According to the StarNews A.J. Ferguson will not be suiting up with the Pack this year. While he still plans on keeping his commitment to NC State, he will "grey-shirt" this year by playing a year of prep ball at Hargrave Military Academy. Ferguson's high school coach Roman Kelly is looking at this situation with the glass half-full.“This will give him a chance to get a head start academically and to let him get a little bigger, stronger and faster for when it comes back,” said South Brunswick coach Roman Kelly. “The good thing is that he’s going to get to play, be competitive and get some snaps in full-contact football."
With that being said, Kelly also believes that Ferguson's busy schedule this summer might have made this decision inevitable.
”A.J. was really busy all summer and he didn’t have the opportunity to hit the weight room like a lot of other incoming freshmen did,” Kelly said. “Certainly A.J. is a physical specimen who is in fine shape, but (playing a season at Hargrave) will give him a chance to get even bigger and better.”
A.J. kept himself busy by playing in the North Carolina East-West All-Star Game and also by suiting up for Team USA in the first ever World Junior Football Championships in Canton, Ohio.
Apparently the plan is for Ferguson to transfer to NC State after one semester in time to participate in Spring practice. Ferguson will still have 5 years to fulfill his 4 years of eligibility.
Ferguson is a 6'3, 250lb Defensive End with loads of athletic ability. He used his 4.8 speed to his advantage against the offensive competition last season, racking up 90 tackles (20 for loss) and 10 sacks. Ferguson chose the Pack over Virginia Tech, ECU and UNC who were all showing significant interest.
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1 Response to "Ferguson To Wear The "Grey-Shirt" in '09"I love that he is from Southport and that he brings a lot of the attributes Coach Petercuskie hit on to the table. This guy is not only athletic but motivated as well- motor runs best when it's wide open.
If we stay 4-3 in scheme-which I think State should, then it would be nice to see him beef up and be a DT over time. But in the event we do go 3-4 he would still need to get bigger in order to play DE since it's more a four point stance role.
Either way, grayshirting is a part of the game- it's gets a bad rap but all that matters is what's best for the kid and the team.
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