Reid Ferguson is a 2012 graduate of Buford High School. He is the oldest son of Kevin and Tracy Ferguson. His younger brother Blake is a 2015 BHS graduate. Reid and Blake grew up in Milton, Ga. and attended Milton High School during his freshman year coming to Buford in his sophomore year. Reid and his parents had heard of the great opportunities at BHS and a family friend invited them to a Buford football game. They loved the atmosphere and that combined with knowing Buford’s tough academics, his parents decided to enroll Reid in Buford.
All three years at BHS, Reid played on the football team as a long snapper or guard. His head coach Jess Simpson, who now works for the Atlanta Falcons as their defensive line coach, expected a lot out of his players. Simpson instilled in his players a strong work ethic, mental toughness, and to be detail-oriented. His methods proved successful as Buford won two state championship titles during Reid’s sophomore and junior years. Buford would win seven state titles with Simpson as head coach.
Buford was a tough adjustment for Reid in the beginning but a few teachers made adjusting easier for him. Coach Christian Hunnicutt was one of those teachers. Hunnicutt, who is now the head football coach at Villa Rica High School, taught him AP Psychology and was one of his football coaches. Reid says that Hunnicutt taught him a lot about being disciplined on and off the field. Two other teachers, Ms. Bonnie Davis and Ms. Amy Lister really made an impression on him. Both ladies were very positive teachers who really cared about their students.
LSU gave Reid a scholarship to be their starting long snapper and he enrolled there in the spring of 2012. He started all four years for the team, playing in 51 games, and was a part of 497 total snaps. Reid flourished at LSU making the SEC Honor Roll every year, was a Co-Captain of the football team during his junior and senior years, and was blessed to be on the team’s Internal Leadership Committee. His brother Blake, also a Buford long snapper, was recruited by LSU and the brothers were able to play together during Reid’s senior year. (A side note, Reid started a trend of LSU recruiting long snappers out of Buford. Reid, Blake, and most recently, 2019 graduate Quentin Skinner.) Reid graduated LSU with degrees in business administration and sociology.
Currently, Reid plays in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills as their main long snapper. He signed with them as an undrafted free agent in May 2016 but was released by the Bills on August 30, 2016. He was later signed to the practice squad on November 2016. Reid kept working hard and was signed to a futures contract on January 2, 2017. His chance for the big time would come in the fall of 2017 when the Bills named him as their starting long snapper. During 2017, Reid got the chance to see his old coach again when Buffalo played the Atlanta Falcons. He said that was a highlight for him to reunite with Simpson again. On January 28, 2019, he was signed to a three-year contract extension with the Bills.
Reid continues to fall back on the lessons taught to him at Buford as he continues to work hard, gives back through charities that the Bills supports, and is planning for his future beyond the NFL. Once a Wolf, Always a Wolf!
— By Alicia Couch Payne
