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415:. After landing in the second wave of the amphibious assault, Ferguson and his platoon, as well as the survivors from the first wave, were pinned down on the beach by heavy rifle, machine gun and artillery fire from the German defenders, and their advance was blocked by extensive barbed wire and other enemy obstacles. Ferguson rose under fire, cleared a passage through the enemy obstacles with a
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211:, in 1919. His father, Forest K. Ferguson, Sr., was a Massachusetts native who was employed in 1920 as a boilermaker for a railroad company. His mother Frances Loretta (sometimes referred to as "Fannie") Ferguson was a New York native. Ferguson was the middle child, having an older sister, Aurora, and a younger brother, Wilbur.
316:
reported the game score as "Forrest
Ferguson 14; University of Miami 0." Less often remembered was the key role he played against Miami on defense: his tackles of Miami ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage totaled 62 yards of losses. The 74-yard touchdown catch remained the longest reception
321:. First, he stripped the ball from a Yellow Jackets ball carrier on the Georgia Tech 28-yard line, and then two plays later, he caught a pass from Gators halfback Tommy Harrison, and when cornered by defenders he lateraled the ball to tackle Milton Hull for the touchdown.
509:
1920 Census entry for Forest K. Ferguson, Sr., and family. Forest, Jr., age 7 months. Census Place: Jacksonville Ward 9, Duval, Florida; Roll: T625_218; Page: 14A; Enumeration
District: 64; Image: 551. Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census
522:
1930 Census entry for Forest
Ferguson and family. Forest, Jr., age 10. Census Place: Jensen, Martin, Florida; Roll: 325; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 0001; Image: 656.0; FHL microfilm: 2340060. Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census
29:
230:. He was later remembered for leading Martin County's high school football team to its first-ever victory over nemesis Fort Pierce High School, a game in which he caught two passes for touchdowns and two more for extra points.
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443:" in his memory; since 1955, it has been presented annually to the senior player for the Florida Gators football team "who displays outstanding leadership, character and courage." He was later inducted into the
199:, boxing, and track and field teams, and later served as a decorated officer in the U.S. Army. He is remembered as one of the most remarkable athletes that the University of Florida ever produced.
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As good or better on defense than he was on offense, his team records for career receptions (43) and career receiving yardage (668) remained unbroken until the 1960s, when Gators quarterbacks
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1005:
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in Boston. The Gators stopped the Eagles inside the Gators' 15-yard line five times, while
Ferguson recorded six tackles for a loss, including a dramatic tackle of Eagles quarterback
238:
Ferguson entered the
University of Florida as a freshman in the fall of 1938, and, after he became eligible as a sophomore, he quickly claimed his position as a three-year starter at
285:
in pro passing schemes. He had a dramatic impact on the Gators' prospects almost immediately as a sophomore starter in 1939, and played a key role in the Gators' 7–0 upset of coach
336:
During his 1941 senior season, Ferguson caught a total of 26 passes in 10 games. He also led the 1941 Florida football team with 36 points scored and 420 minutes played; the 1942
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Ferguson never fully recovered from his head wound, and died from complications arising from his war-time injuries on May 15, 1954, at the
Veterans Administration Hospital in
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435:; he was 34 years old. Following a community memorial service at the First Baptist Church in Stuart, he was buried with military honors in All Saints Cemetery in
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262:. Ferguson provided many of the highlights for the Gators during those years, "playing both ways," as was typical in the era of single platoon football.
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1935 Florida Census entry for F.K. and Fannie
Ferguson and family. Forest, Jr., age 15. Ancestry.com. Florida, State Census, 1867-1945 .
359:
Following his final college football season, Ferguson became the State of
Florida collegiate heavyweight boxing champion, and won the
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419:, and was gravely wounded while leading his men in a direct frontal assault against the enemy. Ferguson was awarded the U.S. Army's
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yearbook referred to him as a "defensive bulwark," "colorful," and "unpredictable." After the season, he received first-team
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with a distance of 203 feet, 6 and 1/2 inches, in 1942. During the spring of 1942, he also played at first base for the
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797:, approximately p. 178 ("Forest Ferguson left track to give baseball a try, filled in a hole at first base . . .")
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on a fourth-down play from the Gators' 4-yard line, dropping O'Rourke nine yards behind the line of scrimmage.
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in team history until 1954. Seven days later, he figured prominently in the Gators' 14–7 victory over the
423:, the nation's second highest medal for gallantry, for "extraordinary heroism" in combat on June 6, 1944.
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after attending officers' candidate school. On June 6, 1944, he led a platoon in the anti-tank company,
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team. Ferguson graduated from the
University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in education in 1942.
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439:. After his death, several of his former Gators teammates established what is commonly known as the "
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636:, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia, pp. 48–49, 50 (2007). Retrieved September 28, 2014.
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Memorably, he scored both touchdowns on receptions for 45 and 74 yards in a 14–0 upset of the
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16:
American college football player, U.S. Army lieutenant, Distinguished
Service Cross recipient
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222:, where Ferguson's father was employed as a fisherman. In 1937, the family moved to nearby
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614:, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 79, 94, 150, 178 (2014).
