Rufus Ferguson
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | April 28, 1951 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Height: | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
| Weight: | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Miami Killian (Kendall, Florida) |
| College: | Wisconsin (1970–1972) |
| Position: | Running back |
| NFL draft: | 1973 / Round: 16 / Pick: 404 |
| Career history | |
| |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Rufus Ferguson (born April 28, 1951), nicknamed "the Roadrunner", is a former American football running back.
Early years[edit]
Ferguson was born in Miami, Florida, in 1951 and played high school football at Miami Killian High School.
University of Wisconsin[edit]
Ferguson played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers from 1970 to 1972. He set a Wisconsin career record with 2,814 rushing yards.[1] (His career rushing record was broken by Billy Marek in 1975.) As a junior, he rushed for 1,222 yards and was selected by both the Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI) as a first-team running back on the 1971 All-Big Ten Conference football team.[1][2][3][4] As a senior, he rushed for 1,004 yards and was selected by the AP as a first-team player and by the UPI as a second-team player on the 1972 All-Big Ten Conference football team.[1][5][6] He received a degree in economics from the University of Wisconsin in June 1973.[7]
Professional football[edit]
He was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the 16th round of the 1973 NFL Draft,[8] but he was cut during the preseason, after being deemed too short (listed as either five feet, four inches[9] five feet, five inches,[10] or five feet, six inches[8]) for the NFL.
He signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League in September 1973,[10] but he was cut by the team later that month.[11]
Ferguson was drafted by the Portland Storm of the newly-formed World Football League.[9] During the 1974 WFL season, Ferguson ranked fourth in the league in rushing with 1,200 yards and led the Storm with 53 pass receptions.[12]
In June 1975, he signed with the Portland Thunder (WFL).[13] When the WFL folded prior to the end of the 1975 season, Ferguson was the Thunder's leading rusher with 768 yards and also had 32 receptions.[12] He became known in Portland for his touchdown dance that was known as either the "Roadrunner Shuffle" or the "Thunderbolt Shuffle".[12]
Later years[edit]
Ferguson's son, Rhadi Ferguson, was born in 1975 and became a martial arts champion.[14]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "Rufus Ferguson". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
- ^ "All Big Ten Selected". Daily Illini. November 24, 1971.
- ^ "Sports Whirl". The Daily News of the Virgin Islands. November 24, 1971.
- ^ "Unbeaten Michigan Dominate UPI Team Picked by Coaches: Ohio State Places 7 On All-Big Ten Teams". The Times Recorder, Zanesville, OH. November 25, 1971. p. 9D.
- ^ "Wells named to All-Big Ten team". The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois). November 28, 1972.
- ^ "UM, State, Buckeyes Dominate UPI's All Big Ten Team". Ludington Daily News (UPI story). November 28, 1972. p. 5.
- ^ "Rufus on Lucey's staff". The Post-Crescent. October 6, 1973. p. 3.
- ^ a b "Late Selection Bothers Rufus". Fond du Lac (WI) Reporter. February 1, 1973. p. 25 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Larry Hamel (August 23, 1974). "Storm's Ferguson Too Good, Not 'Too Short'". Sentinel-Star. p. 42 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "briefly". The Brandon Sun. September 11, 1973. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "untitled". Argus-Leader. September 30, 1973. p. 36.
- ^ a b c "Rufus Ferguson Eyes Career In The NFL". The La Crosse (WI) Tribune. November 20, 1975. p. 32.
- ^ "Rufus Ferguson Signs". Harford Courant. June 18, 1975. p. 58.
- ^ "Judo master sharpens skills for Athens". The Palm Beach Post. August 6, 2004. p. 2C.
