Something for Tony
By Jason King, Yahoo! Sports
November 17, 2007
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Maybe this one was for Tony.
Maybe Saturday – as he rumbled past the line of scrimmage and inched closer to the end zone – Robert Hughes was thinking about the day his brother was found murdered in the street.
Hughes rushed for 110 yards in Notre Dame's 28-7 victory over Duke on Saturday and, honestly, whether you've spent the season taking piñata hacks at the Fighting Irish or cheering for them, it was hard not to feel all warm and tingly about the performance of the freshman tailback.
Less than three weeks ago, a corpse was discovered lying in a pool of blood on a Chicago sidewalk. It was Tony. Police still haven't arrested the person who shot Hughes' brother in the head, leaving him to die alone on the concrete at 24.
For Hughes, though, it probably wouldn't change anything. The buddy he rode horses with … the friend he worked out with … the brother he confided in … he's gone.
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"Everything I stand for today was because of my brother," Hughes said earlier this month.
"He pushed me. He taught me everything I know. He was such a motivator in my life."
Apparently he still is.
Rather than let Tony's death affect his performance on the field, Hughes has let it strengthen him.
Hughes entered Saturday's game having logged just 18 carries. He almost doubled that by tallying 17 totes on a sloppy, rainy afternoon against Duke.
Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said the slick field conditions actually played into Hughes' favor. Weis figured running backs Armando Allen and James Aldridge would have trouble cutting and beating people on the outside. Plus, Aldridge wasn't 100 percent because of an ankle sprain.
Those factors prompted Weis to go with his "Pound It" offense, which meant plenty of carries up the middle for the 238-pound Hughes.
"He got a head of steam going," Weis said, "and once he got going, I kept feeding him."
Ninety-two of Hughes' yards came in the decisive second half, including 13 on a touchdown run that gave the Fighting Irish a 21-0 lead with 25 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Hughes also had a 32-yard run that helped set up Notre Dame's final touchdown in the fourth.
Notre Dame freshmen are prohibited from speaking with the media after games, but Hughes' teammates said they have no doubt Hughes is "playing for his brother."
"You never get over something like that," offensive lineman Sam Young said. "But you can tell he's starting to come around. He's getting back to his old self."
Hughes even led the fight song before Saturday's game, although Young joked that he needed a little help "getting started." Weis said it was rewarding to see Hughes have some success after such a taxing two weeks.
Weis was the one who showed up in Hughes' dorm room on Oct. 30 to break the news to him about his brother's death. Weis drove with Hughes to Chicago that week and arranged for two buses to transport many of Notre Dame's players to Tony's funeral.
"Emotionally, he's starting to rally," Weis said. "Instead of hoping he goes to class, now I can say, 'OK, get your butt to study hall. Get back to normal.'"
Speaking of returning to old ways, the Fighting Irish felt they took a step toward doing just that Saturday, although a victory over 1-10 Duke is hardly a sign that Notre Dame's woes are beginning to end.
The Fighting Irish, 2-9, might have avoided becoming the first one-win team in school history, but it's not as if they looked all that crisp in victory. The two teams almost entered intermission knotted at 0-0, but a pair of blunders by Duke led to 14 Notre Dame points in the final 1:17 of the opening half.
Duke didn't score until the 1:12 mark of the fourth quarter.
"We haven't felt this feeling enough this year," tight end John Carlson said. "We've said all along that we've got high-character guys on this team. We have too much pride to throw in the towel."
Weis said the win was particularly gratifying because it came on Senior Day.
"It's like a whole weight has been lifted," Weis said. "Tonight, everyone will have fun. When they go to classes Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, they'll feel good."
Until, of course, they lose to Stanford.
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