FAYETTEVILLE — Joe Ferguson has seen quite a bit of the O.J. Simpson documentary on ESPN. It's hard not to watch when you are in some of the episodes.
It's still tough for Ferguson to see some of the portions. The former Arkansas quarterback great just doesn't believe his eyes. That's not the Simpson he knew during five years as teammates in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills. The idea that Simpson could murder his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ron Goldman is not something Ferguson can fathom.
“In my mind, I've never believed (Simpson) did it,” Ferguson said. “I just can't. I guess he must have changed after he left Buffalo because the guy I knew wouldn't do something like that. He couldn't. He was too smart.”
Those are highly interesting comments to come from Ferguson, a man who teammates and friends put at the top of the list as far as integrity and class. Personally, there are few that would question anything ever said by Ferguson.
Ferguson, 66, played with the Bills from 1973-84 as part of his 17-year NFL career that also included three years with the Detroit Lions, two with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and one with the Indianapolis Colts.
Simpson played with the Bills from 1969-77, then completed his storied career with the San Francisco 49ers for two seasons. It's during that time that Ferguson believes Simpson began to change.
“I just know that San Francisco is a much different atmosphere, lifestyle,” Ferguson said. “I think he changed there and in Los Angeles after that. What I watched, he was different.
“But when he was in Buffalo, he was a good guy. He treated everyone with class and respect, just dignity. I thought he was very sharp, confident. He was highly educated. He was extremely smart. He handled himself with great class. When he left Buffalo, O.J. was a different person.”
The ESPN documentary does portray a different Simpson later in life - a cheater at golf and clearly a different type of person than Ferguson remembers.
“I'm not saying we were close friends,” Ferguson said. “But we did spend a lot of time together. We just had to as offensive teammates. I did go to dinner with him quite a few times. I was around him a lot. He took time for everyone. He was good to everyone. Everybody liked him. He took time for every person.
“That's why I couldn't see him doing something like that. I'll just say there is quite a contrast between Buffalo and San Francisco as some place to live."
Ferguson said he saw Simpson twice - once for a round of golf in Florida and the other at a Bills game in Buffalo - between when he was acquitted of the murders in 1995 and when was found responsible during a 1997 civil trial. Ferguson is amazed at the amount of attention the case receives two decades later. In addition to the documentary, FX aired a miniseries on the case earlier this year.
“I wish everyone would leave it alone," Ferguson said. "It's over done. It's been too much. It's just so sad. What does it matter? He's about gone and it's time to just move on. Why keep pushing it?
“I will say that what you saw on the (documentary) is the way he was within our team. When he went over 2,000 yards – the first to do it -- he would not do any interviews until the rest of the team was included. He spent time introducing the offensive line, all of us. He always was good to the rest of us and wanted to include us in interviews.”
Simpson brought Ferguson in tight for the camera shots in the post-game of that 1973 game against the New York Jets. A 12-yard run with under three minutes to go put him at 2,003 yards. That was accomplished in a 14-game season. The only 2,000-yard seasons since were accomplished in 16 games.
“The interesting part is that when he went over 2,000, there was 2:30 left on the clock and they stopped the game and took him to the locker room to do interviews,” Ferguson said. “I was surprised. I tried to get him to stay on the field and see how many more yards he could get, put that record up there as high as possible. I said, 'Get some more!'”
Simpson just followed the orders of team officials and left the field.
“But he put off the TV interviews until we got into the locker room with him,” Ferguson said. “He wanted us to share it with him and that's always the way he acted.”
That was Ferguson's rookie year with the Bills. He was a third-round draft pick after setting school records at Arkansas from 1970-72. He led the Southwest Conference in 1971 with 2,203 yards when he was the offensive MVP of the Liberty Bowl. Most long-time observers think Ferguson's arm was the strongest in UA history, rivaled only by Ryan Mallett.
Ferguson, perhaps the most heralded UA quarterback signee ever, returned to coach quarterbacks at Arkansas for four seasons in the 1990s under Danny Ford and Houston Nutt.
Clearly, one of Ferguson's favorite pupils is former Arkansas quarterback Clint Stoerner. Ferguson was his position coach for three seasons.
“Clint really worked hard on his footwork and became very accurate,” Ferguson said. “He listened. He did everything you could ask of a player."
After leaving the Razorbacks, Ferguson coached at Louisiana Tech and in high school. He battled cancer twice and has been in remission since 2009.
The Shreveport, La., product is in real estate with Jim Lindsey & Associates, but doesn't miss a chance to attend a high school game or watch college and pro football at his home near Gravette in Northwest Arkansas.
“I just love to go to games,” he said. “I've tried to go to Arkansas games, too. I watch them."
Until just the last couple of years, he has worked quarterback camps in the summer.
“I love to work camps, but no one has called me of late," Ferguson said. "I'd still do it. I love to work with quarterbacks. I see things that need to be done with them as far as footworks. I'm not sure everyone gets the proper fundamentals as far as footwork. When I go to a camp now, I don't see anyone talking about footwork.”
The former pro says he still loves the college game best.
"I see the NFL and the celebrations and the dancing, it's just taken over," Ferguson said, "so I much prefer the college.
“There are some great ones in the NFL. The best as far as footwork, throwing and the mechanics is Aaron Rodgers at Green Bay. Don't get me wrong, Tom Brady is good, too. But he's more a product of a system. I think Peyton Manning is more of a system guy, too. They are great, but Rodgers is the best.”
That's high praise from someone with expertise as an NFL quarterback and respected as a quarterback tutor. Some might say Ferguson was the best at Arkansas.