The Saskatchewan Roughriders have added to their secondary, signing American defensive back JuJu Hughes, the team announced Thursday.
Hughes brings NFL experience north of the border after appearing in 26 regular-season games over three seasons. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound defensive back spent time with the Los Angeles Rams from 2020 to 2021, including 12 games as a rookie, before suiting up for seven games with the Detroit Lions in 2022. Over his NFL career, he recorded 26 tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack.
The California product also had a stint with the Arizona Cardinals during training camp in 2023 and later spent time with the United Football League’s Birmingham Stallions.
Before turning pro, Hughes put together a productive collegiate career at Fresno State. Over four seasons with the Bulldogs, he totalled 247 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, seven interceptions and 30 pass deflections across 52 games.
His strongest season came in 2018 when he recorded four interceptions, tying for the Mountain West Conference lead, along with 12 pass deflections in 14 games. He followed that up with two interceptions and 10 pass deflections in his senior year.
Hughes earned All-Mountain West Second-Team honours in 2018 and was also named an honourable mention selection twice during his college career.
He’ll also reunite in Saskatchewan with a familiar face, as Roughriders receiver KeeSean Johnson was a teammate of Hughes at Fresno State from 2016 through 2018.
