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Humble football star Vagas Ferguson recalls national championship, glory days at Notre Dame
Notre Dame opened the 1977 football season with a 19-9 road win over No. 7 Pittsburgh, then suffered a shocking loss the following week at Ole Miss, 20-13.
The Fighting Irish were nearly flawless the rest of the season, finishing 10-1 and upsetting undefeated and No. 1 Texas in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Notre Dame crushed the Longhorns 38-10 in front of 76,701 fans to finish 11-1.
“We had some great players and a lot of guys stepped up, in all positions to make things happen that season,” said running back Vagas Ferguson, who scored three touchdowns in the National Championship game against Texas including a 17-yard pass from Hall of Famer Joe Montana.
“Texas was undefeated and we were looked at as the underdog. That did nothing but fire us up. We played the game we knew we could play. It never gets old talking about the 1977 season, though I don’t talk about it too much.”
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Ferguson, now 66, was asked about the ’77 season and other Notre Dame memories during an appearance at the Chicago Card Show March 11 in Bridgeview, Ill. It was his first card show signing in four years.
“I always look forward to card shows, meeting fans who love the game and love Notre Dame,” said Ferguson, who has another signing session later this spring in Boston. “I enjoy [the shows], though it really surprises me what [collectibles are] out there. Any show I go to, it’s amazing what the fans and promotors have, be it jerseys, pictures, whatever. It’s always nice to see [the collectibles].”
Ferguson is admittedly not much of a collector.
“Just my junk, stuff I’ve picked up over the years, or that people have given me,” he said. “I don’t have a prized collectible and, well, all my stuff is in the basement in boxes or packed away. I don’t display my [saved memorabilia].
“The game has been good to me; I enjoyed it. And I’m thankful I was able to play. But I just don’t have collectibles out; my kids only heard from other people what I had done [on the field].”
Ferguson played a combined 39 games during his four seasons at Notre Dame (1976-79), rushing for 3,472 yards and 32 touchdowns. He also caught 43 passes for 366 yards and three more TDs for the Irish. He was a consensus All-American as a senior in 1979, rushing for multiple personal highs: carries (301), yards (1,437) and TDs. (17).
Ferguson was selected by the New England Patriots in the first round (25th overall) of the 1980 NFL Draft and played three seasons for the Patriots. His NFL career ended after the 1984 season.
“My NFL career was very short, but [I have] no regrets,” Ferguson said. “I learned at Notre Dame that, yes, making it to the pros is great. But so too is the education, so, if you don’t make it to the pros, you have something to fall back on, something you can do with the rest of your life.
“Football to me was a bonus [of attending Notre Dame]. I have no regrets about my football career, and still don’t to this day.”
Ferguson played 33 games in the NFL, starting 21 of them. He rushed 290 times for 1,163 yards and five TDs. His long was a 44-yard scamper as a rookie in 1980.
“My NFL highlight was the camaraderie, the friendships made. At that level, it’s more than football; it’s a business and if you don’t produce, you won’t be there,” Ferguson said. “My approach was simple, if I can’t play anymore, no problem, I’ll go do something else. And that’s exactly what I did.”
After leaving the field, Ferguson returned to his native Indiana. He is now in his 32nd year in school administration for the Richmond (Ind.) Community Schools, including a stint as the athletic director.
Ferguson said he never mentions his football past at or around the school. But some of the teachers and administrators in Richmond were former students there, so they know about his Notre Dame greatness.
Such as being named the Outstanding Offensive Player of the 1978 Cotton Bowl Classic. Then, in 1979, he was the fifth-ranked player in the nation in yards per rush and finished fifth in voting for the Heisman Trophy.
Ferguson ranks third all-time for total yards gained (3,472) among Notre Dame running backs, having averaged 5.2 yards per carry. His 1,437 rushing yards in 1979 is still No. 1 in school history and his 1,192 yards in 1978 is ninth-most in Notre Dame history. He is a member of the Indiana Football Hall of Fame.
“I was hurt for part of the 1977 season, [particularly] at the beginning of the season,” Ferguson said. “Many guys stepped in and carried the load. No one wanted to be recognized for their individual work; it was a team effort. What we were able to accomplish that season happened because we were a team, not just individuals out there.
“It’s nice to have those memories of the ’77 team.”
He signed countless mementos tied to Notre Dame’s national championship at the March card show in suburban Chicago run by Midwest Sports Buffet. Also signing at the show were fellow Notre Dame stars Bob Golic and Luther Bradley.
“There were a lot of nice items to sign at the show,” Ferguson said. “It’s amazing to see some of the collectibles, which gives you the chance to reminisce about the old days.
“I can appreciate collectors and collectibles; it’s a nice hobby.”
Ferguson’s rookie card was released by Topps in 1981: No. 208.
All his cards are “put away,” he said. “Some day when I’m gone, I guess my grandkids will do something with them.”
He doesn’t have a favorite of his cards.
“My cards represent a moment in time in my life, and sure, it’s now nice to be able to see that,” he said.
Ferguson collected all of his jerseys from Notre Dame. They are in his basement, packed away along with trophies and other football awards.
“[Individual honors] were nice at the time, but, I look at football as the ultimate team game,” he said. “[Personal] awards were never important because I know I didn’t do it on my own. Sure, the running backs get the recognition, but what about the other guys, such as the linemen who block for us, the coaches who put together the gameplan.
“Football is a team game, and I’ll go to my grave thinking that and believing that. I’m able to sign autographs at this show because of others, not just because of what I did.”
