RUSTON – There was no disappointment, just excitement in Jazz Ferguson's voice Saturday evening, after the Northwestern State All-America receiver took a different path than expected to the National Football League.

The 6-5, 227-pounder was surprisingly bypassed on the final day of the NFL Draft, but quickly reached agreement with the Seattle Seahawks within minutes following the completion of the draft.

"I feel just like I got drafted, to be honest. It was a long wait, and at the end of the day, I'm just very happy I'm on a team," said Ferguson, who spent the draft weekend with his family in Ruston, as his older brother Jaylon Ferguson was a third-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens Friday night.

Pre-draft projections included speculation that Jazz Ferguson could get picked even as early as Round 3, but most predicted he'd go sometime in the final three rounds, while some raised the possibility of perhaps not at all. Analysts on NFL.com gave him a sixth-round projection.

Immediately after the draft ended, Ferguson tweeted "Not the first time I've been doubted or counted out! #GODSPLAN"

He put up record-shattering numbers in his only season on the field with the Demons, after transferring from LSU and sitting out 2017 as a walk-on to regain his academic eligibility. NSU head coach Brad Laird, who was the defensive coordinator for the Demons that season, called him "the best scout team receiver in the nation.

"That's not just because of his skill set," Laird said. "Jazz was a great practice player, even on the scout team when he knew he wasn't playing on Saturdays. He was a great teammate from Day One. He showed up on Saturdays, big time, but in our program, he was a big-time player and a team leader on Wednesdays, too. He had something to prove."

Ferguson ultimately did so with the Demons by shattering five school records while earning four FCS All-America honors, including second-team recognition from STATS LLC and third-team Associated Press accolades. He was named the Southland Conference and All-Louisiana Offensive Player of the Year after averaging 101.5 receiving yards in 11 games, all starts, with 66 catches for 1,117 yards and 13 touchdowns.

That production and his skill set earned him a trip to Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine in February, where he ran a 4.45 40-yard dash and posted a 37-inch vertical leap. None of it mattered Saturday evening to Ferguson.

"The combine doesn't define you, your pro day doesn't define you. All it takes is one team to give you the opportunity to make your dream come true.

"Guys got drafted today who didn't go to the combine, who didn't have the production (I did) last year, and good for them. I'm just blessed to have a chance in Seattle with an organization that has a winning culture, a great head coach, one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and an incredible fan base," he said.

Going into the pro ranks undrafted didn't shake his confidence, he said.

"Not even a little bit. I know I have potential and I've never been more determined to attain my goal of succeeding in the NFL."

The last three days were filled with drama for the Fergusons, beginning early Thursday morning when a devastating tornado bounced through Ruston. His older brother was picked by Baltimore later in the night Friday than expected, then Saturday, Jazz's name wasn't called in the draft, although his phone and his agents roared to life in the waning stages as NFL teams explored free agent possibilities. He came to terms with the Seahawks about a half-hour following the last pick.

"I learned that I would be doubted no matter what," he said. "It makes you want to go harder, compete harder against the top talent, to show you belong."

His college coach has no doubt that he does, and particularly with how his road to the NFL took an unexpected turn Saturday. Ferguson knows how to defy odds, said Laird.

"What a great day for Jazz Ferguson, his family, and Northwestern State University as he has the opportunity to take his talents to the NFL," Laird said. "His path to get there, overcoming adversity and personal setbacks, will drive him to be successful.
 
"The Seattle Seahawks are not only getting a great football player, but they are also getting a young man that will be great in the locker room and the community," he said. "All of us associated with NSU football are very proud for him."

Jazz Ferguson
WR, Northwestern State Demons
6-5, 227
St. Francisville, LA
West Feliciana HS
 
2018 All-America awards (Division I Football Championship Subdivision)
Associated Press, third team
STATS LLC, second team
Phil Steele, second team
Hero Sports, third team
 
2018 Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year
2018 All-Louisiana Offensive Player of the Year
2018 All-Southland Conference, first team
 
Overview:  Demons' first FCS All-America selection since 2015, and the 46^th All-American in school history, the first as a receiver … younger brother of 2019 NFL Draft selection Jaylon Ferguson … played only the 2018 season at Northwestern State (La.), which produced former Seahawks CB Jeremy Lane.
 
NSU's NFL history:  Eight Demons have made the Pro Bowl: TE Jackie Smith (5x, St. Louis Cardinals), WR Charlie Hennigan (5x, Houston Oilers), WR Mark Duper (3x, Miami Dolphins), Charlie Tolar (2x, RB, Houston Oilers), RB Joe Delaney (Kansas City Chiefs), RB John Stephens (New England Patriots), QB Bobby Hebert (Atlanta Falcons), KOR/CB Terrence McGee (Buffalo Bills) … Smith was a 1994 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee as a 10^th-round draft pick in 1963 … among the among the 81 NFL competitors from Northwestern State are three currently on NFL rosters:  NT Deon Simon (Green Bay), and undrafted free agents WR Bryant Mitchell (Arizona) and OG Pace Murphy (Kansas City), who were all 2014 seniors.
 
