Daymeion Hughes NFL Draft Bio

Daymeion Hughes NFL Draft Bio

Daymeion Donte Hughes (born August 21, 1985 in Los Angeles, California) is an american football cornerback currently playing for the Cal Golden Bears. Hughes is projected to be a first-round to second-round pick in the upcoming 2007 NFL Draft.

High School Years
Hughes attended Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles, California and was a student and a letterman in football, basketball, tennis, and track. In football, he was an All-League and an All-City honoree as a junior. As a senior, he was named the Coliseum League's co-Player of the Year. In basketball, he was a two-year starter. On Rivals.com's list of Top 100 California Players, Hughes came in at number 41 and was subsequently recruited by many regional and out of state football powers, but eventually landed at Cal as a true freshman.

College Career
Hughes played defensive back for the University of California Golden Bears for four years where he was eventually recognized as the Lott Trophy winner in 2006 and a first team All-America while leading the nation in interceptions at the time with 8. Although only recognized for his plethora of defensive achievements in his senior year, he was prolific in breaking up passes and making pinpoint tackles to stop the passer's progress in all four years. Due to his ability to completely shut down one side of the field, he has been given the label of a 'shutdown corner," a title only given to the best of defensive backs, including Deion Sanders, DeAngelo Hall, and Champ Bailey.

In 2003, as a freshman, Hughes started five games games. Hughes recorded a tying-team high with two interceptions, 30 tackles, and recovered a fumble. Hughes first interception was returned 72-yards for a touchdown against Oregon State. Hughes was awarded the Bob Simmons Award as the team's most valuable freshman.

As a sophomore in 2004, Hughes started in 11 of 12 games. Hughes was the team's 12th leading tackler with 26 tackles and was second on the team with 6 broken up passes. Hughes starred in the Big Game against Stanford, where he recorded four broken up passes and two tackles. Also, Hughes had three four-tackle games.

In his junior season of 2005, Hughes led the PAC-10 with 17 defended passes, 12 of those broken up. Ranked second in the PAC-10 and 16th nationally with five interceptions. Hughes also finished fourth on the team with 62 tackles. Against the University of Washington, Hughes took an interception back 41-yards for a touchdown. Against the University of Southern California, Hughes recorded a season-best 10 tackles and broke up two tackles. Against Washington State, Hughes blocked a kick and had three pass break-ups. In the Las Vegas Bowl against Brigham Young University, Hughes' interception on BYU's final drive clinched the win for Cal.

In his final season of 2006, Hughes was the PAC-10 Defensive Player of the Year and won the Ronnie Lott IMPACT Trophy. Hughes was first-team All-American and recorded eight interceptions and defended 19 passes. Hughes was second on the team with 72 tackles too. Against USC, Hughes had seven tackles and broke up a pass. Against UCLA, Hughes recorded a team-best 10 tackles, three pass break-ups, and an interception. Hughes intercepted a key pass in the endzone against Washington and recorded a season-high 11 tackles and two interceptions against Arizona State, one of which was taken back for a touchdown. Hughes also returned an interception 30-yards for a score against Portland State and recorded two interceptions against the University of Minnesota.

He is expected to be a first day pick in the 2007 NFL Draft and one of the first cornerbacks taken. After his career in the NFL, Hughes hopes to make a community impact by reaching out to disadvantaged kids through art. Along with Syd'Quan Thompson, the highly regarded duo led the Golden Bears to one of its best defensive seasons ever in terms of pass defense.

Personal
He is known by his middle name, Donte, to his close friends and family members. He is the son of Ronald and Catana Hughes and will be graduating with a degree in art practice. Hughes and his art was recently featured on the sports page of the San Jose Mercury.

Strengths:
Daymeion Donte Hughes is a very good natural athlete, who has decent size and great instincts. Daymeion is a playmaker with excellent ball skills, allowing him to come away with a lot of interceptions during his college career. His hips are smooth and fluid, plays a physical game and will support the run. Hughes has a lot experience, and played against some skill opponents, he is a hard worker with good intangibles. He might just be that special teams player that most teams are searching for.

Weaknesses:
Although Daymeion is very athletic, he does not have great timed speed, quickness or that big burst to recover. He is very aggressive and tends to take many uneccessessary chances which make him susceptible to being fooled and will get burnt for that big play against. He will need to continue improving his athletisism and work on getting stronger. Can be inconsistent at times and can be a liability on vertical routes in deep coverage.

Notes:
Nicknamed "Dante" Daymeion Donte Hughes had a great senior campaign and ranked among the nations leaders in interceptions. Hughes will probably fit best in a Cover 2 or zone coverage scheme. Some feel he might be somewhat overrated and may not be as good as his reputation would indicate. Where teams draft him will primarily depend on how well he interviews and how well he runs in workouts.

Career Statistics 
Year   GP TKL PBU INT YDS 
2003    5  30   0   2  72 
2004   11  26   6   0   0 
2005   12  62  12   5 159 
2006   12  67  11   8 113 
Totals 40 185  29  15 344

Draft Year: 2007

Daymeion Hughes NFL Prospect Stats

Pre-Rank	Prospect Name	Position Played	Height	Weight
20	Daymeion Hughes	Cornerback	6-2	188
Round	Selected	Team	School	Hometown
3	95	Indianapolis Colts	California	Los Angeles, California

Learn more about 2007 NFL Draft Prospect Daymeion Hughes

Sportspool.com pre ranked Daymeion Hughes as a projected #20 prospect for the 2007 NFL Draft

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Daymeion Hughes is a top NFL prospect from the 2007 NFL Draft. 2007 draft prospect Daymeion Hughes player profile, bio, statistics, pre ranked mock draft and more. Enjoy our information database on Daymeion Hughes a 6-2' 188 lbs Cornerback from California.

Daymeion Hughes #20 prospect in 2007 NFL Draft.

Learn more about 2007 NFL Draft Prospect Daymeion Hughes