Earl Thomas Ferrell (born March 27, 1958 in

Halifax, Virginia Halifax is a town in Halifax County, Virginia, United States, along the Banister River. The population was 1,309 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Halifax County. History Carlbrook, Halifax County Courthouse, Mountain Road Historic Di ...

), is a former

professional A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skil ...

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

player who was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 5th round of the

1982 NFL Draft The 1982 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 27–28, 1982, at the New York She ...

. A , 220 lbs.

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...

from

East Tennessee State East Tennessee State University (ETSU) is a Public university, public research university in Johnson City, Tennessee. Although it is part of the State University and Community College System of Tennessee, the university is governed by an instit ...

, Ferrell played his entire NFL career for the Cardinals from 1982 to 1989. He led all Cardinals running backs in rushing yards during the 1988 and 1989 seasons, the team's first two years playing in Phoenix. He was the second player, and one of only four in the school's history, to be selected in the draft and play in the NFL after playing

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

at ETSU. After a

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

appearance in each of his final two seasons, Ferrell's career was cut short due to problems with illegal drugs. In 1988, Ferrell reportedly tested positive three times for

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally for its euphoria, euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from t ...

and, before the 1990 season, he was suspended for one year because of another failed

drug test A drug test is a technical analysis of a biological specimen, for example urine, hair, blood, breath, sweat, or oral fluid/saliva—to determine the presence or absence of specified parent drugs or their metabolites. Major applications of drug ...

. He never played in the NFL again. On receiving the news of his suspension, Ferrell chose to retire.Walter Berry
"Cards' Ferrell retires after testing positive for drugs"
''The Times-News'', April 26, 1990.

References

1958 births Living people People from Halifax, Virginia American football running backs East Tennessee State Buccaneers football players East Tennessee State University alumni St. Louis Cardinals (football) players Phoenix Cardinals players Players of American football from Virginia National Football League replacement players {{runningback-1950s-stub