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Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told
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The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football
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University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators
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University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators
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Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory
299:
214:
By 1930 and continuing through at least 1935, the family lived at
408:
667:
Funeral Rites Held For Forrest Ferguson, Gator Grid All-America
554:"Historical Vignettes: Fergie Ferguson: star athlete, war hero"
919:, Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000).
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Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
304:
Ferguson competed in field events for the Florida track team.
916:
Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football
887:, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002).
856:, p. 11 (February 27, 1957). Retrieved September 28, 2014.
749:, p. 78 (December 13, 1941). Retrieved September 26, 2014.
492:
List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members
736:, p. 4 (November 26, 1941). Retrieved September 28, 2014.
590:, p. 5 (November 30, 1954). Retrieved September 28, 2014.
949:, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998).
902:, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002).
649:(University of Florida yearbook), approximately p. 166.
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by the 65 participating Florida sportswriters in 1957.
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as a "Gator Great," and was unanimously elected to the
226:, where Ferguson became a multi-sport star athlete for
934:, The Strode Publishers, Huntsville, Alabama (1974).
673:, p. 14 (May 20, 1954). Retrieved September 25, 2014.
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Alice L. Luckhardt; Greg E. Luckhardt (May 22, 2013).
872:, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007).
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United States Army personnel killed in World War II
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745:Grantland Rice, "The All-America Football Team,"
693:(November 23, 1941). Retrieved October 3, 2014.
379:Several months after the United States entered
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445:University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame
344:(SEC) honors, and was an honorable mention
174:University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame
763:"2006 Florida Gators Football Media Guide"
187:(June 21, 1919 – May 15, 1954), nicknamed
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1016:Players of American football from Florida
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730:United Press Names All-Southeastern Team
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932:The Gators: A Story of Florida Football
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273:were throwing passes to star receivers
42:Florida Gators – No. 4, 8
1021:Track and field athletes from Florida
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195:and was a member of the university's
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487:List of University of Florida alumni
815:"Forest K. Ferguson, Hall of Valor"
387:in 1942, and was commissioned as a
363:(AAU) national championship in the
312:in 1941, while totaling 123 yards;
687:Florida Defeats Georgia Tech, 14–7
482:Florida Gators football, 1940–1949
477:Florida Gators football, 1930–1939
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1051:People from Jensen Beach, Florida
604:Florida Football 2014 Media Guide
110:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
1056:Martin County High School alumni
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1001:Florida Gators football players
991:Florida Gators baseball players
839:. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
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850:Forrest Ferguson Named To Hall
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154:Career highlights and awards
1041:United States Army officers
1011:People from Stuart, Florida
449:Florida Sports Hall of Fame
421:Distinguished Service Cross
342:All-Southeastern Conference
319:Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
209:South Jacksonville, Florida
83:South Jacksonville, Florida
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228:Martin County High School
185:Forest King Ferguson, Jr.
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734:Statesville Daily Record
118:197 lb (89 kg)
719:, approximately p. 161.
706:, approximately p. 159.
469:College football portal
393:116th Infantry Regiment
369:Florida Gators baseball
252:Florida Gators football
981:American football ends
835:F Club, Hall of Fame,
397:29th Infantry Division
383:, Ferguson joined the
361:Amateur Athletic Union
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328:Fergie boxing in 1941
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220:Martin County, Florida
996:Florida Gators boxers
775:on September 24, 2015
441:Fergie Ferguson Award
437:Jensen Beach, Florida
433:Coral Gables, Florida
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291:Boston College Eagles
234:University of Florida
207:Ferguson was born in
193:University of Florida
100:Coral Gables, Florida
1046:American male boxers
913:McCarthy, Kevin M.,
671:St. Petersburg Times
65:Personal information
1026:Boxers from Florida
817:. MilitaryTimes.com
685:Associated Press, "
665:Associated Press, "
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883:Golenbock, Peter,
691:The New York Times
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35:three-point stance
22:Forest K. Ferguson
945:Nash, Noel, ed.,
925:978-0-7385-0559-6
854:Ocala Star-Banner
417:Bangalore torpedo
389:second lieutenant
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777:. Retrieved
770:the original
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971:1919 births
405:Omaha Beach
287:Frank Leahy
271:John Reaves
254:teams from
203:Early years
162:First-team
139:High school
134:(1939–1941)
965:Categories
582:Bob Enns,
558:TCPalm.com
498:References
411:-occupied
356:magazine.
246:and coach
242:for coach
76:1919-06-21
747:Collier's
385:U.S. Army
354:Collier's
332:yearbook.
244:Josh Cody
795:Seminole
717:Seminole
704:Seminole
647:Seminole
607:Archived
455:See also
338:Seminole
330:Seminole
248:Tom Lieb
197:football
60:Graduate
47:Position
395:of the
164:All-SEC
132:Florida
128:College
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216:Jensen
115:Weight
107:Height
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85:, U.S.
793:1942
773:(PDF)
766:(PDF)
715:1942
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645:1942
90:Died:
70:Born:
57:Class
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823:2014
781:2014
565:2014
409:Nazi
281:and
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260:1941
256:1939
168:1941
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732:,"
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
