NGU basking in ESPN fame
Photo by Missy Roberts
Jonathan Coelho, Assistant Editior
The joke among celebrities is any news is good news.
The same cannot be said for athletic programs; football programs in particular are often the subject of news stories on ESPN where players make the headlines for their off-the-field behavior. Most notably Florida State has experienced its share of headlines surrounding Heisman award winner and starting quarterback Jameis Winston and Georgia has had to deal with the suspension of Todd Gurley for his off-the-field activities.
So it’s always nice when college football players make it on ESPN for what they’re doing on the field. That was just the case for NGU’s own Nelson Hughes. The junior quarterback found himself on ESPN when his attempted pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage. The ball shot up into the air only to fall back into Hughes’ hands. Hughes then proceeded to break a tackle and find a little space, scrambling for a touchdown; it was a rare play in which Hughes was credited with both a touchdown pass and catch.
Head coach Jeff Farrington believes it’s great for the team and the football program in general. “It’s cool to see one of your players make a play like that,” said Farrington. “This younger generation has grown up watching highlights like that on ESPN. My generation grew up watching the one game of the week on Saturday afternoon on ABC TV. So any time you get your university out there in a positive way it only helps the notoriety of your program and university. Whether its’ a play like the one like Nelson Hughes was involved in or an ambassador of the university helping out in some other way. It was an unusual play and fun to watch.”
