Ferguson’s late-season breakout pays off
In a span of two games during the 2019 Ontario University Athletics football season, Josh Ferguson saw his stock rise dramatically.
Going into an Oct. 11 game versus McMaster, Ferguson had a total of 18 carries for 119 yards in the six prior games his team played. But that day, in a 35-30 victory over Mac, the Sir Winston Churchill alumnus had 32 carries for 187 yards and two TDs. He followed that up in his next game with 26 carries for 142 yards and one major in a season-ending 22-10 victory over Laurier.
His breakout performance opened a lot of eyes and no doubt contributed to him being named to the 2021 East-West Bowl roster by U SPORTS and the Canadian Football League. No game will be played due to the COVID-19 pandemic but the rosters include the next generation of top Canadian football prospects and identifies 110 U SPORTS-eligible standouts for the 2022 CFL Draft.
“It was pretty uplifting,” Ferguson said of the selection. “It is one of the goals that I was able to accomplish.”
It is the first of many goals on his list.
“Hopefully the team can have a good year and we can accomplish winning a Vanier (Cup) this year for Carleton,” he said. “I have to just keep grinding to accomplish more of my goals.”
That’s exactly what Ferguson has done at Carleton. He dressed for every game during his rookie season but played sparingly. He had to patiently bide his time before he got his chance in his sophomore season. He would finish his second season with 448 yards rushing and three touchdowns, averaging 5.9 yards per rush. He also caught 15 passes for 178 yards.
“I got my opportunity and I just took it,” he said. “Going into my second season, I wasn’t getting as many carries as the first-string guys but as the season went on I got more. In the game against Mac, the other running back got injured so I had to play. I stepped up and I ran with it. I did what I could, I did what I know and it was mostly opportunity because I have always been trying to work hard.”
Being patient and waiting for his chance was crucial for Ferguson.
“It is definitely an adjustment and it is a reality that a lot of players out of high school are going to have to face,” he said. “It is a challenge in itself but if you have self-discipline, it is not as bad. If you are working hard all the way through, eventually it will show through.”
Ferguson was a little bit surprised by his end-of-season success, but he had prepared for his chance by working hard and making plays in practice.
“It felt a little surreal and it was like an on switch that allowed me to play to the best of my abilities. But it wasn’t that surprising because I had been putting in the work and I had been getting better every day. It was more of a payoff for all of my hard work.”
He would have loved to build on the momentum from 2019 and carry it into 2020 but the COVID-19 pandemic had other plans and Ontario University Athletics Sports were shelved.
“COVID was a struggle for everybody. I know all the guys wanted to compete and train at our facility and it has been kind of a challenge,” Ferguson said. “It has been pretty tough and hopefully this year we can play. We are all trying to get in all the work we can before the season.”
To get through a year without football required Ferguson to come up with a game plan.
“I tried to set little goals for myself and I tried to create a schedule and plan to be productive. I would self-evaluate what my week was like and I would plan how much I would have to study, how much I would work out and the types of workouts would I be doing. I always had to make sure I was working and making sure I was taking time to chill with my family.”
Carleton’s entire school year was online and Ferguson stayed in St. Catharines until last week when he returned to Ottawa.
“We are just waiting for the gyms to open up and then we will get back to training with the team,” he said. “Right now, I have a little at-home gym and I am working out.”
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound running back is hoping to continue to take strides as a player this season.
“I have to get better little by little, day by day and try to put as much work as I can in though the summer.”
His ultimate goal is to play in the CFL.
“I am going to have to work harder and I have to get a lot more things done to achieve that goal,” Ferguson said. “Hopefully with the years I have left at Carleton, I can achieve that.”
Ferguson started playing football in Grade 5 in the Niagara Regional Minor Football Association. In Grade 7, he suited up for the Niagara Storm travel football program before joining the Niagara Spears in Grade 8 and playing with that organization through his high school years.
At Churchill, he was a starter for all four years for the Bulldogs.
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