Duke Fergerson
Encyclopedia
Duke Fergerson is a former professional American football
wide receiver
who played in four National Football League
seasons from 1977
-1980
for the Seattle Seahawks
and the Buffalo Bills
. He was drafted in the third round of the 1976 NFL Draft
out of San Diego State University
.
Duke placed second in the second fastest Low hurdle races in the history of high
school track and field during his senior year. However, due to an inability to read
and write, Duke was prevented from earning an academic/athletic scholarship to
attend college. Duke was raised in Merced, California. In 1986, The Boston Globe
ranked Merced as the second worst city in America. Upon his high school graduation,
Duke Fergerson began his adult life as a functional illiterate with a combine SAT
score of 580 from the “second worst city in America.”
To address his academic deficit, at age 18, Duke enrolled to take remedial English
and math classes. Within a year and because of his academic performance, Duke was
offered a full athletic scholarship to attend the following Universities:
Stanford, Washington State University, UCLA, Duke University, and University of
Alabama., Duke chose Washington State University to play college football, and
majored in Political Science with a minor in US history.
Two years later, Duke transferred to San Diego State University and graduated with a
BA degree in Political Science and minor in US history. During his 4 year college
career, Duke wrote his senior thesis on US’s Involvement in Angola; selected to
participate in the prestigious North-South, Senior Bowl-where Duke scored two
touchdowns for the North squad; finished as the NCAA’s third leading wide receiver
in receptions; and drafted in the 3rd round by the Dallas Cowboys. One year later, in exchange for
Seattle’s rights to draft Heismann Trophy winner Tony Dorsett, the Dallas Cowboys
traded Duke as the key player in a transaction.
After 5 years in the NFL, Duke began working in the insurance industry for Farmer
Insurance Group. Within six months, Duke sold more commercial insurance products
than Farmer’s number commercial producer: Seymour Brodell. Duke then moved on to
work for Professional Asset Securities: A Del Mar, California based company whose
primary line of business was to advised and manage excess liquidly for banks,
foodservices companies, trusts and pension funds. Within two years, Duke’s bonus
payout exceeded that of his salary made while playing in the NFL.
Duke then decided to apply to graduate school to earn a MBA. Duke applied to three
schools, Wharton, University of Chicago and Harvard Business School. While UC wait
listed Duke, Wharton and HBS accepted him for entering class 1987.
In the year before entering HBS, Duke worked as a Ward Coordinator, political
fundraiser and get-out the –vote organizer for Joseph P. Kennedy’s first
congressional run for political office. Duke’s responsibility included the Fenway,
Back Bay, South End and Beacon Hill communities where Joe Kennedy could only master
18% of the vote—No Kennedy in the history of Boston had ever had such a poor
political showing prior to an election.
Polls showed Mel King, a 29 year incumbent State rep. and one other opponent as
having 34.2% each. During the course over nine months of ‘grass roots’ organizing,
Duke had re-positioned Joe and his message to reflect the needs of the community,
while producing a fund raising concert with Dizzy Gillespie as the performer at the
Howard Johnson’s restaurant on Memorial Dr. in Cambridge, Ma.
On Election Day, district-wide Joe Kennedy won by a landslide. In the communities
where he could only master 18% of the vote prior to election, Duke had improved his
market share to 34.7% of the vote. He beat state rep. Mel King by two votes. For the
next 10 years, Duke would be mentored by Pulitzer Prize author Doris Kerns-Goodwin
and her husband, the former Presidential speech writer for late John F. Kennedy and
the late NY Senator, Robert F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard N. Goodwin.
Duke entered HBS in the September 1987. In the summer between June and September
1988, Duke worked for Congressional Majority Whip Tony Coelho, where he authored the
Minimum Wage issues paper for the Democratic House and Senate. The minimum wage
legislation was passed. In January 1988, Duke was awarded the Learner of the Month
citation for overcoming illiteracy. On November 15, 1988, Duke was invited to
Washington DC to receive a citation from Governors William Jefferson Clinton and
George Kean; as well as to meet President elect George Bush and First Lady Barbara
Bush.
Duke returned to HBS where he was diagnosed as the “most dyslexic student Harvard
had seen in thirty years.” HBS asked Duke to withdraw return from Harvard Business
School.
Duke began his post Harvard career by working with the late Film producer Harold
Schneider. Upon Harold’s death, Duke returned to the financial services industry to
make a living, but continue to learn the film business. Duke spent the next 7 years
as a consultant in the banking and foodservice industries. In San Diego California,
Duke put together a group investors and signed an eight store development agree with
American Favorite Chicken.
In 1994, Duke joined the Al Checchi for Governor Campaign. Duke spent the next year
and half as one of Al’s ‘kitchen cabinet’ advisers. Duke was campaign director for
Orange County, San Diego County and Northern Mexico. After Checchi’s defeat, Duke
returned to the east coast and moved to the community of Harlem.
