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Focusing more on academics

Ross Hughes, who played three sports at Land O'Lakes, turned down an offer from Jacksonville in order to focus on school.

By STEVE LEE
Published July 5, 2006

A three-sport standout at Land O'Lakes, Ross Hughes was named to the Florida High School Athletic Association All-Academic, All-State team. Proving that academics outweighs athletics in his future, Hughes spurned an offer to play football for Division II Jacksonville to attend Florida State on an academic scholarship. On Monday, Times staff writer Steve Lee phoned Hughes, who is attending summer classes in Tallahassee, to talk about his future and his days as a Gator athlete.

SL: What does it mean to you to be among 24 student-athletes to be named all-state?

RH: It's an honor. I worked hard at both, but I had to work harder at sports than in school. It was hard to excel in sports, but in the classroom it came easy.

SL: Your grades are impressive, a 4.35 weighted grade point average and a 1390 on the SAT. School ranks pretty high with you?

RH: (My parents) were always threatening to ground me if I got a B. I got one, in advanced placement U.S. history, but they cut me some slack.

SL: So, what's your secret to classroom success?

RH: I'm pretty good at organizing my time. In the classroom, you're not really competing with students. You're competing with the subject.

SL: You played football, basketball and baseball at Land O'Lakes and could have played football at Jacksonville. Why did you turn down that offer?

RH: It was a small school, and I couldn't get excited enough about it to go there, so I decided to come here and focus on academics.

SL: So, what's your major?

RH: Finance, but that's subject to change. I'm thinking about being a stockbroker and investment banker. I like the risk. As long as it revolves around business and money.

SL: You replaced Joey Tuttle, arguably the best offensive lineman to ever play for the Gators. As a three-year starter, longtime Land O'Lakes assistant Tom Carter ranks you in the top five at the school. He told coach John Benedetto when he saw you line up at left tackle as a sophomore, "John, here's Joey again."

RH: (Tuttle) was a great leader. I wasn't quite as big or as strong as Joey, but I think my smarts covered it.

SL: In baseball, you played on the Land O'Lakes Junior All-Star team that won district, section and state titles, coming within one round of the World Series. That's got to rank up there among your athletic achievements.

RH: I'll never forget that because that was with my best friends.

SL: Taking a class this summer is one thing, but how much will you miss playing sports when you resume full-time studies in the fall?

RH: I know I'm not fast enough or big enough (to play football at Florida State). I know there's more to life than sports. There's going to be change in your life, and I'm ready for that change now.

Ross Hughes

AGE: 18

SCHOOL: Land O'Lakes

SPORTS: Football, baseball, basketball

GPA: 3.91, 4.35 weighted

SAT: 1390

COLLEGE: Florida State

MAJOR: Finance

ACADEMICS: 2006 FHSAA All-Academic, All-State, vice president of senior class, National Honor Society

ATHLETICS: Standout offensive lineman for three seasons; helped lead Land O'Lakes Junior Baseball All-Stars to Little League district, section and state titles in 2002; batted .318 as a senior on the Gator baseball team.

[Last modified July 5, 2006, 00:24:16]