I'M JUST CHASING THE

WORLD, AND I WAS LOST.

Reporter: DARNELL

FERGUSON SPENT MUCH OF HIS

LIFE TRYING TO FIND

PURPOSE.

AS A TEENAGER GROWING UP IN

COLUMBUS, OHIO, HE THOUGHT

IT WAS ALL ABOUT IMAGE AND

MONEY.

I WAS BROUGHT UP THAT

MONEY IS KEY TO LIFE,

CLOTHES ARE THE KEY TO

LIFE.

I WAS SELLING WATCHES AT

SCHOOL, I WAS TRYING TO MAKE

MONEY AT SCHOOL AND HUSTLE

AT SCHOOL.

I WAS ALWAYS TRYING TO HAVE

MORE.

Reporter: EDUCATION WAS

THE LAST THING ON DARNELL'S

MIND.

I WAS NOT DOING ANYTHING

IN SCHOOL I WAS SUPPOSED TO

BE DOING, EXCEPT FOR GETTING

OFF THE BUS AND WALKING IN

THERE.

EVERYTHING ELSE WAS PLAYING

AROUND, TRYING TO HAVE FUN

AND BE COOL.

Reporter: AFTER THE

10TH GRADE, DARNELL'S MOTHER

SENT HIM TO A DIFFERENT HIGH

SCHOOL AND HOPING THE CHANGE

WOULD HELP.

IT DID.

HE MADE HONOR ROLE IN

FOOTBALL.

AND HE FOUND A TALENT IN

COOKING.

I NEEDED SOMETHING I

COULD BE PASSIONATE ABOUT.

Reporter: AFTER

GRADUATION, HE WENT TO

SULLIVAN CULINARY ART

SCHOOL.

BUT THE ONLY WAY HE COULD

AFFORD IT WAS TO WORK

PART-TIME, UNTIL HE FOUND AN

EASIER WAY TO MAKE MONEY,

SELLING POT.

I SOLD DRUGS TO MAKE

MONEY.

YOU CAN MAKE $50 HERE, $60

HERE.

AND INCREASINGLY, THE WHOLE

COLLEGE WAS COMING TO ME.

AT THE HEIGHT, I WAS MAKING

PROBABLY $700 A DAY.

Reporter: DARNELL WAS

CHOSEN TO BE ONE OF THE

PERSONAL CHEFS FOR THE U.S.

ATHLETES IN THE 2008 SUMMER

OLYMPICS IN CHINA.

THAT TOOK ME FROM WANTING

TO SELL DRUGS TO COOKING IS

SERIOUS.

I LIKE THIS A LOT.

Reporter: WHEN HE

RETURNED, HE PLANNED TO OPEN

A RESTAURANT AND EVENTUALLY

GET OUT OF THE DRUG

BUSINESS, BUT THE POLICE GOT

TO HIM FIRST.

THE FIRST TIME I GOT

PULLED OVER, I GOT ARRESTED

WITH MY GIRLFRIEND,

ACTUALLY, BECAUSE SHE WAS IN

THE CAR WITH ME.

LATER AFTER THAT, THEY

STAYED ON ME.

Reporter: DARNELL GOT

ARRESTED EIGHT TIMES WITHIN

THREE MONTHS FOR SELLING

DRUGS.

HE REALIZED SOMETHING NEEDED

TO CHANGE.

I THINK THE BIGGEST THING

THAT HIT ME WAS SEEING

MYSELF GET LOCKED UP.

WHEN YOU GET LOCKED UP AND

THE PEOPLE WHO DO YOUR

MEDICAL KNOW YOUR NAME

BEFORE THEY EVEN SEE YOU,

YOU KNOW THERE IS A

PROBLEM.

YOU'RE BACK AGAIN?

I WAS, LIKE, MAN AM I IN THE

SYSTEM NOW?

IT'S HARD TO GET OUT.

Reporter: HE WAS

CHARGED WITH MULTIPLE COUNTS

OF DRUG DEALING AND

POSSESSION.

BUT THE JUDGE SHOWED

LENIENCY AND DARNELL WAS

RELEASED ON PROBATION.

HE KNEW HE WAS GIVEN A

SECOND CHANCE.

ONCE I GOT BACK OUT, I'M,

OKAY, LET'S FOCUS ON FOOD

AGAIN.

Reporter: AND HE ALSO

REALIZED HE NEEDED TO GET

THINGS RIGHT WITH GOD.

HE LANDED A JOB AT A DINER

AND ALSO FOUND A CHURCH.

I REMEMBER THE PREACHER

SAYING THINGS AND I WAS UP

IN THE NOSE BLEED SECTION

JUST CRYING.

AND FROM DAY ON, I WENT TO

CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY.

Reporter: BY NOW HE HAD

FOUND TWO INVESTORS AND WAS

CLOSE TO HIS DREAM OF HAVING

HIS OWN RESTAURANT.

THEN AT THE LAST MINUTE, ONE

OF THE INVESTORS PULLED

OUT.

I WAS, LIKE, WHY WOULD

GOD DO THIS TO ME?

I'M GOING TO CHURCH, I'M

READING AND IN LOVE WITH

GOD.

I'M AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH.

AND I'M, LIKE, WHY WOULD HE

DO THIS TO ME?

THAT WAS THE BIGGEST SHOCK

BECAUSE MY IDENTITY WAS

STILL NOT IN CHRIST.

IT WAS STILL BEING A CHEF.

I WAS SPIRITUALLY AT THE

POINT OF WANTING TO FIND

SOMETHING BETTER.

THAT WAS AT THE POINT WHERE

I WAS SEARCHING.

I REMEMBER THE PASTOR CHAD

TELLING ME -- SITTING DOWN

AND SAYING, JESUS IS

EVERYTHING YOU WERE MEANT TO

BE.

AND CHANGED THE WHOLE

PERSPECTIVE OF LIFE TO ME.

WHEN HE SAID JESUS, THAT'S

WHO WE WERE CREATED TO BE

LIKE.

Reporter: THAT NIGHT,

DARNELL REALIZED HE NEEDED

TO GIVE HIS LIFE TO CHRIST.

I REALIZED THAT NIGHT I

NEEDED TO GO WITH GOD'S

PLAN.

Reporter: TODAY DARNELL

OWNS TWO RESTAURANTS, WITH A

THIRD ONE ON THE WAY.

MY DAILY STRUCTURE IS NOT

ABOUT MYSELF.

WHERE IS MY FUTURE GOING?

PEOPLE ASK ME, WHAT IS YOUR

PLAN FOR YOUR RESTAURANT?

AND I'M, LIKE, I HAVEN'T

MADE ONE YET.

THAT DOESN'T MEAN I'M NOT

DILIGENT, BUT I'M WORKING

HARD EVERY DAY.

AND AS LONG AS I'M DOING HIS

WILL, HE SEES I'M ON THE

RIGHT PATH.

THERE IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT

MINDSET WHEN YOU KNOW WHERE

YOU'RE GOING AND WHAT YOU'RE

LIVING FOR.