Football
A native of Shreveport, Louisiana, Joe Ferguson had a rifle like passing arm that shattered records at the University of Arkansas. He lettered as a quarterback for the Razorbacks from 1970-72, earning first-team All-Southwest Conference honors in 1971. At the University of Arkansas, Ferguson passed for 4,431 yards in his Razorback career. As a junior in 1971, he was the first Razorback to pass for more than 2,000 yards in a season and held the school record with 2,203 passing yards, a mark that stood until 1997. Ferguson was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1971 Liberty Bowl. He was drafted by Buffalo in the NFL and played the majority of his 18 pro seasons with the Bills. He spent the first 12 seasons with Buffalo before playing for Detroit, Tampa Bay, and Indianapolis. Ferguson passed for 29,817 yards and 196 touchdowns during his NFL career. He led the NFL in passing yards (1977) and passing touchdowns (1975) during his pro career. Ferguson went on to a collegiate coaching career including stints at Louisiana Tech and Arkansas. While at Arkansas (1997-2000), Ferguson coached Clint Stoerner, the Razorback quarterback that eclipsed Ferguson’s season and career passing records. Ferguson is a member of the University of Arkansas’ All-Century Team and the 1970s All-Decade Team. He was inducted into the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor in 1993 and the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1994.
