Former Jets offensive lineman D’Brickashaw Ferguson said on the NFL Players: Second Acts podcast he plans on attending nursing school.
The 39-year-old, who retired from the NFL in 2016, spoke about his journey on the podcast. He discussed how his confidence was low since he hadn’t taken any science classes since high school.
He then enrolled in community college to take “one class at a time” and take the prerequisites needed to apply to nursing school. Ferguson completed all the coursework, and multiple schools accepted him. He plans to go in the fall.
“I just needed that sense of, ‘I think I can do this,’” Ferguson said. “I wanted something that I could offer. Like, yes I play football, but I have this. I’m qualified to do this work and I play football. So if both of them help or encourage one another, great. But even without football I can still do my job with excellence, that's something we learned as athletes.”
D’Brickashaw Ferguson played 10 years in the @nfl for the @nyjets Now he’s going to nursing school. This man is the true essence of the phrase “More then an athlete.” Congrats bro 👏🏿 🚨Check us out🚨 #NFLPlayersSecondActs @Harp41 pic.twitter.com/isu8K1yzXt
— Charles Tillman (@peanuttillman) May 26, 2023
Ferguson underwent open-heart surgery when he was 9 years old, a procedure he says partially sparked his interest in medicine. He’s still deciding between becoming a nurse practitioner or working in an emergency room.
During his 10-year career, the three-time Pro Bowler never missed a regular-season game and was only absent for one offensive snap in his entire career. Ferguson’s No. 66 jersey from his alma mater, the University of Virginia, was retired. He was also inducted into the Jets Ring of Honor in 2022.
