricassart is a central character in the saga, and Edwin admired how the priest navigated his struggle between a love for Meggie, the protagonist, and his devotion to God.

"It was very realistic, and my dad just liked it," Ferguson says of the miniseries. The Fergusons changed de Bricassart a little to make it unique and kept Montgomery as the middle name. Years later, the boy named for a fictitious priest would grow to be a man interested in world religions.

Ferguson is interested in football, too, and the NFL has returned that interest. Besides his his quick feet, long arms and fast hands, scouts appreciate his technique.

But Ferguson isn't a classic steamroller. Though he stands 6-5 1/2, he weighs just 297 -- light for an offensive tackle.

That's where his strong sense of self -- instilled by his family -- comes in. "I've always had to deal with being an undersized lineman," he says. "Even when I started playing in eighth grade, I had to gain weight, gain weight, gain weight. I worked on the things I could: my speed, athleticism and fundamentals."

Ferguson has put on nearly 40 pounds since arriving at Virginia, and because he's only 22 and didn't redshirt, he could add another 15 to 20.

"He's very lean," an AFC scouting director says. "You look at (the Ravens') Jonathan Ogden, and he's 335-340 pounds. That's massive. D'Brickashaw is like a power forward. He has thin arms and skinny legs. There's a slight concern when he goes up against stronger guys."

Groh reports Ferguson became more physical as a senior, but he may never be a classic tree-clearing tackle in the running game. Ferguson will be most effective on screens and working in space, thanks to his quickness.

It helps him in pass protection, too. Though he sometimes gets caught leaning forward, Ferguson is able to win the "battle of the hands," and his first step is fast enough to keep ends off-balance. If he gets in trouble, he can rely on those long arms to redirect someone who has sprung loose. He'll clearly be equipped to handle smaller speed rushers, who are becoming more common and making an impact.

"They've done a wonderful job with him at Virginia," an NFC scout says. Sounds like the prefect recipe.

Dinner is served.

[4HCrew]

Groh reports Ferguson became more physical as a senior, but he may never be a classic tree-clearing tackle in the running game. Ferguson will be most effective on screens and working in space, thanks to his quickness.

Is that a warning flag to anyone or no? especially at the #4 pick

[Smizzy]

Doesn't D'Brick have the biggest wing span of any of the kids coming out?

[Smizzy]

D'brick weighed in @ 312 today.

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D'brick weighed in @ 312 today.

Good to know. Very good to know. He's bulking up and that's a good thing. No bigger then 320-325 though hopefully.

[Sharrow]

If the last 3 tackes in the top 5 are considered busts for the value, then they're due.