Who is the best player the New Orleans Saints ever drafted from the Nebraska Cornhuskers?

From May 1 until the start of the 2016 NFL season on September 11, we’re going to list the best players that the Saints ever drafted from all 128 FBS schools, as of 2015.

Of course, there are a number of schools, including Air Force, Appalachian St., Arizona, Army, Baylor, Boise St., Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Florida, Central Michigan, East Carolina, FAU, FIU, Hawaii, ULM, Miami (Ohio), Marshall, Middle Tennessee, Navy, and South Alabama, in which the Saints have never drafted a player.

Yesterday, we looked at the best player the Saints ever drafted from Missouri.

Today, we spotlight the best player the Saints ever drafted from Nebraska.

When it comes to selecting the best player the Saints ever drafted from Nebraska, the choice is limited to running back Derek Brown (1993), defensive back Josh Bullocks (2005), defensive back Keyuo Craver (2002), defensive tackle Mike Fultz (1977), defensive back Russell Gary (1981), defensive back/kick returner Tyrone Hughes (1993), defensive back Stanley Jean-Baptiste (2014), offensive lineman Carl Johnson (1972), defensive back Tyrone Legette (1992), defensive back Rodney Lewis (1982), offensive lineman Carl Nicks (2008), and defensive lineman Jared Tomich (1997).

All due respect to Nicks, who was a quality offensive lineman for four years for the franchise, but the pick is Hughes, a defensive back/return man, who played four years for the Saints, from 1993-1996.

After finishing his college career at Nebraska, Hughes was selected by the Saints in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL Draft.

A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Hughes made an immediate impact as a return man, returning 37 punts for 503 yards and two touchdowns, and 30 kickoffs for 753 yards and one touchdown.

Those numbers earned Hughes Pro Bowl honors in 1993.

Hughes continued his special teams excellence from 1994-1996, eclipsing 1,500 return yards each season.

On October 23, 1994, in a 37-34 win over the Los Angeles Rams, Hughes set the NFL record for most kickoff return yards in a single game (304) and the most combined kickoff/punt return yards in a game (347). In addition, he also returned two kickoffs for touchdowns, which tied another NFL record.

Hughes left the Saints following the 1996 season and signed with the Chicago Bears, where he played one season, before playing the 1998 season with the Dallas Cowboys, his final year in the NFL.

The 5-foot-9, 175-pound Hughes holds the franchise career marks for kickoff return yards (5,717) and punt return yards (1,060), while scoring five touchdowns.

Hughes was inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame in 2015.

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