Ernest Loyal Hughes Jr. (born January 24, 1955) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was an

offensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line ( ...

for five seasons in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) with the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the 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 ...

and

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

. He was selected by the 49ers in the third round of the

1978 NFL draft The 1978 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 2–3, 1978, at the Roosevelt Hotel ...

after playing

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

Notre Dame Fighting Irish The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are the athletic teams that represent the University of Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish participate in 26 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I intercollegiate sports and in the NCAA's Division ...

Early life and college

Ernest Loyal Hughes Jr. was born on January 24, 1955, in

Boise, Idaho Boise ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Idaho, most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, there were 235,685 people residing in the city. Loca ...

. He attended Capital High School in Boise. Hughes played

for the

of the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; ; ND) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cathol ...

from 1974 to 1977. He was named a second-team

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

by both the

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and

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his senior year in 1977. The 1977 Fighting Irish were consensus national champions.

Professional career

Hughes was selected by the

in the third round, with the 79th overall pick, of the

. He officially signed with the team on June 20. He played in 15 games, starting 11, during his rookie year in 1978. Hughes was placed on injured reserve on August 21, 1979, and spent the entire season there. He was released by the 49ers on September 1, 1980. Hughes signed with the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...

on September 16, 1980, after Phil DuBois suffered an injury. Hughes was released three days later, without appearing in a game, after the team re-signed Dan Nugent. He was re-signed by the 49ers on October 18, 1980, and played in three games before being released again on November 5, 1980. Hughes signed with the

in February 1981. He started the first ten games of the 1981 season before being placed on injured reserve on November 10, 1981. He appeared in five games, starting two, in 1982. Hughes played in 12 games, starting six, during his final NFL season in 1983. He was released by the Giants on August 20, 1984.

Personal life

Hughes was later the vice president and director of operations for the CarrAmerica Realty Corporation. He was also the founder and co-chair of the Notre Dame Celebrity Golf Classic.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, Ernie Living people 1955 births American football centers American football offensive guards Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players San Francisco 49ers players Washington Redskins players New York Giants players Players of American football from Boise, Idaho Capital High School (Boise, Idaho) alumni