Ferragamo became Cal's starting quarterback for the final three games of his true freshman season in 1972 and remained the starter through the following year. Ferragamo chose to transfer to top-ranked Nebraska in 1974. As a Cornhusker, he lettered in 1975 and 1976. Nebraska was ranked No. 1 to open the 1976 season but managed only to tie LSU, 6–6, in a game at Tiger Stadium on September 11. The two teams were said to have waged "unrelenting trench warfare". Ferragamo capped his college career by leading the Cornhuskers to a victory over Texas Tech in the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl in the Houston Astrodome. During his senior season, he was All-Big Eight Conference, All-American and also an Academic All-American.
Ferragamo played for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League for one season, 1981. He was signed to a large contract by both CFL and NFL standards at the time However, Ferragamo had a difficult time adjusting to the style of Canadian football. Montreal went on to win only three games against 13 losses. He was demoted to backup to Gerry Dattilio in the latter half of the season and then third-string quarterback for the final three games after Ken Johnson arrived in a trade. Ferragamo's last game in the CFL was a loss to the Ottawa Rough Riders in the Eastern semi-final, which he watched from the pressbox. His stats during his one season in Montreal were 175 of 342 passes completed for 2175 yards, with seven touchdown passes and 25 interceptions.
Return to NFL
Ferragamo returned to the Rams in 1982, as the backup to Bert Jones, who was sidelined with a neck injury. Late in the strike-shortened season on December 26, Ferragamo threw for 509 yards in a home loss to the Chicago Bears, at the time the second highest mark for passing yards in a game in league history behind former Ram Norm Van Brocklin. It was the third time in league history that a quarterback had passed for over 500 yards in a game, following Van Brocklin in 1951 and Y. A. Tittle in 1962. Ferragamo led the Rams back to the playoffs in 1983, behind the running of rookie Eric Dickerson. After beating the favored Cowboys in Irving in the wild card matchup 24–17, the Rams were drubbed 51–7 by the defending Super Bowl championWashington Redskins. In 1984, Ferragamo was again the Rams' starting quarterback. But in a 24–14 loss at Pittsburgh on September 16, he broke a finger on his throwing hand in what became his last game for the Rams. Ferragamo played the next two seasons with the Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers. In a span of less than eight months, he was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated twice, in December 1980, and July 1981.
