JuJu Hughes

JuJu Hughes's Biography

Juwuane “JuJu” Hughes was born on July 19th, 1998, in Lemoore, California. Raised in neighbouring Hanford, California, Hughes has always had an exceptional knack for sports, playing football and basketball during his time at Hanford High School. Despite suffering a significant broken arm injury in his senior year that saw him miss the first six games, Hughes was able to bounce back, finishing the season with eight receptions for 175 yards, including a remarkable 77-yard touchdown reception.

Choosing to attend Fresno State instead of taking up San Diego State’s offer, Hughes became part of the Fresno State Bulldogs for four seasons, making an outstanding contribution to the varsity football team. During his junior year, he made his mark, securding his place in the second-team All-Mountain West Conference, after recording an impressive 78 tackles with eight defended passes and four interceptions, the highest in his conference.

Hughes continued to excel in his game; his senior year saw him earn 80 tackles and seven defended passes, leading to an honorable mention in the All-Mountain West. When he concluded his time with Fresno State, Hughes had made an indelible mark with a total of 247 tackles, 28 defended passes, and seven touchdowns across 52 games.

Surprisingly, Hughes went undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft, despite his stellar college career. Nonetheless, the Los Angeles Rams saw his potential and got him on board as an undrafted free agent in April 2020. However, on September 4, as part of their final roster cuts, Hughes was waived, only to be signed to the team’s practice squad two days later. He was then promoted to the active roster in October, even making his NFL debut in a winning game against the New York Giants. But Hughes found himself on the practice squad again shortly after, before his final promotion to the active roster on October 13, only to be waived again on January 8, 2022.

Hughes was soon picked up by the Detroit Lions, making the final roster and playing in seven games before being waived in November 2022. Shortly thereafter, Hughes was signed to the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad before moving ahead with a reserve/future contract with them in January 2023. However, as part of their final roster cuts ahead of the 2023 season, Hughes was released.

Despite these setbacks, Hughes remained undeterred. On April 25, 2024, he signed with the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League (UFL), proving his resilience and love for the game once more. However, he was released in May later that year before re-signing on August 29, 2024, proving that commitment and determination can keep one’s passion alive even during the most challenging times.