BOSTON – For all the bumps, bruises, welts and sprains the Boston College football team had applied to Diamond Ferri, the Eagles couldn’t knock the swagger out of him.

So time and again, after another one his 28 punishing rushes or his six tackles, Ferri pounded his chest, glared at the BC sideline and screamed, ‘Let’s do it! I want more!’

He got more. And he gave more. By the time he had finished, Ferri had authored one of the most impressive performances this season in college football, and had played a game that will go down in the annals of Syracuse football history.

Playing on both sides of the ball and on special teams, Ferri put on a worthy display for the 300-plus fans that came from Ferri’s hometown of Everett, Mass., to Alumni Stadium to watch him against Boston College. By Monday, Ferri had been given a slew of awards, including Big East Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week honors, the first time a single player has earned both distinctions in the same week.

Ferri not only led a punishing Syracuse ground attack in the Orange’s transcendent 43-17 win over the Eagles, but he also sealed BC’s small-time bowl fate by returning an interception 44 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Ferri’s final line: 28 carries, 141 yards, six tackles, two punt returns for 8 yards, one interception, three total touchdowns.

And a handful of Bowl Championship Series dreams crushed, almost single-handedly. ‘I’ve never played with a guy like that,’ SU center Matt Tarullo said. ‘He should win national player of the week.’

High praise, considering Ferri hadn’t been a featured running back since high school. After graduating from Everett High, Ferri played running back during his freshman and sophomore seasons at SU. After leaving Syracuse for a year, Ferri returned with an improved attitude and a new position – strong safety.

That’s where he played until two weeks ago against Temple, when he received his first carry since his sophomore season and took it 32 yards.

When Damien Rhodes, SU’s featured tailback in lieu of the injured Walter Reyes, went down with a left knee contusion in the first quarter, Ferri reprised his running back role.

As physically impressive as his running was, the mental part might have been even greater. For the past two weeks – SU had an open date last Saturday – Ferri jumped in and out of meetings. During lunch breaks, he refreshed his offensive mind with running backs coach David Walker. Because of Ferri’s study habits, SU did not have to limit its playbook at all, SU quarterback Perry Patterson said.

With a full understanding of SU’s offense, Ferri helped catapult BC from the Bowl Championship Series.

‘It’s BC, and it’s a rivalry,’ Ferri said with a matter-of-fact smirk. ‘If they want to leave the Big East, we’ll send them out with a loss.’

Ferri did most of the sending. Four carries into his day as a tailback, Ferri had scored a touchdown and lifted SU to a 14-3 lead, one the Orange would not look back from.

It wasn’t all smooth, though. After his first touchdown, Ferri was shoved onto the asphalt track around Alumni Stadium, sending him careening into the wall. Later, he was pushed into the Syracuse sideline and flipped over the aluminum Orange bench.

‘It wasn’t pleasant,’ Ferri said. ‘I think they were playing a little dirty.’

But he still asked for more. And more. And more. He finished the game feeling tenderized, a lump of welts and bumps. He split his thumb on one of his sideline tumbles. He twisted his ankle. During halftime, he used an IV to pump two bags of saline into his system to stop from cramping.

The hardest part? ‘When I was cramping up on D,’ Ferri said, ‘and getting smacked in the face on offense.’

‘That was one of the best performances by a single player at any level in any sport,’ said Rhodes, who chipped in 107 yards on eight carries before leaving. ‘Being able to play both ways at a Division I level? That’s unheard of.’

Well, until Saturday.

After his virtuoso performance, Ferri looked back at the last time he played in Massachusetts, when he led Everett High School to a Super Bowl title in his final prep game. Playing with a fever, Ferri rushed for more than 300 yards and four touchdowns to beat Bedford High.

‘You don’t forget something like that,’ Ferri said, a wide smile spreading across his face.

He paused, and it seemed all the bruises, sprains and bumps didn’t hurt so much anymore.

‘I’ll never forget this game, either.’

Published on November 29, 2004 at 12:00 pm