Hughes attended Memphis Central, playing on the men's soccer team from 1979 to 1982.

[1] In 1981 Hughes was selected to the Tennessee All-State team, and would turn professional in the fall of 1982 with the Memphis Americans[2] of the Major Indoor Soccer League.

During his career Hughes was coached and mentored by some true legends of soccer including 1974 German World Cup champion Bernd Holzenbein,[1] US National Soccer Hall of Famer Kyle Rote Jr,[1] and current USA National Team Futsal coach Keith Tozer[3] are some notables.

In December 1988 while playing with the Memphis Storm of the American Indoor Soccer Association word came of a huge cyclone that had just devastated Bangladesh.

Having recently lost a childhood school mate Hughes decided to donated his entire seasons salary to help rebuild a school in the West Bengal Narayanganjri region most ravaged by the storm.