Buffalo’s Hughes gets wiser with age
Formerly volatile veteran says he isn’t mellowing, but wants to be a leader
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.—Jerry Hughes dismisses any talk of him mellowing.
At 32, the Buffalo Bills defensive end might no longer be the angry young man of his youth, when his various on-field eruptions would intimidate opponents and teammates alike, and undisciplined personal fouls would aggravate coaches.
Hughes insists he maintains a healthy capacity for volatility, which he considers a critical personality trait in getting him this far in an 11-year NFL career and an eighth season in Buffalo.
What’s different is how he’s chosen to channel his Mr. Hyde alter ego — the one former teammate Kyle Williams once affectionately dubbed as Gary — for the greater good in emerging as one of the team’s unquestioned leaders.
“Getting older,” Hughes said. “And wiser.”
Rather than being easy for someone more accustomed to leading by example on the field than vocally in the locker room, Hughes considered his change in approach necessary. He is filling a void following the departures of Williams and linebacker Lorenzo Alexander over the past two seasons.
“At some point in time, a leader has to be vocal to let the guys know this isn’t right, or to be vocal enough to congratulate someone, pick someone up when their heads are down,” he added, crediting Williams and Alexander for providing valuable lessons. “So now it’s my turn.”
Hughes is the Bills’ longesttenured player after being acquired in a trade with Indianapolis in 2013, and his 50 1 ⁄ 2 sacks rank fifth on the team list. With the AFC East-leading Bills (7-3) entering their bye week off, Hughes’ impact has been notable on a defence that spent the first six games searching for an identity. The change in the defence’s trajectory occurred following consecutive losses to Tennessee and Kansas City.
The Bills adopted more of an attacking approach, which coordinator Leslie Frazier said was prompted by Hughes, who has combined for four sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception in his past four outings.
“We didn’t talk about things that needed to be done with the D-line, it was more Jerry taking it upon himself as a leader to pull those guys together,” Frazier said following an 18-10 win over the New York Jets for which Hughes earned AFC top defensive player honours.
“Jerry was so positive, and encouraging his teammates on the sideline. I remember saying to myself, ‘Man, that’s what you need out of one of your star players who’s a leader.’ ”
Alexander says Hughes always had the potential of being a leader, but didn’t need to on a team anchored by Williams’ unquestioned presence.
“He could have done this easily last year, but I think he deferred to me in a lot of ways,” he said. “It’s not that he’s mellowing. He’s maturing.”
But as long as he’s playing, Hughes won’t lose his volatile alter ego. In calling football “a violent game played by violent people,” Hughes said, “I can’t be happy-go-lucky Jerry.”