Meet Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys' Rising Star

TRANSCRIPT

Justine Ward (Gridiron): We are here with Dallas Cowboys tight end, Jake Ferguson. Jake, great to have you with us.

Jake Ferguson (Dallas Cowboys): Glad to be here. Glad to watch some football.

Justine Ward (Gridiron): So thinking about your own career, let's go back to when you were the age of some of these kids. What did youth sports mean to you?

Jake Ferguson (Dallas Cowboys): I mean, really, it meant everything. It was sort of my outlet, something to just kind of fall in love with at a young age and kind of build that up for me. So I was able to just kind of not as much be a serious football player, but have fun as a young kid.

Justine Ward (Gridiron): All the kids here, there was a number of them who wanted to watch your interview and want to be like you. What would you tell young kids?

Jake Ferguson (Dallas Cowboys): I'd just say keep being them. Be you. Be your own person. You're out here at a young age playing football. It means you love it. Just have fun playing.

Flag Football Player: What superhero would you be on the field?

Jake Ferguson (Dallas Cowboys): I would be Iron Man because I'm just a regular guy, but I have a lot of tools that help me out.

Justine Ward (Gridiron): What’s one piece of advice you've gotten from a coach or teammate that you take with you.

Jake Ferguson (Dallas Cowboys): Remember why you play the game. I'm out here, I'm tired, my knees hurt or something. I always remember back playing as a little kid and hey, I love this. Just because it's something keeps me… It's like I said, it's my outlet. I mean, anything that's going on, this is something that kind of clears my head. I mean, you meet so many people, and I've met almost all my best friends through football.

Justine Ward (Gridiron): What moment are you most proud of?

Jake Ferguson (Dallas Cowboys): I think doing it, just doing the whole thing, playing at Wisconsin where a lot of my family had ties and then kind of making it to the NFL. But at the same time, there's so much more I want to do on the field and off the field.

Jake Ferguson (Dallas Cowboys): Excited to go play some games and win some. There’s a lot I want to do. There's a lot we want to do and I kind of want to keep that under wraps and keep people guessing.

Justine Ward (Gridiron): Well, Jake, thanks so much. We really appreciate it.

Jake Ferguson (Dallas Cowboys): Yeah, of course. Thanks for having me.

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Flag Football Player: What is your favorite song to get pumped up for Game Day?

Jake Ferguson (Dallas Cowboys): That's easy. Fergalicious because my last name is Ferguson, so that's my karaoke song. That's my go-to song. My pre-game song.

Justine Ward (Gridiron): Can we get a sample?

Jake Ferguson (Dallas Cowboys): Oh. You can't squeeze me. You can't tease me.

Flag Football Player: What is your pre-game snack?

Jake Ferguson (Dallas Cowboys): Oh my pre-game snack. It used to be hard boiled eggs, which is kind of funky. But then my teammates didn't like the way my breath smelled, so then I had to switch to Uncrustables and I eat about three of those.

Flag Football Player: What is your Starbucks order?

Jake Ferguson (Dallas Cowboys): My Starbucks order. I usually just get an iced black coffee, but if I'm feeling risky enough, I'll get that pink drink with the strawberries in it.

[ laughter ]