[1] Ferguson's given name was inspired by Father Ralph de Bricassart, a character in the 1977 novel The Thorn Birds.

He was placed on the all-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team two years in a row, and he became Virginia's first All-ACC offensive tackle since 1998.

Considered an undersized tackle after playing at 295 pounds during his senior year at Virginia,[2] Ferguson officially weighed in at 312 for the NFL combine.

[11] Designated as Jason Fabini's successor, Ferguson started every game at left tackle for the Jets since the beginning of the 2006 NFL season.

On January 8, 2010, Miami Dolphins Tackle Jake Long withdrew from the 2010 Pro Bowl due to injuries and Ferguson was named as his replacement.

[13] On April 8, 2016, Ferguson announced his retirement from the NFL after 10 seasons, having made 160 consecutive starts and never missing a game.

In his retirement statement, Ferguson wrote, "I would like to thank every coach, every teammate, and every fan that has shown me support throughout my career.

[16] His father, Ed Ferguson Sr., is a native of Nassau, Bahamas, and his older brother, Edwin, also graduated from the University of Virginia.

[6] Ferguson was the inspiration for the recurring East–West College Bowl sketch on the Comedy Central sketch comedy series Key & Peele, in which comedians Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele portray football players with uncommon names when introducing themselves.