Nose tackle's girth and mirth part of the Dolphins' rebirth
January 3
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel columnist Ethan J. Skolnick
"His first sack?
" Dan Marino," Jason Ferguson says.
How well does he remember it?
"Very, very well," he says, breaking into falsetto. "All I remember was wanting to pick him up, and saying, 'Hey, could you sign something? Can you give me a glove? Maybe a thigh pad?'"
That was 11 years, one month and 24 days ago. These days, the sacks don't come as easily as Ferguson's laughter, especially at his own jokes. Still, as the 33-year-old prepares to play his eighth playoff game, this one against the rugged Baltimore Ravens, he stands as the most critical player on the Dolphins' defense.
"This is the kind of game, this is my game," Ferguson says. "Now, it's not like my Thursday practice, where teams just come out in four-wides, and I'm just clapping, 'Let's go Joey [Porter], go get 'em!'"
The Ravens go after teams in a no-nonsense, straight-up-the-gut way.
"This game, they actually need me to make plays," Ferguson says. "As long as [the Ravens] are bouncing everything outside, I think everybody's happy."
The Dolphins will be pleased if they can keep Ferguson in the middle of their defense on first and second downs for four quarters Sunday, stuffing the run by occupying two blockers. Ferguson played only two series in the October matchup before pulling a right oblique muscle, possibly due to dehydration, and experiencing "pain you don't wish on anybody." That pain, and Ferguson's absence, led to Willis McGahee's big gains (105 yards on 5.5 per carry).
Compounding the problem? Paul Soliai, Ferguson's primary backup, missed the game for disciplinary reasons.
This Sunday? "Different story," Soliai says. "The noses are here now."
Starting with someone who should wear a big red nose to work.
"He's the class clown," defensive lineman Vonnie Holliday says. "You need a guy like that. He doesn't care if it's a coach, if it's a player, he'll get on you. Everybody's game with Ferg."
That's just another reason why sending a sixth-round pick to Dallas ranks as the Dolphins' second-best offseason move, behind only the signing of Chad Pennington. Yes, Bill Parcells and Jeff Ireland needed an anchor for their 3-4 defense and believed Ferguson could still fill that role even after missing 2007's final 15 games with a biceps injury. But they also wanted Ferguson to fill a role off the field. After playing for Parcells' Jets and Cowboys, he had the knowledge, credibility and personality to spread the message with a smile:
Laughing is cool. So long as you work."
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