This K-State linebacker has become a feel-good story for the Wildcats

Even in a disappointing football season filled with uncertainty and negative story lines, it’s hard not to crack a smile when Justin Hughes makes a tackle.

The junior linebacker from Tucker, Georgia has seemingly come out of nowhere to not only help Kansas State’s injury depleted defense but lead the unit with big emotion and bigger hits. Since taking over as the starter at middle linebacker five games ago, he has made 36 tackles, including four for loss, and forced two fumbles.

Few, if any, saw this coming. K-State appeared doomed when Elijah Sullivan went down because of injury and the Wildcats failed to groom a capable replacement. Sam Sizelove, Cody Fletcher and others all stepped in, but the position remained a question mark until Hughes rocketed up the depth chart and made it his own.

“He was down a ways, and injury put him in a position to have a chance to compete,” K-State coach Bill Snyder said. “I think he’s always been a capable player. I think his approach to the game and his approach to all the surroundings and all that goes on in the game of collegiate football have become more important to him. I think he’s made the effort to be the kind of player that’s important to have in a program, in a variety of different ways, other than just the physical capabilities. I think he’s grown as a man.”

It was a long journey. Hughes was removed from the roster last spring and buried on the depth chart when he returned. His odds of seeing meaningful action, let alone starting, seemed low.

But here he is, playing like one of the best linebackers in the Big 12.

“I’m getting more comfortable, I guess,” Hughes said. “I have more experience. At the beginning of the year it was kind of my first rodeo, just getting the experience and being out there for extended periods of time. It is coming naturally now. I’m out there playing and not just thinking about what I am supposed to do. I am just running to the ball.”

This is what Hughes envisioned when he signed with K-State. He rarely left his home state growing up, so he wanted to play college football somewhere else. He had options, but chose K-State because of its family atmosphere. He misses his family and southern food, but otherwise enjoys life in Manhattan.

It seemed like a perfect match until he arrived on campus and struggled to keep up with the older linebackers on the team like Trent Tanking, Charmeachealle Moore and Elijah Lee.

Hughes spent his first season as a redshirt, didn’t play at all as a freshman and mostly saw action on special teams as a sophomore. It was a much slower ascent than expected. That led to some doubts about his future.

“It’s hard knowing you are an athlete and you can make plays just as well as your teammates, but they have a step on you because of experience and stuff like that,” Hughes said. “It’s hard to wait your turn, sometimes. But being behind guys with talent and intelligence, it’s understandable. I just had to learn from those guys and put it towards my own game when my time was called. I feel like that is what I’m doing now. I’m putting the things I learned on the field.”

Hughes pushed the feel-good narrative a step further last weekend when he recorded three tackles for loss during a 21-17 victory over Kansas.

The in-state rivalry didn’t mean much to him, but he played like it did. Hughes said he knew how important the game was for his teammates who grew up in the Sunflower State and he gave his all for them. Before kickoff, he even tried to imagine Kansas as Georgia.

“I went out there and played for those guys,” Hughes said.

Things went well for him and his teammates when the Wildcats held the Jayhawks scoreless on their final three possessions, K-State forced two punts and then recovered a fumble at midfield to clinch the game.

Hughes was in the middle of all of it.

“It’s the best feeling in the world,” Hughes said afterward. “Being a defensive guy, we went out there and got a stop. It makes (winning) even better.”

This story was originally published November 14, 2018 at 4:30 PM with the headline "This K-State linebacker has become a feel-good story for the Wildcats."