Protection a reachable goal

[Smizzy]

Protection a reachable goal

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- The first thing you notice when you see Jets rookie left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson are his arms. They go on forever, stretching the length of the New Jersey Turnpike.

Then, you graze at his long, lean body. He's 6-6, 315 pounds with single-digit body fat. He looks like a basketball player trapped in a helmet and shoulder pads.

In fact, Ferguson tried basketball. He just wasn't that good and that turned out to be a blessing for the Jets, who drafted him fourth overall out of Virginia and signed him to a five-year, $27.5 million contract that included just under $18 million in guaranteed money.

"I didn't really have too much of a basketball career," Ferguson said yesterday after a two-hour, 22-minute practice in the sweltering heat at Hofstra. "That was my motivation in coming out here and trying this sport. Obviously, I have long arms and that power-forward looking body. I just try to use it to the best of my ability on the field."

Ferguson, who was drafted after the Jets lost two quarterbacks -- Chad Pennington and Jay Fielder -- to injury last season, has been as advertised early in training camp. He's raw, but he has the total package -- size, speed, strength and those long arms. He also has flawless footwork.

The Jets want Ferguson to add weight but that's tough to do when you're going through two-a-days in 90-degree heat. Asked if he has had a welcome-to-the-NFL moment yet, he quipped that he has one everyday.

"Brick is so fluid, his lateral movement," said left guard Pete Kendall, who is sandwiched between a pair of rookies in Ferguson and center Nick Mangold. "And, of course, you can't miss the length of his arms. Those two attributes bode well for a left tackle."

Athleticism alone won't get the job done, however, and coach Eric Mangini has reminded Ferguson and Mangold that hard work is the ticket to success. The two rookies, both of whom will start, met at the Senior Bowl last season and have become good friends.

"It (the NFL) is completely different," Mangini said. "The guys are bigger, stronger, faster. The tempo is faster. They need to understand that. I think that they're starting to get it. They're working on it, but you can't confuse effort with results."

In camp, Ferguson's quick feet have served him well in picking up stunts and blitzes. His long arms keep pass-rushers at bay. He needs the extra weight mainly for the running game.

"I'm just trying to learn what I need to learn," said Ferguson, who grew up 10 minutes from Hofstra in Freeport. "Whenever you make a transition to another level, you're always faced with different things whether it be size or speed. It's about how you deal with it."

Ferguson dodged questions about feeling pressure to step immediately into the starting lineup at the all-important left-tackle position.

But in an earlier interview prior to being drafted by the Jets, the mild-mannered Ferguson boasted, "I'm a beast. I see myself as a bodyguard. I'm personally responsible for the health and welfare of my quarterback, and I'll do anything in my means to protect them."

As a youth, Ferguson, who has a degree in religious studies from Virginia, was more into karate (he has a black belt) than football and never came to a Jets training camp. A renaissance man, he also plays the saxophone.

Now, the entire Ferguson clan and his buddies from the old neighborhood are finding their way to Hofstra. After practice yesterday, Ferguson spent time signing autographs and basking in the glory of the hometown boy who made good.

"This is my hometown," he said. "Whether it be friends or family members who want to come and see me, I definitely have a chance to see them after (practice). It's good. It's a nice warm feeling. I'm glad that I can do something to make them smile."