Russell Hughes: A Black Engineer, Father & Football Coach

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the men and women who built it did not learn the skills overnight. These people centuries ago belonged to a special, underrecognized, but omnipotent group of individuals. This group still exists and thrives in the world we inhibit today. Engineers are the aforementioned club that has built Rome, and everything else around it.

It did not happen in a day, but Russell Hughes has earned the title of engineer. He grew up spending time across River Rouge and Ecorse. Russell played football and baseball for the Panthers, and was a member of the National Honor Society before he graduated in 2005. Russell earned a partial football scholarship to Grand Valley State University, where he planned to pursue a career in athletics. Eventually Russell’s destiny, and duties called him. Resulting in a transfer to Wayne State University to be closer to home.

This was the first lap of the marathon that Russell is still running. Russell was blessed with a son, and could now add father to his list of credentials. He became closer to his family, strengthening a foundation that was sturdy before his trip to Grand Valley. To finish out at Wayne State, Russell had to survive a life that was as fast paced as a paramedic on the clock. He worked on Fort Street at Happy’s Pizza as a delivery driver, and had a job as a valet driver for the Westin at the airport. This was a routine. Wake up 7am workouts, 8am-2pm class, 3pm football meetings, 4-6pm football practice, 6-7pm study table. 7pm-1am delivering pizza or doing valet. Wake up and do it all over again.

Russell consistently pushed through for years. Even after the death of his Mother (Kim Marie Hughes) in December of 2006, Russell couldn’t turn back on all he’d worked for. Her death affected Russell as much as losing a parent would anybody. The support of his family and environment helped him live on to be the man his Mother raised him to me. There is one family member he remembers fondly, his Uncle Paul (Paul Tucker). His mentorship influenced and guided Russell to the man we see today.

Russell was always in awe of his Uncle Paul. Every Christmas Uncle Paul and Auntie Evelyn (Evelyn Tucker) would host their entire family for a day of Christmas carols, games, gift wrapping and just good family fellowship. Russell grew up in the projects where you didn’t see this type of family atmosphere. Most of his close friends and family members were from “broken” single parent homes. Absent fathers that were in jail or just weren’t there. The people who owned their own fancy houses and cars were the neighborhood drug dealers. Those were the guys most of the kids in the hood looked up to. Russell stated “I remember watching Tone and Larry Long riding down the street in the old school cars with the flip flop paint and the Escalades with the spinning rims and saying I want a car like that one day! They’d stop and buy all the kids on the block ice cream and pizza. They looked out for us; we didn’t have much. I could have easily gone down that path, but I saw that my Uncle Paul had the same cars, minus the flip flop paint and spinning rims.”

“My mom passed my sophomore year in college and I really struggled with that pain and trauma. I was depressed, my grades slipped, I started losing my love for football. My one one goal in life was to look out for my little brothers. That’s all my mom would preach and even though she was gone I

could hear her now louder than ever. “All for one, one for all” that was her favorite quote when she punished me for something Corn or Ronnell did”. This prompted Russell to change his major from Kinesiology to Civil Engineering. He needed a career that would earn him some decent money so he could take care of his family. He leaned on his Uncle Paul and older cousin Eric Tucker for guidance now more than ever.

Eric, who was also an engineer that worked for his uncle's engineering firm (TYJT) played a pivotal role in Russell choosing to major in engineering.

Uncle Paul earned his lifestyle by owning his own engineering company. The biggest thing he could have done for Russell was show him that a better life is possible, and attainable.

Russell didn’t have to surf through television to find a suitable male role model. Uncle Paul was always a phone call away.

Fast forward Russell earned his Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering in 2013. But Uncle Paul never got to see him walk across that stage. He passed away from lung cancer in 2011. This was a devastating moment for Russell. “I remember getting that call. I was picking up hours at every Happy's Pizza in the downriver area to make ends meet. I actually was on a delivery in Southgate When my family called me and told me my uncle Paul passed away. It felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest, I pulled over and just cried in my car.”

