AREA FOOTBALL RECRUITS Ferguson chooses Cincinnati

Mineral Ridge kicker Brian Palmer will sign with YSU on Tuesday.
VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT
WARREN -- Delbert Ferguson knows what people are thinking.
He knows they think he made a mistake when he transferred from Ursuline High to Warren Harding last winter, and he knows this season didn't quite go as planned.
"But I don't regret it or second-guess myself or anything," Ferguson said. "It might not have been the year I wanted, but I learned a lot. I graduated early. I had a great time with the coaching staff and the team.
"All it's done is make me stronger. I've been through every situation in my career now and, when I get to college, nothing's going to be new to me. I think I can handle anything thrown at me."
Ferguson, a 6-foot-1, 222-pound running back, gave a verbal commitment to Cincinnati Sunday, more than three months after suffering a season-ending leg injury.
Mineral Ridge kicker Brian Palmer will sign with Youngstown State on Tuesday, the first day allowed by the NCAA.
Still in rehabiliation
Ferguson broke his leg during the third quarter of a game against Massillon Washington in late October. He's on track for a full recovery, although he said he's only about 70 percent right now.
"When it first happened, I wasn't thinking that I broke my leg," he said. "It was painful, but I thought it might have been a deep thigh bruise. Once I got over to the sideline, I felt my bone move and I was like, 'Man, it's broke.' "
When it happened, Ferguson had a lot of things running through his mind. None of them were good. But doctors assured him that he would be able to play again, and Warren Harding coach Thom McDaniels called the schools recruiting Ferguson to let them know about the injury.
"I think that was something we had to do," Ferguson said. "We didn't want to trick anybody. If they still wanted me, then it made me feel better. If not, then it's better in the long run because I see their true colors.
"I just tried to be up front with everybody, because I want everybody to be up front with me."
Was going to enroll early
Ferguson originally planned to enroll this semester, but his injury changed his timetable. He took visits to Nebraska, Iowa, Washington State and Cincinnati and was leaning toward the Cornhuskers until Bill Callahan took over and defensive coordinator Bo Pelini was fired.
He also had offers from several Mid-American Conference schools.
Ferguson was a three-year starter at Ursuline, helping the Irish win the Division III state title in 2000. He saw limited action with Warren Harding this season after injuring his hamstring during the summer and missing the first few games.
He said he graduated with a 2.9 grade point average and earned an 18 on the ACT. He plans to major in engineering and possibly minor in business management.
"My time at Ursuline was my best time," Ferguson said. "I spent the most time there. I built strong relationships with the players and the faculty, and I still keep in contact with them. I still have a lot of love for them.
"But this transfer, and everything that happened, is going to help me so much more in the long run. It's been a learning experience, but I think I'm a better person, and a better football player, because of it."
scalzo@vindy.com