2018 Season Superlatives: Set five school records in his only season (11 games, all starts) for the Demons …  single-season records for receiving yards (1,117), TD catches (13), receiving yards per game (101.5) and 100-yard receiving games (six) …  one single-game school record: TD catches (3 vs. Abilene Christian)  … ranked in NCAA FCS top 20 in four stats: seventh in receiving TDs, ninth in receiving yards, 14^th in receiving yards per game, 19^th in receptions per game (6.0) … his 66 receptions led the Southland Conference and were second in school history … finished sixth all-time in single-season scoring with 82 points, 14 shy of the record, and most ever by a Demon receiver …in fact, he is the only receiver on the Demons' single-season scoring top 10 …helped the NSU offense set 20 school records, including 320.9 passing yards per game, sixth nationally.
 
2018 Season Highlights: Led NSU in receptions in 8 games (high of 9, twice) and in receiving yards in 7 games (high of 142 vs. Lamar) … caught both the game-winner, a 6-yard fade route, (in double OT) and the game-extender (two-point conversion pass) with 27 seconds left in regulation in a 37-34 victory over 18^th-ranked McNeese (112 yards, two TDs) … had a 19-yard catch and run over the middle on the Demons' first play in the second OT to set up his game-ender a snap later … 138 yards, two TDs vs. nationally-ranked Sam Houston State … made a remarkable one-handed catch at midfield and outran a cornerback over the last 50 yards on a 70-yard go-ahead TD against 2019 FCS playoff entry Lamar, with the play earning No. 2 on ESPN's nightly Top 10 Plays of the Day feature … made an instant impact with a season-long 71-yard TD catch at Texas A&M, when he caught a pass down the Aggies' sideline and cut all the way across the field, outrunning four A&M defenders to the far pylon … also had a 44-yarder as he posted a 129-yard, 4-catch Demon debut … 7 catches, 74 yards, including a leaping 13-yard TD in a 34-7 win over Grambling … 4 catches, 142 yards (TDs of 70 and 9 yards in the second half) in the 49-48 win at Lamar … 6-117 at Southeastern Louisiana in a 24-17 loss ... season-low 2 catches, 54 yards in 28-10 home defeat at the hands of No. 12 Nicholls, an FCS playoff entry … responded with a season-best 9 catches for 138 yards, including TDs of 38 and 20 yards vs. No. 14 Sam Houston State in a 42-28 loss at home … 8-108 the following week at No. 15 Central Arkansas … 8-90, 2 TDs (13 and 2 yards, the latter the game-winner with 4:12 left) in a comeback 31-28 homecoming win over Houston Baptist … 4-82, 3 TDs at Abilene Christian, scoring catches of 25, 33 and 13 yards, all helping the Demons nearly overcome a 34-14 deficit in the third quarter … then matched his season best with 9 receptions, covering 112 yards, in the double OT win over McNeese… finished his season with a team-high 5 catches for 71 yards in a 35-23 win at Stephen F. Austin … Demons finished 5-6, three points shy of their first winning season since 2008 … tied for sixth in 11-team Southland Conference at 4-5.
 
2017 Season: Did not play after transferring from LSU, using his redshirt season to establish academic eligibility … his QB at West Feliciana HS, Ryan Reed, is a starting safety for the Demons and was one of the reasons Ferguson chose NSU … was not on athletic scholarship … was surely the best scout team WR in the country … in 2018 spring game, caught an 11-yard touchdown to highlight three catches for 29 yards. 

Prior to NSU: Played two seasons at LSU ... appeared in nine games, including one start against Auburn ... caught two passes against Missouri during the 2016 season ... did not record any statistics in two games as a freshman.

High School: Rated as a 4-star prospect by 247 Sports, ESPN, and Scout ... as a senior, accounted for 889 receiving yards and 10 touchdown receptions, along with 561 rushing yards and seven touchdowns ... registered 87 tackles, eight tackles for loss and four interceptions on the defensive side of the ball ... hauled in 67 catches for 1,137 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior ... ranked as high as the No. 22 wide receiver nationally and No. 2 wide receiver coming out of Louisiana according to Scout ... helped lead his team to an 11-4 record ... LFCA First Team All-State in 2014 ... four-time all-district selection ... Warrick Dunn Award finalist ... nominated to play in the Army All-American game ... standout on the basketball and track and field teams as well ... coached by Rob Odom ... honor roll member.

Personal: Born Jan. 12, 1997 ... full name is Jazmond Ja'Quan Ferguson ... goes by Jazz ... parents are Jackie and Richard Harris ... older brother Jaylon Ferguson,  a 2019 NFL Draft pick (Baltimore) after a four-year career as a defensive end at Louisiana Tech, owns the NCAA single-season sacks record... the family gathered in Jaylon's college town of Ruston, La.to follow the draft ... Jazz majored in sport administration at NSU.