CAREER

Pro path

Calgary signed Hughes as a free agent on June 29, 2008. He attended National Football League camps with the Detroit Lions and New York Jets in 2007 and with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009.

2009

After spending training camp with the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, Hughes rejoined the Stamps in September and made an immediate impact. He recorded a pair of sacks and made seven tackles in his season debut on Sept. 18 at Hamilton. Hughes also had two sacks in each if his next two games — against BC on Sept. 25 and against Hamilton again on Oct. 3. His six sacks for the season were good for a share of the team lead. In eight regular-season games, he made 24 tackles, including three tackles for loss, 12 special-teams tackles, a forced fumble and two pass knockdowns. He played in both of Calgary’s post-season games and turned in an eight-tackle, one-sack performance against Saskatchewan in the West final.

2008

In his first season with the Stamps, Hughes appeared in 16 regular-season games, including 15 starts, and shared the team lead in sacks with five. He was second on the team with 66 tackles, including a CFL-leading 12 tackles for loss, and also had one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and five pass knockdowns. Hughes recovered a crucial fumble in the West final and made four tackles in the game that sent the Stamps to the Grey Cup.

Career highlights

• Recorded multiple sacks in three consecutive games during the 2009 season
• Shared the Stampeders lead in 2009 with six sacks
• Recorded eight tackles and a sack in the 2009 West final
• A member of the Stampeders’ 2008 Grey Cup championship squad
• Recovered a fumble in the 2008 West Final against BC
• Shared the Stampeders lead with five sacks in 2008
• Led the CFL with 12 tackles for loss in 2008
• Made his CFL debut on July 3 against Edmonton
• Recorded his first CFL sack on July 17, 2008 when he brought down Hamilton’s Casey Printers

College

Hughes played four years at Northwood University. As a senior, he led all of Div. II with an average of 6.5 solo tackles per game and was named as an All-American. He finished his collegiate career with 372 tackles, including 36 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and six interceptions. The Seahawks reached the playoffs three times with Hughes and won Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship in 2004.

Notable

Before signing with the Stampeders, Hughes played for a semi-pro team called the Mid-Michigan Admirals and an indoor football team in Muskegon, Mich. He was a star at Saginaw High School where his teammates included LaMarr Woodley, who went on to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers.