University of Virginia offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson was named after Father Ralph de Bricassart, a priest in the 1977 book and 1983 TV series The Thorn Birds. Ferguson’s father took a liking to the character for the way he handled different situations and chose that name for his son, with a slight change in spelling. In high school, D’Brickashaw was a three year starter and was named the best player in Nassau County his senior year, an honor that had not been given to an offensive lineman since 1979. By the end of his senior year in high school, the 6’5” 250lb offensive tackle was considered to be the top offensive line prospect in the entire state of New York. He was also a very good player on the defensive side of the ball, totaling 55 tackles and 6 sacks as a senior. D’Brickashaw visited Michigan State and a few other schools but ultimately chose to play where his older brother had played at the University of Virginia. By the time his freshman season began, Ferguson had already earned the starting left tackle position and went on to earn freshman All-American honors. He has yet to miss a start at left tackle since earning the spot as a freshman. Despite going the entire 2003 season without allowing a single sack, D’Brickashaw was still undersized for a tackle at 265lbs. He worked hard the next offseason and was able to put on 30lbs of bulk prior to his junior year. That was a breakout year for the promising young tackle as he was named first team All-ACC and voted the most improved player on the Virginia squad. Much of Ferguson’s development can be attributed to the fact that he had to face current Dallas Cowboy defensive end Chris Canty everyday in practice his first three years of college. By the end of his junior year, Ferguson was considered to be one of the top prospects for the 2005 NFL draft. However he decided to return to Virginia for his senior year in hopes of bringing a championship to the school.

D’Brickashaw Ferguson, who has a black belt in karate, is one of the most athletic offensive linemen to come out of college in recent memory. He lacks great size for a tackle and has had trouble gaining weight in the past, however he was able to put on 30lbs prior to his junior year in college. He has the frame to add more bulk and increase his strength and he will need to do so to be able to handle some of the larger defensive linemen in the NFL. He has long arms with an 86 inch wingspan which allows him to keep defenders away from his body. He possesses the balance and footwork NFL scouts look for in a franchise left tackle. His nearly flawless technique makes him one of the best pass protectors in the nation. He isn’t a mauler when it comes to run blocking and he lacks the “mean streak” that you like to see in offensive linemen but he is a very good run blocker on top of being an outstanding pass blocker. D’Brickashaw has as much experience as any tackle coming out of college, having started at left tackle for all four of his years at Virginia. During that time he has also proven to be an extremely durable player, having not missed a single start in his college career. D’Brickashaw is not only an excellent leader on the field, but off the field as well. He is an honor student, a youth minister at his church, and a person of outstanding character. He is the total package and is a person any team can feel comfortable spending a top pick on.