When Mike Ferguson left The Bahamas 13 years ago, he didn't leave his connection behind.
The high school football sensation is very much indebted to The Bahamas which he still calls his homeland. As a matter of fact, he has the word 'Bahamas' tattooed on his left arm, and plays with the determination and desire of a kid from the islands every time he steps onto the field. Ferguson is a 19-year-old linebacker for the Cocoa High School Tigers, in Cocoa, Florida. He signed a commitment letter last month to play his collegiate football for the Florida Tech Panthers, in Melbourne.
"I'm very proud of my Bahamian background. I could never forget The Bahamas," said Ferguson yesterday. "That's where I came from so I could never forget it there. I know that it's tough for a young man from the islands to make it to the professional ranks in American football, but I feel that once I continue to work hard, the sky is the limit for me. I'm satisfied with the progress that I'm making, but I feel like I have to keep working hard to fully realize my potential."
Ferguson missed out on a unique opportunity to become just the third football player in the state of Florida to win four straight state titles, and at the same time, lead the Cocoa Tigers to an unprecedented fourth straight state title. The Tigers fell to the Booker T. Washington Tornadoes in the state semi-finals, losing by a touchdown in overtime.
"It sucked to go all the way to the game before state and fall short by a touchdown in overtime. It was real crushing, but it just points out that you can't win everything," said Ferguson. "This past year was probably my best season statistically, but in the end it still wasn't good enough because we lost. I wasn't really focussed on how I felt but to look around at my teammates as team captain, it was hard to watch them breaking down in tears because this was a lot of their first and last chance.
"A lot of them didn't get a chance to experience a state title, and that is what really hurt me more than anything else. I have three titles at home so I know what it feels like, but for a lot of them, this was their first and only chance. About half of the team was newcomers so they wanted to see what it felt like. I'm just disappointed that I couldn't lead them to that title to experience that feeling," he added.
As mentioned, Ferguson led the Tigers to three straight Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) state titles during his time there. The 6'0" 210-pound linebacker, who hails from Carmichael Road, right here in New Providence, will now take his talents to the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT). However, the Panthers don't play in their inaugural football season until the 2013 season.
"It's a great school academically and they have a great coaching staff in place, so I can't wait to get to work," said Ferguson. "I feel that I am at the ideal size right now - I'm just working on my foot speed and learning new techniques. I know that it's going to be a tough adjustment from high school to college but I'm prepared for the challenge. I'll be a redshirt freshman so I'll just be taking part in drills and running plays during practices. I guess we'll just be watching a lot of film and scrimmaging against other teams. I'm excited. I think that will work in our favor. No one knows what to expect from us, and with the people that we have recruited, I think that we are in for a very strong debut. I can't wait!"
Ferguson, who came home last summer, said that he would love to eventually make it to the National Football League (NFL) joining Bahamian greats such as the father and son tandem of Ed and Alex Smith, and Devard Darling.
"I guess only time will tell if I will be blessed enough to make it that far," said Ferguson. "Of course, it's something that you would want to shoot for, but at the same time, it's very difficult to make it to the NFL. I'm just going to go out there and continue working hard and let the chips fall where they may. Honestly, I'm just using football to get me where I need to go. It got me into college so that's already a plus."
No doubt, those are strong words coming from Ferguson. He left The Bahamas at age six with his mother Ellamae Lewis, and lives in Cocoa, Florida, with his mother and step father, Marlon Lewis.

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