Mike Hughes (born February 11, 1997) is an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...

for the Atlanta Falcons of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL). He played college football at

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

before transferring to

Garden City Community College Garden City Community College (Garden City CC or GCCC) is a public community college in Garden City, Kansas. It was established in 1919 to provide a means for post-secondary education for area residents. The school initially shared facilities i ...

and later to UCF. He was drafted by the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...

in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Early years

Hughes attended

New Bern High School New Bern High School is a high school in New Bern, North Carolina, USA, whose students come from the New Bern, Trent Woods, Brices Creek and James City area. It is located in Craven County. The student population is approximately 1,700, and there ...

, where he lettered in football, track & field, and basketball. Hughes played quarterback at New Bern. As a senior in 2014, Hughes passed for 1,263 yards and 10 touchdowns and also rushed for 1,355 yards and 22 more touchdowns, guiding his team to an undefeated season and an NCHSAA 4A state championship. He was named to the all-state team and played in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas. Hughes was ranked the No. 3 cornerback in North Carolina and committed to the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...

to play college football.

College career

Hughes played one year at North Carolina in 2015. In October 2015, he was suspended along with M. J. Stewart, and was charged with misdemeanor assault charges from an altercation that had occurred earlier that month. He left the team after the season and transferred to

, where he spent a year. In 2017, Hughes transferred to the

University of Central Florida The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a public research university whose main campus is in unincorporated Orange County, Florida. UCF also has nine smaller regional campuses throughout central Florida. It is part of the State University ...

(UCF) and participated in UCF's undefeated 2017 season which ended in UCF being named National Champions by the

Colley Matrix The Colley Matrix is a computer-generated sports rating system designed by Dr. Wesley Colley. It is one of more than 40 polls, rankings, and formulas recognized by the NCAA in its list of national champion selectors in college football.

poll. Hughes made headlines with his game-sealing 95-yard kickoff return in the November 24, 2017, War on I–4 game against the

South Florida Bulls The South Florida Bulls (also known as the USF Bulls) are the athletic teams that represent the University of South Florida. USF competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the American Athletic Conference for all sports besides sailing, ...

, with ''

Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by parent company, '' Tribune P ...

'' writer Shannon Green remarking that the play saved the undefeated season for the Knights. Hughes left UCF after one season, deciding to forgo his senior year and enter the 2018 NFL Draft.

Professional career

Minnesota Vikings

2018

On April 26, 2018, the

selected Hughes in the first round, 30th overall, of the 2018 NFL Draft. Hughes signed a four-year contract with the Vikings on July 19, 2018, with '' St. Paul Pioneer Press'' writer Chris Tomasson reporting that Hughes had signed a $9.87 million deal with a signing bonus of $5.256 million. In his NFL debut, he recorded a 28-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Vikings' 24–16 season-opening win over the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

. On October 14, 2018, in a Week 6 game against the Arizona Cardinals, Hughes suffered a torn ACL, prematurely ending his rookie season.

2019

Hughes entered the season as the fourth cornerback on the Vikings depth chart. In week 9 against the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The ...

, Hughes forced a fumble on rookie wide receiver Mecole Hardman on a kickoff return and the ball was recovered by teammate Holton Hill in the 26–23 loss. He was placed on injured reserve on January 3, 2020 with a neck injury. He finished the season with 45 tackles, nine passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and an interception through 14 games and three starts.

2020

Hughes entered the 2020 season as the Vikings' top starting cornerback alongside rookie starter

Cameron Dantzler Cameron Dantzler Sr. (born September 3, 1998) is an American football cornerback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Mississippi State and was selected in the third round of the 2020 NFL ...

. He was placed on injured reserve on October 30, 2020. The Vikings declined to exercise the fifth year option on Hughes' contract on May 3, 2021, making him an unrestricted free agent following the 2021 season.

Kansas City Chiefs

On May 13, 2021, Hughes, along with a seventh-round selection in the

2022 NFL Draft The 2022 NFL Draft was the 87th edition of the National Football League's annual draft and was held from April 28–30, 2022, at the Caesars Forum on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The first round was held on Thursday, April 28, and ...

, was traded to the

in exchange for a sixth-round selection. In Week 1 against the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (A ...

, Hughes intercepted a pass from Baker Mayfield late in the 4th quarter sealing a Chiefs 33–29 victory. In Week 14, Hughes had a breakout game recording nine tackles, two forced fumbles and a 23 yard fumble return for a touchdown in a 48-9 win over the

Las Vegas Raiders The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Raiders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West div ...

, earning AFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Detroit Lions

On March 21, 2022, the Detroit Lions signed Hughes to a one-year contract.

Atlanta Falcons

On March 20, 2023, Hughes signed a two-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons.

References

External links

UCF profile

North Carolina profile

Minnesota Vikings bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, Mike Living people 1997 births American football cornerbacks American football return specialists Garden City Broncbusters football players Minnesota Vikings players Kansas City Chiefs players North Carolina Tar Heels football players UCF Knights football players Sportspeople from New Bern, North Carolina Players of American football from North Carolina Detroit Lions players Atlanta Falcons players