Phoenix To Retire #19

Anyone who has ever dreamed of playing any kind of ball has played out their dreams pretending. Growing up I use to hit rocks with a tobacco stick. Each time I would toss up a rock I would do the play by play of each swing. Mantles on first and ups steps the rookie batting in the majors for the first time. I hit so many rocks with the old tobacco stick that each stick looked like a fried chicken leg after I had eaten a piece of chicken.

We all in one sport or another have done it but very few of us have ever lived our dreams. On Saturday October the second Elon University will recognize one of those lucky ones who had the opportunity to live his dreams in both high school and college.

Terrell Hudgins dream was to be a quarterback. Three seasons he lead the Gyphons to a 27-9 record. He still holds Gryphon records for passing yards 5,524, completions 292, attempts 587 and touchdown passes 61.

Adding basketball and baseball all conference awards to trophy case Terrell was awarded the North Carolina High School player of the year by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association in 2005. That banner still hangs in the Rocky Mount gym.

Only ECU begged for Terrell to play football at the D-1 level. Off to Greenville to become the greatest quarterback in ECU history. Not so fast my friend as ECU thought Terrell would be better off somewhere else besides under center.

Then the move to Elon where surly they needed a quarterback. Even Elon wanted him to play wide receiver. By the first game of the 2006 season Terrell Hudgins started as a red shirt freshman wide receiver and the rest is history.

Four years later Terrell Hudgins holds 10 NCAA pass receiving records including the most yards and receptions. He holds six Southern Conference records. One day College football will put him in their Hall of Fame.

Saturday October the second Terrell Hudgins #19 will be retired at Elon University. Terrell really doesn't want to do it on that day because you see he still has a dream. He wants to catch passes in the NFL. As of right now that Saturday is available as no NFL has called.

So far the NFL has said not just now, So Terrell Hudgins keeps dreaming of the day. So on Saturday October second with Mom and Dad, Leslie and Darius by his side they will stand on the fifty yard line at Rhodes Stadium and those in attendance will see #19 for the last time. It will be in a picture frame never to be worn again by an Elon football player.

It is only right that it will never be worn again because the last player to wear it stands in the record book as the greatest college pass receiver in the history of college football.