On the Plains with Reed Hughes: ‘Couldn’t write a better script’

Few would expect the long snapper to be one of the fan favorites of any college football team, but senior Reed Hughes has become that and more for the Auburn Tigers. 

Earning three varsity letters since coming to Auburn for the 2020 season, Hughes has not only been a key component of the Tigers’ special teams, but the gregarious graduate in communications has been the focus of an internet video series on Auburn football’s social media channels called “Runnin’ With Reed” that has entertained fans for the past three seasons. Those achievements were beyond the expectations of the young man who arrived here from Conway, Arkansas, just hoping to stick with the squad. 

“I didn’t expect to be here six years playing football,” Hughes explains. “As a freshman, I was coming to a place eight hours away from home. I was just looking to meet good friends and find a program to develop me and somewhere to make great connections for when it’s time to hit the real world. 

“Auburn has done that and beyond, as far as finding my brothers for life and giving me connections to where I want to go in the work world. I expected a quick four-and-out; it’s going on six years now and I’d take six more. I wouldn’t change my decision to come to Auburn for the world.”

Hughes’ affection for Auburn started early, fueled by his father, Greg, one of his coaches at Conway High. 

“Being from Arkansas, my dad and Coach Malzahn knew each other from coaching and when Malzahn came here, I loved Auburn,” he said. “I’ve got pictures of me in the facility when I was 12-13 years old – for that little kid to be able to walk into these facilities every day as a player, I couldn’t be more proud to wear the AU on my helmet and Auburn on my chest.”

Coming from a football family, Hughes has always had a love for the gridiron game. “My dad was my coach in high school – I was a linebacker then,” he said. “He was my position coach and defensive coordinator. I grew up on the sidelines as a ballboy and then I was charting plays and then I got to play for him and that was one of the best experiences of my life, sharing that with your dad. And Mom would make him do a good job of dropping the coach hat at the door when we were home.

“I didn’t do the traditional long snapping route – I started long snapping in eighth grade. I was a bit undersized for linebacker and knew if I wanted to be on the field somehow, I’d have to figure out something different. In ninth grade, I moved to varsity and got better at it – I started at long snapper and also varsity baseball. My mom told me you probably want to start focusing on one if you want to play in college, so I figured that was baseball, but the summer going into my junior year, I grew four inches and put on 30 pounds and when we played our first game of the year, I hit someone at linebacker and they actually moved!

“I never went to any of the specialist camps – I just look between my legs and throw it. I don’t get as mental about all the specific techniques when it comes to snapping. My grandma would always say, ‘Rock and fire!’ It’s been a lot of fun.”

The Auburn kickers have enjoyed the Hughes era just as much. 

“The best-case scenario for me is going unnoticed and to make a few tackles; if the long snapper goes unnoticed, it was a good day,” Hughes explained. “I was with (punter) Oscar (Chapman) for five years, so we had it down. Now we bring Hudson (Kaak) in, who is a lefty punter, so you have to change your aim point, but we’ll work it out. For the upcoming year, I want to make Hudson’s life and our kickers’ lives as easy as possible.”

Hughes’ personal path has not been easy, but his close family has helped him navigate it. “My sister Hailey and I have been through a lot together. We lost my mom in 2019 so Hailey’s been someone I can talk to and lean on because we’ve shared those experiences and brought us a whole lot closer.

“My mom, Kim, was the rock of our family. My sophomore year of high school, she got diagnosed with stage 4 appendix cancer – they caught it so late and they never told my sister and I how bad it was until closer to the end. For two years of my high school career, she battled cancer. My first week of senior year, we got back from a benefit game and went to the hospital and the doctor took us into a room. He said we can give her this medication and she may be around for two or three more months or we can start the process to let her go and ease her struggling. On Aug. 21, 2019, two days before my 18th birthday, we lost her, but she’s no longer in pain. I said the same thing to (teammate) Luke (Deal) when he lost his dad – now they have the best seat in the house.

“Hailey has now given me a niece, which is awesome – my niece Kimberly Grace is now 2. She’s the focus of our family now and a whole lot of fun.” 

Hughes, whose fun-loving demeanor made him a natural to win the Nashville hot chicken eating contest against Maryland players at the 2023 Music City Bowl, thanks everyone “who’s put up with my shenanigans for six years.” The 2023 communications graduate, who will earn a master’s in the same field next May, sees that attitude as a ticket to the next chapter of his life. 

“I’m going to try to play in the NFL,” Hughes said. “I ‘ve got a little advantage because of how I can move but I’m also a realist and know the league only needs 32 long snappers. That’s my dream but I’m going to work toward getting work in the real world.

“My personality is almost the class clown, I like to make people happy, make them laugh, cracking jokes has always been my thing. Even in high school, I had a halftime sports report that I would film ahead and they would show it at halftime; I had a mullet at the time and I would shake it out – I pretty much started the mullet trend back.

“When I got to Auburn, I would talk to the creative team that this would be funny or that would be funny and one day they came to me and said we’ve got an idea. We’re going to give you a microphone and let you run around and ask questions and be yourself,” he recalled. “’Runnin’  With Reed’ was born in that moment.

“I’ve always wanted to be a sports broadcaster so that was the perfect opportunity to almost build a resume of what I could do. And in my journalism classes. I learned how to conduct interviews and how to frame questions and I can produce videos and edit. I’m glad the fans have embraced it and enjoyed it. 

I’d like to get into the broadcasting world, whether that’s on the sideline or as an analyst. I’d like to stay in the college space, and the ultimate dream is sitting on ‘College GameDay.’”

Chasing dreams has given Hughes, a repeat SEC Academic Honor Roll member, the resilience to keep going.

“I’ve had five different special teams coordinators now – for a lot of people, that would not be ideal, but I’ve seen it as creating more connections,” he said. “The changes have been a blessing in disguise as far as meeting new people, expanding my tree and creating connections to more people.

“It’s starting to hit me in pieces that this is my last season. I’ve played beside so many people here and I’ve seen their time come to an end and now mine is right around the corner. I had the option to finish up  after last year, but Brandon Frazier is back and Tate Johnson is back and finishing out with this team was a big factor. I don’t think it’s crazy to say a 10-win season is in our future – I would love to get an SEC championship berth and then make the playoffs this season.

“This class, it was up and down as far as football goes, but as far as family goes, it couldn’t be more rock solid. Obviously, we’d like to have a better record, but the people we have around us and the lessons we learned during those seasons, I couldn’t write a better script. It has been a long, crazy ride but a lot of fun.

“It’s still surreal to think that was always my dream and now I get the opportunity to play at Jordan-Hare on Saturdays. It’s so much fun walking down Tiger Walk and those little kids are looking up at you with that gleam in their eye -- I was that kid. Being an Auburn Man, it really is an honor. That’s all you want – you want to represent that.

“A big thank you to the program, to Auburn, to the fans themselves – I couldn’t be more grateful for this place for letting me call it home. For six years, I’ve been here and those six years have been the some of the best of my life. It’s provided me so many opportunities you don’t get anywhere else. The Auburn Family is truly one of a kind.

“The biggest thing to me is that I gave everything that I had to Auburn. I never wanted to leave this place, and I don’t want to leave it now. I don’t want to look back and think that I didn’t give my all for Auburn. You don’t truly understand what Auburn is until you get here, get involved and get connected. It truly is beautiful.”