David Hughes (American football)

David Hughes
Date of birth (1959-06-01) June 1, 1959
Place of birth Honolulu, Hawaii
Career information
Position(s) RB
College Boise State
NFL draft 1981 / Round: 2 / Pick: 31
Career history
As player
1977–1980 Boise State Broncos
1981–1985 Seattle Seahawks
1986 Pittsburgh Steelers
Career highlights and awards
  • Seahawks Rushing Yards Leader (1983)
Career stats

David Augustus Hughes III (born June 1, 1959 in Honolulu, Hawaii) is a former professional American football player from Kailua. He played six seasons in the National Football League, the first five with the Seattle Seahawks (1981–1985) and the final one with the Pittsburgh Steelers. As a fullback he was primarily a blocker, gaining just over 1000 yards in his pro career.

Early years

The son of David Hughes Jr. and Dorothy (Kim-Kruetter) Hughes, Hughes was raised in Kailua, Hawaii on the windward side of Oahu. He has two sisters (Debbie and Diane) and one brother (Dean). When Hughes was 11, his father died.[1]

Hughes said his father's death had an impact. "I fell away from my family," said Hughes. "In junior high and high school I got involved with drugs and alcohol. I thought I was pretty cool. But inside I was very unhappy." [2]

Hughes attended the Kamehameha Schools in Honolulu, Hawaii and is a 1977 graduate. At Kamehameha, he was a standout athlete, receiving letters in track, basketball, and football. In football, Hughes was a member of three consecutive Oahu Prep Bowl and Interscholastic League of Honolulu championship teams. In the 1976 season, his senior year, he was named football offensive player of the year for the state of Hawaii.

Boise State

Hughes played his college football at Boise State from 1977 to 1980, starting at fullback all four years and tallying 1,826 rushing yards (5.2 yards per carry). In 1978, Hughes was named to the All Big Sky Conference 1st team and also received honorable mention on the AP Division II All-America team. Hughes, quarterback Joe Aliotti, and halfbacks Cedric Minter and Terry Zahner were christened Boise's "Four Horsemen," and the quartet played key roles as seniors on the Broncos' 1980 I-AA national championship team. Minter and Hughes were also chosen to play in the 1980 East West Shrine Game. Hughes is a member of the Boise State University Hall of Fame and in 2005 was named the first-team fullback on the Boise State Bronco 35 team, which honored the top BSU football players from 1970 to 2005.[3]

NFL career

In the 1981 NFL Draft, Hughes was picked in the second round (31st player overall) by the Seattle Seahawks. He was a member of the 1983 Seahawks team that made it to the NFL playoffs for the first time in franchise history. He led the team in rushing that season with 327 yards. In his six years in the NFL, Hughes totaled 1041 yards rushing, 864 yards receiving, and 663 yards in kickoff returns. He has seven career touchdowns.[4] While playing for Pittsburgh in 1986, a knee injury ended his playing career.[5]

Personal life

Hughes married Holly Haleamau on February 14, 1981 while at Boise State. They have five children: Lahela, Kela, Keoni, Kaniela, and I`okepa.[1]

In 1983, Hughes met Kalua Kaiahua from Napili, Hawaii and had a spiritual experience where there was an "opening the doors of faith in God.".[1] After his NFL career ended, Hughes became active in religious ministry. In 1994 he and his family moved to Eagle, Idaho. There he pursued his ministry and served as running-backs coach for Eagle High School, the Idaho state Class A Division II champions in 1998.

Hughes and his ohana (family) relocated to the Seattle area in 1999, and today they live in Redmond, Washington. Hughes now works as pastor for the Antioch Bible Church (a non-denomination church) in Redmond. He is also an assistant football coach at Eastlake High School (Sammamish, Washington), where he teaches his players the "highest values…of sportsmanship, of team play, of doing [their] best in sports as in life." [1]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Kaopuiki
  2. ↑ TheGoal.com: David Hughes
  3. ↑ Scout.com: Meet the BroncoCountry All-Time Team!
  4. ↑ David Hughes Statistics - Pro-Football-Reference.com
  5. ↑ Romero

Sources

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