Jeff Ferguson is in his fourth season with Jacksonville and second year as vice president of player health and performance. He joined the Jaguars as the director of athletic trainining in 2021 and was promoted to his current role prior to the 2022 season.
Previously, Ferguson spent 13 seasons (2006-18) with the San Francisco 49ers, one year as the vice president of player health and safety for the XFL (2019-20) and, most recently, served as the CEO of WellStrong, an established medical services management company, from 2020-21.
After initially joining the 49ers organization in 2006 as the team's head athletic trainer, he was promoted to director of football operations and sports medicine in 2011. He was elevated to vice president of football operations in 2013 and, from 2016-18, served as vice president of medical services/athletic trainer. In his most recent role, Ferguson was responsible for overseeing the team's entire medical and nutritional needs, including rehabilitation procedures, injury records, the training room and daily athletic training duties.
While with the XFL, Ferguson oversaw every aspect of player health and safety, including the creation of the league's COVID-19 task force. As the CEO of WellStrong, he oversaw the strategy of all medical management services, including physical therapy, general wellness, injury prevention, community outreach and durable medical equipment.
Before working in the NFL, he served as the manager of athletic team development with BREG, an orthopedic company based in Vista, Calif. From June 2005 until March 2006, Ferguson specialized in sports medicine bracing for BREG.
Prior to his move to the West Coast, Ferguson spent eight years (1997-2005) in several capacities at Kansas State University while continuing to serve as the athletic trainer for the Kansas State football program throughout his time in Manhattan. From 2002-05, he served as the assistant athletic director for sports medicine after beginning his career with the Wildcats as an assistant athletic trainer. He was responsible for the prevention, evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation of all athletic injuries, in addition to supervising medical coverage for 14 collegiate athletic teams. His staff was voted best in the Big 12 for their medical efforts from 2003-04.
From 1995-97, Ferguson was an athletic trainer with an orthopedic surgeon and physical therapy company in Louisburg, N.C. While doing graduate work at the University of Texas at Arlington, he spent two years as a graduate assistant athletic trainer while serving as the head athletic trainer for the track and field teams.
A native of Clemson, S.C., Ferguson earned his bachelor's degree in 1993 at Clemson and his master's degree in 1995 at Texas at Arlington. He got his start in college athletic training as a student athletic trainer at Clemson from 1989-93 and spent the 1992 summer as a preseason athletic trainer for the New England Patriots. He is also a certified member of the National Athletic Trainers (NATA).
Ferguson and his wife, Rebecca, have two daughters, Madelyn and Alexandra, and one son, J.C. In 2019, Ferguson was inducted into the Daniel High School (Central, S.C.) Athletic Hall of Fame.