Two years after Uncle Paul passed away, he vowed to keep his spirit and memories alive. “My Uncle Paul & Auntie Evelyn helped me pay for college and helped me out of so many tough situations and all I would ever say is, “I will pay you back one day, Uncle Paul when I become that big time engineer like you.” His Uncle Paul never wanted a dime back from Russell, instead He left him with a phrase that would shape his life

forever, he told him “You don’t ever have to pay me back a dollar all that I ask is that when you are in a position to help people you do that.” Russell vowed to do just that. This gave him more motivation than ever to continue his education at Wayne State.

Fresh off of his newly earned Bachelor’s Degree, Russell was ready for the big time office job in engineering he waited his whole life for, but instead Russell strapped on his “untied boots” and hard hat for a field technician job in materials testing at a small firm, Somat Engineering right in Taylor, MI.

The world was coming out of a recession in 2009. There weren’t many jobs available shortly after that. So Russell had to take any position he could. He would then meet another key mentor in his life Sharmyn Elliott. Sharmyn was Vice President at Somat Engineering. Another successful black man in engineering that Russell looked up to “Sharmyn was like my second Uncle Paul but he had a twist. Uncle Paul was always reserved, and gave deep and mysterious advice in a soft tone. Sharmyn was more brash and straight to the point, he was always on my case! He would literally pull up to all my job sites and quiz me on everything that was going on. All I knew that when I saw him pull up to the construction site in his dress clothes was that I had to know the pour time, concrete mix, pour location, the slump, air content, and what the 7-day break was gonna be every time or I was getting cussed out. But I needed that he helped to learn to be accountable and I appreciated and loved him for that.”

In 2015 Russell earned his Masters degree in Civil Engineering. Giving him more mobility in the field. Where he learned with the speed it takes to flip a switch or pull a lever, that there were few engineers of color available. This is why he became a perpetual magnet for black engineers. Always on the hunt to take one under his wing. “I was at a point in my life where things were starting to steady out. I wasn’t living check to check anymore and I had a more structured schedule. I wanted to help people. I wanted to be “Uncle Paul” for someone else, and I still had that fire for football burning deep inside me.”

This prompted Russell to reach out to head coach Corey Parker at River Rouge. “I remember when CP first got to Rouge in 2009. When I first found out Rouge had a new coach I went and immediately told him I wanted to help out in any way possible. I grew up on Frazier down the street from the

stadium, I went to Sabbath Elementary School, I played for the Panthers my whole life, it was a no brainer that I wanted to give back to my community and honor my Uncle Paul’s word.

“It’s crazy Parker had dreads back then and he was pretty young but he had this energy about him. I knew he was gonna be a special guy. But sadly my schedule was jam packed so I couldn’t really help back then.” He had a passion for coaching, so in 2011 Russell took his first job as a little league head coach in Dearborn Heights. Most people wouldn't have known that Russell was also a standout baseball player for River Rouge under then coach Chet Franklin and Greg Kohn. There was still a passion for coaching football burning inside of Russell so this prompted him to coach his son's junior league football team in Melvindale.

After a few years coaching them he was ready for the older kids. “I truly enjoyed coaching my babies over at Melvindale, watching them grow and develop, but I felt like I had a bigger calling in life. I felt like I could make a bigger impact. I wanted to work with teenagers.”

The River Rouge Football team, fresh off a state championship loss in 2015 and semifinals loss in 2016. Russell, again reached back out to coach Parker about a coaching position. “I remember riding past the stadium and constantly seeing scores of 60-0, 70-0 and thinking in my head. This ain't the old Rouge we used to be and I want to help. I was at Ford Field in 2015. In the stands though. This was an event! Man the whole city came out. It was huge for us. Definitely a tough loss, but I remember saying I can help these guys win a state championship. So I called and emailed Coach Parker” Parker obliged but he told Russell he had to interview for the position after the season was over.

Russell prepared for his interview with Coach Parker by studying all of the football he could fathom. But was dropped on his head at the meeting, where Coach Parker didn’t ask a single question about football. He gauged Russell’s character, and intentions. “He was more concerned about who I was than what I knew. We had a great conversation, and ultimately I got the job.” And ultimately Parker got a lot more out of the interview than a coach for his wide receivers. Parker got a close friend, social media manager, team engineer, Hudl guru, and man dedicated to being there for the young black kids who will soon be men. All in all, engineering has given him the opportunity to make an everlasting impression on the world we interact with.

