The superintendent’s son: Tyler Hughes handles challenge of his mother’s job

Tyler Hughes could never get away with being the bad boy some folks wish that he were.

With his mother, Alison Hughes, serving as superintendent of the Red River School System and his sister, Morgyn, patrolling the backroads of the same parish as a deputy sheriff, Tyler can do little but keep his nose clean

Not that that’s been difficult for the senior Bulldog baseball standout, who will graduate June 6 with a 4.0 GPA, a 23 on the ACT and academic scholarships to Centenary where he will improve the baseball program as soon as he arrives on campus. He hit .448 with 31 RBIs while posting a 1.50 ERA with 89 strikeouts this past season. Despite the credible numbers on and off the field, Hughes admits being the son of the person who runs his district can be “tough.”

“Many people would like to think that it would be great to have all the perks that comes with having a mom who leads the district, but it’s definitely not been fun,” Hughes said. “She and I have made the best out of it, but I can tell you her job is very hard and stressful and in turn me having to prove that awards or accolades that I received in anything, athletics or academics, were because of my efforts and not because of who she is was very difficult at times.”

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Alison Hughes said she has never seen their relationship as challenging because her son made it easy.

“He is just a great kid who works very hard for everything he gets,” Alison said. “Of course, we have faced challenges and that is to be expected, but we faced them together. The key to it all was my reassurance to him and to the public that I would always hold him more accountable than other students at Red River. Tyler knows what is expected of him and has not one time let me or his school down in the classroom or on the field.”

Tyler comes from solid athletic stock, which may explain why he was one of the driving forces behind Red River’s inaugural trip to the LHSAA baseball quarterfinals. Known as a perennial football and basketball powerhouse, the Bulldogs’ spring sports are now gaining steam thanks to some of the best facilities in the state, which were obtained through Alison’s efforts.

Tyler’s great grandfather, Fred Willis, was an All-American at Centenary and his grandfather, Johnny Ray Norman, was an All-American at Northwestern State before playing tight end for the Dallas Cowboys.

“Football ran deep in his genetics, but not his love,” Alison said. “Baseball was all he wanted.”

That worked out great for Red River baseball coach Todd Moore.

“Tyler has the work ethic necessary to be successful at the collegiate level,” Moore said. “He has had a tremendous career at Red River offensively and defensively and he has been a pleasure to coach.”

Tyler doesn’t have to look far for examples of strong leadership within his own family. In addition to his mother, his sisters, Elizabeth and Morgyn, have “annoyed” him, but have also kept him on the right track.

“They don’t cut him any slack,” Alison said.

And then there’s his “Nana,” who took care of her husband for seven years before he passed.

“She never gave up, and sacrificed herself for what was best for him,” Hughes said. “She was also a wonderful teacher and has always expected the best out of me in the classroom. She is the rock that holds our family together and is tough as nails. I admire her for everything she does and hope I can be just like her as I live my life.”

Also leaving an indelible impression was Norman, the former Red River Sheriff, who suffered a stroke when Hughes was a youngster. Almost overnight, Norman lost his ability to walk, speak and do fun things with his grandkids.

“He lived seven years and fought every second of those seven to get better. And I will always admire and love him for that,” Hughes said. “He was a professional athlete, and he lived his life like one till his last breath.”

The professional attitude enabled Hughes to deal at times with multiple calls to his home from Red River parents wanting to know if school was going to be canceled due to weather or other challenges. But it hasn’t deterred him from wanting to major in education.

“Honestly, it hasn’t all been bad, and I am so appreciative of what my mom does for all the kids in our district,” Hughes said. “I was lucky to be one of them for 12 years. I’m gonna miss that.”

Jimmy Watson covers Louisiana sports for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at jwatson@shreveporttimes.com and follow him on Twitter @JimmyWatson6.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Here's why Red River's Hughes says his mom's job is 'tough' on him