In conjunction with the Staubach Real Estate Company, Duke worked to develop living
wage opportunities for residents of Harlem. Upon arriving in Harlem, a 17 year old
Harlem youth asked Duke where he could play football.
When Duke discovered that Harlem had not had high football for 62 years, he
immediately called all Harlem based 13 Principals. Duke then devised and presented a
plan to the Chancellor of the NYCDOE, that would united all 13 high schools into
one community high school football team.—It had never been done and all prior
attempts had failed. It would take the Governor, the State Assembly, the Teachers'
Union or Chancellor Klein to approve of Duke’s plan.
Nine months later, the Chancellor signed a waver allowing the Harlem Hell-fighters
to organize as a scholar/athlete program to serve the needs of the at-risk urban
males of color.
Within three years of participating in the Public School Athletic League, Duke took
the 2007 Hell-fighter to the city championship game against John Adams high
school--- a school with a seventy year football tradition. Although the
inexperienced Hell-fighters lost 58-42, the game signified a watershed moment in
Harlem’s history: In forty-eight minutes of play, Harlem was able to erase an
achievement deficit from 66 years to 16 points. The Hell-fighters program had more
D1a athletes being recruited by Ivy League institutions than any program in New York
State. The QB was Harvard’s University #1 recruit at that position; the TE is also
recruited by Harvard, another was wooed by Cornell. At the season’s conclusion and
three remain undecided as to which Ivy best suites their academic ambition. The
Harlem Hell-fighters’ football program is the only NY state high school program to
place any of its players in Hargrove Military Academy.
In January 2007, Duke became the only NYS high school football coach ever chosen to
coach in the prestigious US High School Army All-America Bowl game in San Antonio,
Texas. In March 2007, Duke was given a lifetime achievement award by the Wheeler
school in Providence, Rhode Island. In September 2007, Duke was chosen by
Universal-McCann Erickson and the US Army as a COI: Center of Influence in aiding
the Army’s urban outreach programs. Duke was asked to meet with the Secretary of the
Army in January 2008 and travel to the Pentagon to meet with Army brass in April
2008.
In addition to coaching the Hell fighters, Duke has returned to the private sector
and is seeking to establish a Hospitality and Culinary school in Harlem.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
who played in four National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
seasons from 1977
1977 NFL season
The 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central....
-1980
1980 NFL season
The 1980 NFL season was the 61st regular season of the National Football League.After the league declined to approve the proposed move by the Raiders from Oakland, California to Los Angeles, the team along with the Los Angeles Coliseum sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws...
for the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
and the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was drafted in the third round of the 1976 NFL Draft
1976 NFL Draft
The 1976 National Football League Draft was an annual player selection meeting held on April 8–April 9, 1976. It lasted 17 rounds, with the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks making the first two selections. The expansion teams were also given a pair of extra picks at the end of...
out of San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
.
Duke placed second in the second fastest Low hurdle races in the history of high
school track and field during his senior year. However, due to an inability to read
and write, Duke was prevented from earning an academic/athletic scholarship to
attend college. Duke was raised in Merced, California. In 1986, The Boston Globe
ranked Merced as the second worst city in America. Upon his high school graduation,
Duke Fergerson began his adult life as a functional illiterate with a combine SAT
score of 580 from the “second worst city in America.”
To address his academic deficit, at age 18, Duke enrolled to take remedial English
and math classes. Within a year and because of his academic performance, Duke was
offered a full athletic scholarship to attend the following Universities:
Stanford, Washington State University, UCLA, Duke University, and University of
Alabama., Duke chose Washington State University to play college football, and
majored in Political Science with a minor in US history.
Two years later, Duke transferred to San Diego State University and graduated with a
BA degree in Political Science and minor in US history. During his 4 year college
career, Duke wrote his senior thesis on US’s Involvement in Angola; selected to
participate in the prestigious North-South, Senior Bowl-where Duke scored two
touchdowns for the North squad; finished as the NCAA’s third leading wide receiver
in receptions; and drafted in the 3rd round by the Dallas Cowboys. One year later, in exchange for
Seattle’s rights to draft Heismann Trophy winner Tony Dorsett, the Dallas Cowboys
traded Duke as the key player in a transaction.
After 5 years in the NFL, Duke began working in the insurance industry for Farmer
Insurance Group. Within six months, Duke sold more commercial insurance products
than Farmer’s number commercial producer: Seymour Brodell. Duke then moved on to
work for Professional Asset Securities: A Del Mar, California based company whose
primary line of business was to advised and manage excess liquidly for banks,
foodservices companies, trusts and pension funds. Within two years, Duke’s bonus
payout exceeded that of his salary made while playing in the NFL.
Duke then decided to apply to graduate school to earn a MBA. Duke applied to three
schools, Wharton, University of Chicago and Harvard Business School. While UC wait
listed Duke, Wharton and HBS accepted him for entering class 1987.
