Following Nebraska Football – Tyrone Hughes By Andy Anderson, NU Media Relations “They have been talking about (permanently) moving them During a six-year NFL career as a special-teams standout, to San Antonio. The Saints are very important to the city, former Husker Tyrone Hughes learned a thing or two about because until the (NBA’s) Hornets came along, there was no returns. Now, seven years following the end of his career as other professional team in town. However, the Saints are still one of the NFL’s top kick-return specialists, Hughes still has the main game in New Orleans, and that’s who the fans have returns on his mind. grown to love over the years and have gotten to know. A lot of The 1993 Pro-Bowl selection and the city thrives on them being there.” his family were among more than one While Hughes hopes to see the Saints back in New Orleans million Americans who were forced again, he isn’t so sure about himself. He cites his new job in to flee from the Gulf Coast before Dallas, among other factors, for his uncertainty about returning Hurricane Katrina ravished the area for good. in late August. A New Orleans native, “Right now, I’m not sure (if he wants to continue living in Hughes’ home suffered massive New Orleans),” he said. “There is a lot of opportunity for me flooding, as did the homes of his here in Dallas. I think if New Orleans is going to come back mother, sister and many other family better as far as politics, crime and the schools are concerned, members, when the storm surge then I may want to go back.” breached the levee system protecting Hughes is thankful that he was able to quickly find his new Tyrone Hughes the city. teaching job following Katrina. He is still able to pursue his Split End 1989-92 Hughes now finds himself and his dream of returning to the football field—as a coach. fiancé, Donnie, living in Dallas, where Before his displacement from New Orleans, Hughes was he teaches at Jesuit College Prep School. He was able to an assistant coach for the Jesuit High School football team. transfer his job to the school from Jesuit High School in New He coached one of the positions, wide receiver, in which he Orleans, where he taught 11th-grade physical education excelled at Nebraska. He now focuses his attention on the before the disaster. running back corps at Dallas’ Jesuit College Prep. While his home in New Orleans was not affected by a second “I enjoy the teaching aspect (of coaching),” he said. “I’m not tropical storm, Hurricane Rita, it suffered extensive damage the kind of guy that’s going to holler and scream at a kid all from Katrina, the most destructive natural disaster in the history day long, because if you do that, it means he’s not doing what of the United States. The former New Orleans Saint is still not you taught him to do. A kid will learn whatever you can teach sure when he will be allowed to return to his hometown. him, but you have to be able to get out there and show him “I heard from a friend of my sister that there was about eight how to do it.” feet of water in my house,” Hughes said. “We put a lot of stuff While he enjoys his current role as teacher and coach at in plastic containers and put them in the attic, so we are hoping the prep level, his real aspirations are to return to the college we can still get to that. We hope that they will at least allow us game. Hughes feels that his experience at various positions to come in and see about damages in the next few weeks, but in the NFL, as well as at Nebraska, lends itself to a job in the I’m not too sure about it.” college game more so than on the professional level. Hughes not only seeks a return home, but also a return to “I would definitely love to coach in the college game,” he his mother and his eight-year old daughter, Ty, who currently said. “On the college level, kids are willing to learn, you can are displaced in Atlanta. He sent the two to Atlanta to stay with teach them more and you won’t hear any back-talk from them. family while he searched for a job, but plans to have them live The NFL level, you can almost bet the coach will be gone with him in Dallas as soon as his daughter’s school schedule before the player will be.” permits. Another return that Hughes will follow is that of the New Orleans Saints, the franchise that drafted him in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. The club will split its 2005 home season between San Antonio and Baton Rouge while New Orleans recovers from Katrina and Rita. The former Husker split end/defensive back played four of his six pro seasons for the club, including his rookie campaign that saw him earn his only Pro-Bowl honor as a kick/punt return specialist. Hughes set NFL records in 1994 that still stand today with two kickoff returns for touchdowns (one of five players to accomplish the feat), 304 kickoff return yards and 347 combined return yards in a single game vs. the Los Angeles Rams. “It was great playing at home,” Hughes said. “In the NFL, it’s all about opportunity, and I feel that maybe if I was drafted earlier or later, I may not have ever played. It just happened that at the time, Former Husker Tyrone Hughes, who still holds NFL kick return records, is coaching and teaching in the Saints needed a punt and kick returner. That’s Dallas after being displaced from his native New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. where I fell in. 162 Nebraska Football Game Day Nebraska Football Game Day 163