Most people who live in the small town of Meeker, Colorado thought Logan Hughes would grow up to be a cowboy. He comes from a long line of ranchers, played high school football, and went on to play college ball at Nebraska Wesleyan University. But Hughes had other plans.
"Meeker is a town of about 2,000 hard-working people; mostly cattle ranchers. By no means did anyone think I'd go to law school," says Hughes, now a second-year law student. 'I wanted to exceed the expectations others had of me."
Hughes obtained his undergraduate degree in sports management in just three years. While he loved playing football and still had a year of eligibility left, he knew he wanted a more challenging career. So, he chose law. He's the first ONU Law student to play football while earning his JD. "I took a leap of faith. I wanted to play football and I wanted to go to law school. ONU allowed me to do both."
"It was the best decision I've ever made. Law school makes you work hard. I've learned so much about myself and what I'm capable of. It makes you figure out who you really are," he says.
The transition hasn't been without its challenges. Every minute of his day had to be scheduled, beginning at 6 a.m. and usually not ending until about 1 a.m. the following morning. Then off to bed to start it all over again a few hours later. All the while, he's living in a town where he initially knew no one and that is 1,400 miles away from his friends and family.
"The faculty, staff, students, and coaching staff here at ONU became my family. They are the reason I've been able to succeed. Everyone supports each other and does a great job understanding that we're all in this together," says Hughes. "Their encouragement made all the difference."
His determination has paid off. Hughes, who is president of the Sports Law Society, wants to make a career out of helping other athletes. In June the NCAA voted to allow college athletes to benefit from name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities, no matter where their school is located. As a result, Hughes is hoping to establish a student organization here at Ohio Northern University that will assist college athletes. He is currently working closely with the University and ONU Law alumni to make the program a reality.
In a couple of years, Hughes will be able to combine his love for sports and the law. This summer he hopes to be working for a law firm that's just jumping into the NIL field. He'll then bring back what he's learned to benefit our athletes here at home.
Hughes attributes his success to his parents, who taught him the value of hard work, and to the law faculty and ONU coaching staff. "They supported me and gave me all the opportunities I needed to achieve my goals," says Hughes.
ONU Football Coach Dean Paul says "We realized right away Logan was very bright and able to handle the work load. He did very well. You never saw frustration...he was very positive...and is a great example for other players and students," says Paul.
