Joe Ferguson
Buffalo Bills
Joe Ferguson played his college football at the University of Arkansas
and broke virtually all of the school's passing records throwing for
4,431 career yards. He was named the Southwest Conference's Offensive
Player of the Year in 1971 and was MVP of the 1971 Liberty Bowl. Buffalo
selected Ferguson in the 3rd round of the 1973 NFL Draft. Although he is
most famous for playing with the Buffalo Bills from 1973 to 1984,
Ferguson also played two seasons each for the Detroit Lions and Tampa
Bay Buccaneers and a final season in Indianapolis with the Colts.
In Ferguson's rookie season, O.J. Simpson rushed for an individual
record of 2,003 yards, the Bills gained an NFL team-record 3,088 yards
with an offense built around the run. By 1975, the Bills had become a
passing team. That year, Ferguson had his best campaign when he tied
Fran Tarkenton for the NFL lead with 25 touchdown passes and compiled a
passer rating of 81.3. He surpassed 20 touchdown passes in a season 3
other times (1980-81 & 1983). In 1976, he set an NFL record for fewest
interceptions (1 in 151 attempts) in a season and lowest interception
ratio per attempt. His finest seasons were 1981, when he threw for 3,652
yards and 1983, when he tossed 26 touchdown passes.
Chuck Knox became Buffalo’s head coach in ’78. In 1980, after four
consecutive losing seasons, the Bills compiled an 11-5 record and won
the AFC East. In 1985 Ferguson was traded to the Detroit Lions. He left
as the Bills' career leader in seasons played (12), games (168), pass
attempts (4,166), completions (2,188), yards (27,590) and touchdowns
(181). He spent two seasons with the Lions, two seasons with Tampa Bay
and closed his NFL career in 1990 by playing in one game for the Colts.
In total, Ferguson threw for 29,817 yards and 196 touchdowns during his
career.