In the year before entering HBS, Duke worked as a Ward Coordinator, political
fundraiser and get-out the –vote organizer for Joseph P. Kennedy’s first
congressional run for political office. Duke’s responsibility included the Fenway,
Back Bay, South End and Beacon Hill communities where Joe Kennedy could only master
18% of the vote—No Kennedy in the history of Boston had ever had such a poor
political showing prior to an election.
Polls showed Mel King, a 29 year incumbent State rep. and one other opponent as
having 34.2% each. During the course over nine months of ‘grass roots’ organizing,
Duke had re-positioned Joe and his message to reflect the needs of the community,
while producing a fund raising concert with Dizzy Gillespie as the performer at the
Howard Johnson’s restaurant on Memorial Dr. in Cambridge, Ma.
On Election Day, district-wide Joe Kennedy won by a landslide. In the communities
where he could only master 18% of the vote prior to election, Duke had improved his
market share to 34.7% of the vote. He beat state rep. Mel King by two votes. For the
next 10 years, Duke would be mentored by Pulitzer Prize author Doris Kerns-Goodwin
and her husband, the former Presidential speech writer for late John F. Kennedy and
the late NY Senator, Robert F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard N. Goodwin.
Duke entered HBS in the September 1987. In the summer between June and September
1988, Duke worked for Congressional Majority Whip Tony Coelho, where he authored the
Minimum Wage issues paper for the Democratic House and Senate. The minimum wage
legislation was passed. In January 1988, Duke was awarded the Learner of the Month
citation for overcoming illiteracy. On November 15, 1988, Duke was invited to
Washington DC to receive a citation from Governors William Jefferson Clinton and
George Kean; as well as to meet President elect George Bush and First Lady Barbara
Bush.
Duke returned to HBS where he was diagnosed as the “most dyslexic student Harvard
had seen in thirty years.” HBS asked Duke to withdraw return from Harvard Business
School.
Duke began his post Harvard career by working with the late Film producer Harold
Schneider. Upon Harold’s death, Duke returned to the financial services industry to
make a living, but continue to learn the film business. Duke spent the next 7 years
as a consultant in the banking and foodservice industries. In San Diego California,
Duke put together a group investors and signed an eight store development agree with
American Favorite Chicken.
In 1994, Duke joined the Al Checchi for Governor Campaign. Duke spent the next year
and half as one of Al’s ‘kitchen cabinet’ advisers. Duke was campaign director for
Orange County, San Diego County and Northern Mexico. After Checchi’s defeat, Duke
returned to the east coast and moved to the community of Harlem.
In conjunction with the Staubach Real Estate Company, Duke worked to develop living
wage opportunities for residents of Harlem. Upon arriving in Harlem, a 17 year old
Harlem youth asked Duke where he could play football.
When Duke discovered that Harlem had not had high football for 62 years, he
immediately called all Harlem based 13 Principals. Duke then devised and presented a
plan to the Chancellor of the NYCDOE, that would united all 13 high schools into
one community high school football team.—It had never been done and all prior
attempts had failed. It would take the Governor, the State Assembly, the Teachers'
Union or Chancellor Klein to approve of Duke’s plan.
Nine months later, the Chancellor signed a waver allowing the Harlem Hell-fighters
to organize as a scholar/athlete program to serve the needs of the at-risk urban
males of color.
Within three years of participating in the Public School Athletic League, Duke took
the 2007 Hell-fighter to the city championship game against John Adams high
school--- a school with a seventy year football tradition. Although the
inexperienced Hell-fighters lost 58-42, the game signified a watershed moment in
Harlem’s history: In forty-eight minutes of play, Harlem was able to erase an
achievement deficit from 66 years to 16 points. The Hell-fighters program had more
D1a athletes being recruited by Ivy League institutions than any program in New York
State. The QB was Harvard’s University #1 recruit at that position; the TE is also
recruited by Harvard, another was wooed by Cornell. At the season’s conclusion and
three remain undecided as to which Ivy best suites their academic ambition. The
Harlem Hell-fighters’ football program is the only NY state high school program to
place any of its players in Hargrove Military Academy.
In January 2007, Duke became the only NYS high school football coach ever chosen to
coach in the prestigious US High School Army All-America Bowl game in San Antonio,
Texas. In March 2007, Duke was given a lifetime achievement award by the Wheeler
school in Providence, Rhode Island. In September 2007, Duke was chosen by
Universal-McCann Erickson and the US Army as a COI: Center of Influence in aiding
the Army’s urban outreach programs. Duke was asked to meet with the Secretary of the
Army in January 2008 and travel to the Pentagon to meet with Army brass in April
2008.
In addition to coaching the Hell fighters, Duke has returned to the private sector
and is seeking to establish a Hospitality and Culinary school in Harlem.