NFL Star D'Brickashaw Ferguson Embarks on a New Journey to Nursing School

D'Brickashaw Ferguson, the former left tackle for the New York Jets and three-time Pro Bowler, has announced his decision to attend nursing school. This unexpected revelation came during a recent episode of the "NFL Players: Second Acts" podcast.

Ferguson once underwent life-saving open-heart surgery at the tender age of nine. Now, at 39, he is determined to give back by helping others heal.

Ferguson's journey from the football field to the medical field is a testament to his resilience and adaptability. His NFL career began in 2006 when he was the fourth overall pick in the NFL Draft by the New York Jets and ended in April 2016 when he announced his retirement before being inducted into the Jet's Ring of Honor in 2022.

Known for his consistency, Ferguson started in an impressive 160 consecutive games and missed only one regular-season offensive snap throughout his career.

Transition to Nursing

In a surprise move, he recently attended community college to complete prerequisites for nursing school, a significant shift from his religious studies degree earned at the University of Virginia. "I hadn't done science since, I don't know, high school," said Ferguson. "So my confidence in that space was like, 'I don't know if I can do this.' UVA was hard for me."

Nonetheless, Ferguson has successfully completed all prerequisites and has been accepted into several nursing programs. He is set to begin this new chapter of his life in the fall.

The former NFL star expressed his excitement about studying in the medical field and the various opportunities a nursing degree could offer, such as working as a nurse practitioner or in urgent care. "I wanted something that I could offer. Like, yes, I play football, but I have this," Ferguson said. "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."

This story of D'Brickashaw Ferguson's transition from NFL star to nursing student is a powerful reminder that it's never too late to pursue a new passion and positively impact a different field.

Image credit: 

• Creator: ED Yourdon 
• Copyright: (CC) Creative Commons license