Hudgens attended Will Rogers High School before moving on to the University of Oklahoma.
As a sophomore in 1975, he found initial success as an individual Big Eight Conference champion in the shot put.
[1] Playing defensive tackle in football, he became a starter in the last 4 games of his junior season.
[2] As a senior, he was considered the strongest player on the team and posted 37 tackles (4 for loss).
[3][4][5] Hudgens was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round (84th overall) of the 1978 NFL draft, with the intention of converting him into an offensive lineman.