Randy
York's N-Sider
Watch Hughes Break NFL Record
in Saints’ Win over Rams
Saturday night’s Fox Sports national telecast of
Nebraska-UCLA in the Rose Bowl has countless story lines in terms of tradition,
NCAA offensive rankings and which fans will have the most impact – the home
team or the visiting team. But few fans watching the game – live or on
television – will be as conflicted as Tyrone Hughes will be.
Hughes still holds Nebraska school records and NFL
records for kick return yards, plus he’s an official first-team member of the Nebraska
All-Century Football Team. He made that elite team as a kick returner
because 1972 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers made the same team as
a receiver.
Let the record show that Hughes will be pulling for the
Huskers to win Saturday’s 6:30 p.m. CT game that will be shown on Fox local
affiliates across the country (the main Fox Network that features the NFL
and The Simpsons). Hughes is bullish on the Huskers winning, so they can
preserve their Top 15 national ranking and gain the momentum necessary to win
their first conference championship in 13 seasons.
Mora Jr. His First NFL Coach and a Father
Figure
At the same time that Hughes will be rooting for his alma
mater, however, he also will be hoping that UCLA Coach Jim Mora Jr. walks off
the field smelling like a dozen fresh Rose Bowl roses. Yes, Hughes wants
Nebraska to prevail as the best team Saturday, but he wants his first NFL
coach, who’s still a father figure to him, to gain the kind of traction that
will help his Bruins compete well in the Pac-12 this fall.
“I know it sounds weird, and I certainly mean no
disrespect to Bo Pelini because I
have a great deal of respect for the way he’s turned Nebraska around. But you have to understand what Junior (Jim Mora
Jr.) has done for me and all that he’s done for my family,” Hughes said. “He’s a
good guy, a good coach, a good man and the kind of person you just can’t help
but root for.”
Wednesday night, on his Huskers Sports Nightly
radio show, Pelini echoed Hughes’ thoughts. Having known “Junior” when he was a
defensive coordinator and in a couple of head coaching stints, Pelini said Mora
does a great job. “UCLA did well in hiring him, and I think he’ll do a heck of
a job in moving that program forward,” Pelini told Greg Sharpe. “He’s
had a lot of success in his career, and I think he put a good staff around him,
so they’ll do a heck of a job out there.”
Pelini Envisions Mora Jr. Turning UCLA Around
With a home stadium in the Rose Bowl, the ultimate
destination for every Big Ten and Pac-12 football team, Pelini sees UCLA as a
program on the rise. “USC’s been hot since Pete Carroll got there and got it
going, and UCLA’s been through some coaching changes in the last five or 10
years,” Pelini told Sharpe. “They’ve had some success and some great football
tradition at UCLA. It takes time to get it going when you change coaches, but I
think if there’s a guy that can break that, I think Jimmy will do a good job in
bringing that back and getting the recruits they need and moving that thing
forward.”
Hughes had no idea that Pelini knew Mora Jr., but he’s
not surprised the two connect. “Junior is a lot like what I hear about Bo,”
Hughes said. “Players like Junior because he’s firm but he’s also fair.
Nebraska players say the same thing about Bo. He’s very firm, but very fair. I
know one thing. I could not have broken into the NFL any better than I did when
I ended up playing for (assistant coach) Jim Mora Jr. and the New Orleans
Saints as a rookie in my hometown.”
From 1989 to 1992, Hughes played offense, defense and
special teams at Nebraska. He finished his career as the school record-holder
in kickoff returns and No. 2 in career punt returns. He led the Big Eight
Conference in kickoff returns for three seasons and became the first Husker in
26 years to play offense (split end) and defense (cornerback) in same game
(against Missouri).
A Corner with Only Five Games of Experience
“I was mostly a receiver and a return man at Nebraska,”
Hughes said. “I only played in five games as a defensive back, and that’s what
the Saints drafted me to be – a corner. I had a great relationship with Junior
as a coach and as a man. He wanted me returning kicks, and he went out of his
way to make sure I learned how to play in the secondary. He went above and
beyond every day that I was around him.”
The Saints got more than just a healthy return on their
investment. Even though he was overall pick No. 137 in the fifth round of the
1993 NFL Draft, Hughes was named a Pro Bowler, a rare honor in a rookie
season. He appeared in all 16 games and returned 37 punts for a
league-leading 503 yards and two touchdowns. His 13.6 yards per return was
another league best. He also averaged 25.1 yards on 30 kickoff returns and
scored another touchdown. A year later, he started five games in the Saints’
secondary, making 31 tackles, intercepting two passes and returning two fumbles
for touchdowns.
Hughes played four seasons for the Saints and led the NFL
in kickoff returns for three years. He also signed a lucrative free-agent
contract with the Chicago Bears in 1997 and finished his six-year NFL career
with the Dallas Cowboys. An Achilles tendon injury ended his career, but he
will never forget the compassion and humanity Jim Mora Jr. showed his family
even when he was no longer a Saint.
Six Airline Tickets and One Recreational
Vehicle
“Junior was with the Atlanta Falcons when Hurricane
Katrina hit my hometown of New Orleans,” Hughes recalled. “I couldn’t get there
for two weeks when they lost their home, but he (Mora) flew right into action.
He bought six airline tickets for my mom, daughter, two aunts, a cousin and a
godson, so they could fly from New Orleans to Atlanta. Then he rented a huge
recreation vehicle for them to use for two months while the wreckage was being
cleared so they could start rebuilding.
“Man, I didn’t ask Junior for help. He just did it, on
his own, because he thought it was the right thing to do,” Hughes said.
“Everyone I know understands why Junior’s a leader, a teacher and a giver.
Nebraska’s my alma mater, and I will never root against the school I played
for. But I’ll never root against Jim Mora Jr. either ... only his team and only
when they play Nebraska.”
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from Husker Nation
What
a great read. I too, went through the devastation that was Hurricane
Katrina, as I lived on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. We are the forgotten
victims of Katrina, but to America's credit, we had help from all 50 states in
one way or another, and reading stories like this really reaffirms one’s faith
in humanity. I always look forward to reading what you come up with, so keep
up the great work, and I do believe that very soon Nebraska will once again be
hoisting the National Championship Trophy. GO BIG RED!!!!! Bryan Hightower, Stateline,
Nevada, Husker Fan for Life
This was an
exceptional piece and reminded me of the great Jim Murray, in that I was
smiling with tears in my eyes upon reading it. Saturday's game at the Rose Bowl
produced an amazing game by two terrific teams, and Tyrone Hughes’ words gave a
nice window through which to gain insight about the Bruins’ new coach.
Your writing certainly added another dimension to coach Mora's takeover
of the UCLA football program and inspires further confidence in his coaching
ability as well as his personal involvement with his team. I thought this
was the best story yet that I've read on Jim Mora, and considering the number
of columns in the LA Times directed
his way, I congratulate you on an excellent story. Being only the second
game of a new season, each team has a long way to go and many more challenges
to face, yet I know your writing will enhance the Huskers throughout the season.
Sean
Holland, Los Angeles, California
