Meet The Saints Legend Tyrone Hughes

A native of New Orleans, Tyrone Hughes was a standout at St. Augustine High School before being drafting in the fifth round (137th overall) by the Saints out of Nebraska. Hughes played four seasons for the Black and Gold as a cornerback and dynamic return specialist. He burst onto the scene as a rookie in 1993, leading the league in punt return yards (503), punt return average (13.6) and touchdowns (two) while also contributing 753 kickoff return yards and another score on his way to second team All-Pro, Pro Bowl, and NFL’s Special Teams Player of the Year. Defensively as a rookie, he recorded two interceptions and three fumble recoveries for a league-high 128 return yards and two touchdowns. Hughes’s explosive playmaking continued for the Saints, as he would go on to lead the league in kickoff return yards for three straight campaigns (1994-96).His most memorable moment came against the Los Angeles Rams in the Louisiana Superdome on Oct. 23, 1994 in a 37-34 win where he set an NFL record for kickoff return yards (304) and combined kickoff/punt return yards (347) as he returned two kickoffs for 92 and 98 yard touch downs. For his career with New Orleans, Hughes totaled 116 punt returns for 1,060 yards (9.1 avg.) and two touchdowns, 229 kick returns for 5,717 yards (25.0 avg.) and three scores. In the secondary, he recorded 67 tackles (58 solo), four interceptions and three fumble recoveries returned for two touchdowns.