Page 8- The Michigan Daily- Thursday, October 1, 1992 Hughes doubles up for Iowa Hawkeyes' star wideout splits time between gridiron, diamond by Michael Watkins The Daily Iowan Former PresidIent Theodore Roosevelt once said that when you wish to get a message across effec- tively, you should "speak softly and carry a big stick." Well, in case you haven't noticed lately, Iowa's soft-spoken wide re- ceiver Danan Hughes has been doing just that - and the stick he's been talking with just happens to be a baseball bat. Aside from being named first- team all-Big Ten at wideout and averaging a conference-leading 18.7- yards per pass reception last season, the 6-foot-2, 207-pound Hawkeye centerfielder out of Bayonne, N.J. spent the past summer playing baseball with a Milwaukee Brewers farm team in Montana - and really enjoyed it. "It was a real good experience and I'm glad that I got the opportu- nity to go there," said Hughes, who hit .317 in 33 games including one home run, 22 runs-batted-in, four doubles, two triples and two stolen bases. "It was a place full of nice people and good, loyal fans," Hughes said. "It wasn't like a big city, but it was a place where you could concentrate on what you had to do and get it done." However, for Hughes, this dual role as college football standout and potential major leaguer is nothing new. He was chosen by the San Diego Padres in the 1991 Major League Baseball draft but decided it was in his best interests to pursue a career in pro football as well. "It's always been a dream of mine (to play both sports on a pro- fessional level)," said the 1991 third- team all-Big Ten baseball selection. "It didn't really start becoming a reality until the last couple of years when I started doing well in base- ball, especially last year. "When I started having such a successful sophomore season in baseball, I really started believing that I was one of those elite people that could do both." But according to the Iowa first- team and preseason all-Big Ten re- ceiver, the difficult selection be- tween a life at the plate or in the end zone is way off in the distance - at least for now. "I hope I won't have to (choose) any time soon," said Hughes, the Iowa career leader in touchdown receptions with 17. "It's a problem that a lot of people would like to have. I'm just glad that I'm in that situation. When the time comes and I have to make a de-cision, it's going to be a tough one. "Right now I think that I'm still too young to make that decision. FILE PHOTO/Daily All-Big Ten wideout Danan Hughes harbors hopes of becoming the next Deion Sanders. Hughes played minor league baseball this summer. then I'd like to have seven or eight in the next. And if I don't get that, which is not always going to happen, then I don't get down on myself. I just go out the next game and try to improve. "I think that I have the potential to be (all-American), but I have to go out there and play on top of my game all of the time. Most all- Americans that came here and at other schools played consistently above everyone else and that's the type of game that I'd like to play this year." One thing that Hughes as well as the members of the Hawkeye offen- sive line have had to adjust to this season is the presence of a different, but not new, quarterback in Jim Hartlieb. But according to Hughes, seeing Hartlieb back to pass instead of Matt Rodgers is anything but for- eign to him. "It's not like Jim and I are brand new to each other," said the sixth- ranked Iowa receiver in career yards, with 1,725. "We've been working together since our freshman year. Matt and I worked together a lot the last couple of years, but I always made sure that I got in some time with Jim. "We know how we can play to- gether.Heknows whatI'mgoing to do, and I know what he's going to do. We've just got to build on that and help the team win. Hartlieb agrees. "Danan really presents a lot of problems for a defense and we defi- nitely have to get him the ball," said Hartlieb, who completed seven of 'I really started believing that I was one of those elite people that could do both. - Danan Hughes his 22 passes vs. North Carolina State to Hughes for 87 yards. "We've been concentrating on that this whole camp, and we've been hitting on all cylinders." In addition to wearing the title of leading receiver for the Hawkeyes the last two seasons, Hughes says that he sees himself wearing a cap of leadership on and off the field. "I think that I am real uplifting to the team," Hughes said. "I consider myself one of the leaders on the team. I always keep things up-tempo and keep everybody's head up no matter what goes wrong." "I mean, people are going to drop passes, and people are going to miss blocks. But you've just got to be there and pat them on the back and say, 'It's going to be all right,' and that's the type of player that I am." Heading Home Former Michigan standout Terry Mills (right) will be wearing a Pistons uniform this fall, after the New Jersey Nets opted not to match Detroit's 5-year, $9 million offer. Mills said he did not want to play for the Nets. Young 'M' netters 01 Hopefully I won't have to make it for a few more years." Iowa coach Hayden Fry, who's seen Hughes mature and improve in both sports, says that he believes that "Danan is an extremely consis- tent big play-maker who you can al- ways count on to get open," Fry said. "As far as his playing two sports professionally, from an ability and attitude standpoint, he can do it. "He's not a flashy player, but he has more than adequate ability. I know that he'd like to do both, but that's got to be his own decision." For right now, however, in the opening stages of another season of Iowa football, Hughes has set his sights on becoming the Hawkeyes' version of Desmond Howard, last year's Heisman Trophy winner. With touchdowns of 23 and nine yards in Iowa's opening game against North Carolina State, the po- tential all-American has already at- tested to this comparison. But according to the all-county pick in baseball and football at Bayonne High School, just making progress from game to game is his goal this season. "I just try to go out there and im- prove every game," Hughes said. "Making all-conference and having one good game really doesn't satisfy me. I like to go out there and if I have five or six catches in one game to play in by Rachel Bachman The Michigan men's tennis team hopes to leave the Crimson from Cambridge feeling blue this week- end. The Massachusetts town, home of host team Harvard, will also see teams from Northwestern and Notre Dame tomorrow through Sunday at the Harvard Fall Invitational. Because no team scores will be kept in the tournament, it likely will not affect the team's Big Ten ranking. It will, however, give team members a chance to improve their individual rankings. The netters, who finished eighth in the Big Ten last year, are confi- dent they will do well this weekend, with junior Dan Brakus leading the way. "Brakus is the number one-ranked player in the region, so he's got a good chance," said freshman John Costanzo, who won the consolation final for his flight at the recent Tom Fallon Invitational in South Bend, Ind. Brakus, who won the top flight of that September 20 invitational, is in a good position to repeat that per- formance. is two toughest opponents at the tourney Notre Dame's Andy 'Yahd' Zurcher and Chuck Coleman, both nationally ranked) will not attend the Harvard match, leaving the path to the 'A' flight singles title unclut- tered. This year's freshmen, who now have one tournament under their belts, should show much improve- ment in the upcoming tournament. "I think they played just a little nervous (at the Fallon tournament)," Michigan assistant coach Tim Mad- den said. "They've seen what col- lege tennis is all about, so they should play much better this week- end." All three of Michigan's oppo- nents are strong, although there is one in particular the Wolverines are setting their sights on. "The team to beat is always Notre Dame," said freshman Geoff Prentice, who also had a strong showing at the Fallon Invite. "We did alright against (the Irish) at Notre Dame, so we should do well against them this weekend," Cos- tanzo said. Winning the invitational would be icing on the cake for the netters, who are doing well despite having a very young team. As Prentice said, "We're inexperienced, so this tour- nament will give us some practice." Hughes the team reception leader with 43 catches for 757 yards and eight scores in 1991 has what it takes to become the next Deion Sanders - if he wants to. 0 You've worked hard... Excelled academically... Achieved results... Now it's timeto trade up... If you possess exceptional analytical talent...want to use sophisticated technology...and thrive on complex intellectual challenges-you will achieve results with O'Connor & Associates. We're a premier technology-based securities trading and financial risk management firm specializing in U.S. and Canadian equity & indexoptions, convertible securities and other derivative instruments. 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