THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 25, 1996 TAG: 9601250542
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Tom Robinson
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
George Hughes used to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers. This is noted only for those who have never met the sturdy, 70-year-old oak of Ocean View or taken even a brief look inside his turn-of-the-century beach house.
A glimpse of either is all you need. Hughes wears a Steelers jacket, a weighty ring that bears his old Steelers number, 65, and sweaters adorned with an NFL Alumni insignia. The rooms of his home burst with Steelers trinkets - clocks, blankets, towels, hats, pictures and such - in a portrait of organized clutter.
Each article seems to have its place. And Hughes of late has especially enjoyed his place at the center of it all - proving that it's not only a good week to be a Steeler but also an ex-Steeler from 40 years ago.
Hughes played his final game in 1954. But somebody at Athlon's Pro Football magazine remembers.
Prior to this season, the magazine selected each club's all-time team. Predictable names filled Pittsburgh's awesome roster: Terry Bradshaw, Lynn Swann, Jack Ham, Jack Lambert, Franco Harris, Rod Woodson, Joe Greene, L.C. Greenwood.
But there at guard, flanked by center Mike Webster and tackle Frank Varrichione, is Hughes, though he played only five seasons. Two of them earned Hughes All-Pro honors, however, guaranteeing Hughes permanence in Steelers' lore.
Then in the last week or so, the autograph and photo requests started turning up again in Hughes' mailbox. A national sports collectors newspaper published a rambling feature story on Hughes, including photos of him as a Steeler and an All-American at William and Mary.
Things like that always invite curiosity, says Hughes, who never can tell where those stamped, self-addressed envelopes will come from. They arrive at a home awash in history - of American and Canadian football, Hughes' family, his city and even his country.
Hughes attended Maury High School, is a former Norfolk City Councilman and School Board member and coached the Norfolk Neptunes from '65 to '71. From 1974 to '81 Hughes was an assistant coach for the Ottawa Rough Riders, who captured the CFL's Grey Cup in 1976.
Throughout, he also ran an Ocean View hardware store until 1994. The store, in fact, was why Hughes had only a five-year pro career.
Hughes started it with a buddy while still with the Steelers, who drafted him third in 1950. But during a mid-50s recession, Hughes elected to give up football to stay home and protect his long-term investment.
It was about time anyway, Hughes says. He was already 30, having served in World War II as a B-29 gunner before college. He had made All-Pro for the '51 and '53 seasons despite playing on mediocre teams. And he had two good knees, still does.
``Never got hurt,'' Hughes crows. ``Never missed a game.''
And if his hip replacement has slowed him, you can't tell by the way he leads visitors through what he and his wife, Kate, call their ``museum.''
Hughes will stay close to the hearth this week, too, though his true beloved is in Tempe. Hughes did not attend any of Pittsburgh's Super Bowls in the '70s and doesn't care to trek to Arizona for this one.
``I'd just rather sit and enjoy it,'' says Hughes, who Sunday plans to surround himself with others passionate for Pittsburgh. Through the playoffs, local Steelers fans have had Hughes join them at Sneeky Pete's, a Virginia Beach pub.
Hughes says he and Kate will be there again. And if his blood wasn't black and gold, Hughes says he'd still have trouble lending Dallas support.
``With that bunch down there, Jerry Jones and them, no way could I root for that outfit,'' Hughes says.
Certainly not. For Hughes, the Steelers aren't just a rooting interest. They're an entire decor. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
George Hughes
by CNB