By: Anna Kate Baygents
Senior Jay Hughes, has been a star athlete for the Warrior football team this season. Hughes, #3, is the starting running back, but has played various other positions. While James McMahon was out with an injury, Hughes had to jump in and play quarterback. “It was a different experience,” said Hughes when asked about playing a new position. “I want them to know they can rely on me when the time comes… I want my teammates to know I can get the job done,” Hughes said. The team practices approximately ten hours a week, but to him, it all pays off “on the field.”
Hughes’s hard work has paid off so far. He was the leading scorer of the Bassfield game, and the Warriors are still undefeated four games into the season. “My family motivates me. I just take one look into the crowd, and I tell myself I have to make it for them,” Hughes said.
Hughes has been playing football since the fifth grade. His dad is a secondary coach at Mississippi State University and introduced football to Hughes at a young age. Hughes’s love and passion for the game has motivated him to continue playing throughout high school and possibly even college. With offers from Vanderbilt, Tennessee, West Virginia, Duke, Auburn, Mississippi State, Southern Miss, and Tulsa all coming in, Hughes has a wide selection of schools to choose from.
Hughes, however, does not only excel athletically, but also academically. He works hard to maintain his grades and strives to keep up a high GPA. Hughes is a well-liked student among faculty and is active in several school clubs. “My mom has always encouraged me to keep up in school,” said Hughes. When asked why grades are important, Hughes responded, “If you don’t have the grades, you’re going to fall behind in sports and class. So why not just work hard all the time and have them good when it really matters?”
