For Jordan Ferguson, an outside linebacker with the UFL’s Memphis Showboats, every game presents a relatively simple game plan for himself and the other players on defense.
“Every game, the plan is to stop the run first, and when they make a throw, get at the quarterback a little bit,” Ferguson explained.
Ferguson is being polite, as it’s probably fair to say that most quarterbacks would not say that Ferguson got after them “a little bit.”
In their Week 3 game against the Birmingham Stallions, Jordan Ferguson made 10 tackles (7 solo), one tackle for a loss, and one sack. Although he managed to check in a decent performance, it was not enough, as the Stallions scored 33 points against the Showboats.
Ferguson gives credit to Stallions quarterback Adrian Martinez for playing a great game.
“He made big plays when he got out, with his legs, and even a couple of times he made a play with his arm when he got outside of the pocket. That’s why he was successful,” Ferguson said. “Our key to the game was to keep him caged in and to let him throw out of the pocket. I think he did a good job getting the ball out quick, and when we did have good pressure, he was able to make deep throws down the field.”
Ferguson has a good handle of what went wrong last weekend. The fact he is able to reflect so well on a bad game bodes well for him as an outside linebacker.
So far, in the 2024 UFL season, Ferguson has played 3 games and racked up 14 tackles (10 solo), 2 tackles for a loss, and 2 sacks. Ferguson is undoubtedly a formidable opponent.
In his college career, Ferguson was a first-team All-CUSA selection as a senior at Middle Tennessee State, and over his final two seasons, he recorded 18 sacks, 34.5 tackles for loss, 126 tackles, eight passes defended, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and one interception.
Ferguson joined the USFL’s Memphis Showboats in the middle of their 2023 season. Despite only playing in four games, Ferguson racked up seven tackles and 2.5 sacks. His impact was palpable, as he quickly gained the NFL’s attention.
In the spring of 2023, Ferguson was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent and joined the Seahawks for their 2023 training camp. He played in two pre-season games where he played 34 defensive snaps and recorded three tackles, a sack, and two quarterback hits. Unfortunately, the Seahawks waived Ferguson during final roster cutdowns.
The Memphis Showboats re-signed Ferguson and kept him on their roster when the USFL merged with the XFL.
Looking forward to their week four game, the Memphis Showboats will travel to St. Louis to meet the Battlehawks, a team they share their Arlington training facility with. Even though they see the Battlehawks on a regular basis, there isn’t an ongoing rivalry between the two squads.
“No animosity,” Ferguson said. “Luckily, we don’t really see each other that much. We practice in the morning while they meet, and then we go to meetings while we practice, so we don’t really see them. We keep professional.”
The two teams will travel together on the same plane flight to St. Louis, and a normal routine of putting the home team in the front of the plane, and the visiting team in the back, keeps the two squads from intermingling too much.
“They split us up with the coaches in the middle, so nothing will go down,” Ferguson joked.
Ferguson and the Memphis Showboats visit the St. Louis Battlehawks on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at 12:30 PM Eastern. The game will air on ABC, and good tickets are available at Ticketmaster and Stubhub.
