Robert Ferguson

Football

‘Where Are They Now Wednesday’ – Robert Ferguson

Our student-athletes are what make Georgia State so special. Our 'Where Are They Now Wednesday' segments feature former student-athletes from across all of our sports and not only look back on their accomplishments, but where they are now.

A member of the inaugural signing class for Georgia State football, Robert Ferguson was a ferocious linebacker who was the career leader in tackles when he graduated. He and his teammates helped set the foundation for our program and along the way, he continued to build on a "second love" which he has turned into a successful career. After marveling Panther fans on the field, now Ferguson marvels in the kitchen.

Talk a little bit about what you have been up to since finishing up at Georgia State almost 10 years ago (work, sports, family)
So, a bit of what I've been up to since leaving the great GSU! For starters, leaving GSU was bittersweet for me. I was in the mind set of it's finally over, I got my degree, I'm the first of my household to accomplish this level of education! In the same breath, I wish I had one more season. I felt like I was finally getting in the swing of things with this new coaching staff! After graduation, I decided that going back to school was the best thing for me, the transition away from the game was now. Le Cordon Bleu college of Culinary Arts is where I would eventually end up!
 
This was no surprise to many of my teammates, as I was their go to guy on the team when a home cooked meal was in need. I was a part of the inaugural football team at GSU and also a part of the last graduating class from LCB, it's safe to say I went from "grid iron to cast iron."
 
From there I started working in the Hyatt Regency of Downtown Atlanta, worked my way into their fine dining restaurant called Polaris (the first evolving restaurant in Atlanta, which is in walking distance from the place I once called home (The Commons and The Lofts).
 
Recently I've ventured off into the realm of entrepreneurship, opening a business called Chef Ferg's LLC in which I do it all: catering, meal prep, and private dinners! I'm mainly focused on intimate/private dinners! It's still a work in progress! I was blessed with the opportunity to speed up the process, and channel all of my energy towards it due to the COVID-19 pandemic! 

How did your experience at GSU help you get to where you are now?
My experiences at GSU helped me a great deal in getting to where I am today because at State I transition to manhood! I matured at State! I built lifelong friendships with not only my teammates, but also students and professors! The foundation that my coaches and academic advisors set helped me a lot when it came to decision making. My teammates held one another accountable on and off the field. The leader of the pack, Coach Curry, gave us so many jewels daily whether it be a story to "throw your log on the fire" or his favorite "football is life marked off in 100 yards." (Those OG Coach Curry boys know all too well what I'm referring to). Kiesha Jones and Dusty Bennett challenged us academically, while helping guide us on a path that would set us up for life after school and football! 

You were a part of the first signing class in program history. What made you want to come up from Florida to join such a young program?
Coming from the small city of Belle Glade, Fla., (aka. The Muck) to Atlanta was a cultural shock! I could come in and set the standard, make history, and be a part of a new culture. The icing on the cake was that I am a fan of the Atlanta Falcons, and we got to share the Georgia Dome with them. It was a no brainer for me. I mean who wouldn't want to be in Atlanta! Not to mention Georgia State was a place close enough to home that my parents could come see me play football! 

What was it like running out onto the field for that first football game in front of more than 30,000 fans at the Georgia Dome?
To put it in perspective, I was used to playing in a packed-out high school stadium where you maxed out at a couple hundred fans depending on who you play. But 30K fans #BleedingBlue in the Georgia Dome was mind blowing to say the least. It was pandemonium! We played on a Thursday night and I think all of Atlanta was there, at least that's what it felt like. I had never witnessed a crowd of that magnitude and it was electric!!  Whatever I felt in the locker room was amplified as soon as we peaked the tunnel. My confidence was at an all-time high seeing that many people rooting for my teams' success! Running out on the field with my brothers for battle had finally become a reality.

Your senior year, you made history with an 88-yard fumble return for a touchdown against ULM, the first defensive touchdown in GSU history. All these years later, do you ever think back on that play?
To be honest, from time to time I do think back to it and I can hear Coach Minter and Coach Volker screaming from the time the ball hit the ground until I crossed the goal line! In my Forrest Gump voice "I was running." That play wouldn't have been possible had it not been for my guys doing their job out there. With that being said, I have to send my guy a shoutout - Terrance Woodard (BigT) who caused the fumble that made history!! 

Even all these years later, do you still dream about putting the pads on and running out of the tunnel?
I'd be lying if I said I didn't from time to time, it's built in me. Running on to the field with that Panther Pride will always be something that I can't replace, but my grid iron days as a player have come to an end! I'm at peace with my career! I do miss my team (my brothers), the fans, the Georgia Dome, which was our home and all that came with being a part of the process. 

During your playing days, Georgia State didn't have the best practice facilities and didn't really have a home field. Now 10 years later, what you do you think about the foundation you and your teammates laid and the facilities that Georgia State now calls home?
I love to see it! We all had a choice to either go somewhere established or build something from ground up! We knew coming in we wouldn't have the best of anything, no start up does! It took some nerve to make that decision and we all did. So, for that I'm content and proud to say I was a part of the foundation! Watching these young men out there makes it all worth it! For example, these guys are competing with SEC schools and beating top tier talent. We all just witnessed Auburn on the ropes. Who wouldn't be proud of that!! 

If there is one thing you could go back and tell the college version of yourself, what would it be?
Take your mental health more seriously, seek therapy, and be honest with whatever you're feeling! It's okay to do what others think is not cool. You're young and don't have all of the answers! Go and get into hospitality, food is not only something you do, it will be your way of life!   
 
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