The biggest drawback to the gig, is that most engineers work in the shadows. Even though they are just as essential as doctors, lawyers and medical staff. But for some reason they do not share the same limelight. Russell had a hand in developing many structures and projects that have improved our lives. Russell’s influence has touched the I94 freeway, the I75 Freeway, the Michigan Q Line transportation system, Detroit LED street lighting project, Livernois Streetscape Project and a multitude of others. Whether we know it, or stop to realize it. Engineers like Russell pull the strings in our daily lives, but the public is normally too busy to realize. Russell isn’t bothered by it. He knows how important his job is and doesn't need recognition to get out of bed in the morning.

Xavier Jones - How was your upbringing, and how did it influence the man you are today?

Russell Hughes - I grew up in Rouge and Ecorse, doing what most of us did. I played baseball on Pepper Road and Great Lakes Field, grew up on Frazier and 9th Street, and went to Project Excel in Ecorse and River Rouge. My family didn’t have a lot, but we also didn’t need a lot. My Mother, and family were victims of the crack-cocaine epidemic. But the family was always close and stuck together. I appreciate the people who were there, but they couldn’t blind me from the sights of the dope dealers. Or the guys around the neighborhood making fast money. It’s easy to look up to that. A lot of my friends did and they ended up dead or in jail because of it. We had no guidance. My Mother made sure I did the opposite. I wanted to be a mentor to my little brothers and someone or other people could look up to.

Xavier Jones - Why did you switch your major?

Russell Hughes - The country was going into an economic recession, and I knew I needed a job. My mom just passed away and she was the head of the house. I had to take care of my family. I had a 3-year-old son. I needed a career that was going to last and earn me money. My Uncle Paul had started his own engineering company. At that time, I figured I could always have a job and work for him.

Xavier Jones - Just exactly how big of an influence did Uncle Paul have?

Russell Hughes - My Uncle Paul showed me what it’s like to be a provider, and a man of God. He was a very devout man and he was always there for me and everybody else in the family. UnclePaul was who I wanted to be when I grew up. We spent Christmas at his house, and it was something special every time. He owned his own property, and assets at his own terms. He even had an elevator in his house that took you from the bedroom down to the garage.

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Xavier Jones - Does it discourage you that you work so hard in engineering, but some of your work can still go unacknowledged?

Russell Hughes - Not at all, it’s what you learn to expect. The need for an engineer isn’t noticed until there is a problem. So when everything is fine, nobody thinks of us. That means we’re doing our job right. When everything’s going fine, the engineers know it’s our hard work that keeps it that way.

Infrastructure is the backbone of our society, and we get to build that. You know what they say. If God didn’t create it, an engineer did.

Xavier Jones – What’s the best advice would you give to someone looking to further their career or better their life?

Russell Hughes – Find a mentor, someone you can connect that you know has your best interest at heart. I had so many mentors I can’t even name them all. Some of them don’t even realize they were mentoring me. I watch them and how they interact with people, the words they use, the tone they speak in, how they carry themselves in certain situations. Some of my mentors are even younger than me. It helps you gain different perspectives. I also have a huge family and support system. I have so many angels and people that look out for me, it’s crazy. I wish I could list them all and shout them out. But they know who they are and know that they are always appreciated and loved.

Xavier Jones - What does it feel like to come back and be involved with the football team?

Russell Hughes – It feels Surreal, it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. It’s a unique experience for me being a hometown native. I still get flashbacks of walking under the viaduct toward the stadium, and the band playing in the stands. Back when I played the band was the show, not the football team. I coach some of my childhood friend’s kids, and have the opportunity to work with my former coaches. It’s come around full circle. It’s an amazing feeling watching these boys grow up into responsible young men. Most of our coaches work twelve or more hours a week before they make it to practice. I work over 40 hours a week, and make the time to show up everyday. Sometimes on my weekends and off days I spend time with players, it feels like I spend more time off the field than on. It’s deeper than just showing up and coaching. Whenever I meet people I tell them I have 62 kids and they always give me a puzzled look. The 60 on my football team and my kids. I'm here to jumpstart what can be the path to a vibrant, and successful adulthood. For a kid who's possibly never seen one. In just one day I can make my mom and my Uncle Paul proud.