Danan played as a wide receiver for Bayonne High School in NJ from 1984-1988.
College career
Hughes spent his collegiate football career playing wide receiver for the University of Iowa from 1989 to 1992. After redshirting during the 1988 season, Hughes set a team record for freshman receiving yards with 471 yards on 28 receptions in 1989. That team record stood until the 2006 season when freshman Dominique Douglas passed Hughes to become Iowa’s all-time freshman receiving leader. Hughes ranks 3rd on Iowa’s all-time career receiving list, behind only Derrell Johnson-Koulianos with 168 receptions for 2544 career yards and Tim Dwight, with 146 receptions for 2,216 career yards. His 21 career touchdown receptions are tied with Dwight for second most in team history behind Marvin McNutt. Hughes, along with quarterback Matt Rodgers and the running tandem of Nick Bell and Tony Stewart, helped lead the Hawkeyes back to the 1991 Rose Bowl where Iowa lost to Washington 46-34. Iowa also was invited to the 1991 Holiday Bowl the next season in Danan’s junior year and played BYU to a 13-13 tie. On November 23, 1991, during the final game of the regular season, Hughes was on the receiving end of one of Matt Rodger’s 3 touchdown passes against Minnesota in the classic “Snow Game”. Danan celebrated by making a snow angel in the southend zone in Iowa's 23-8 victory which gave legendary coach Hayden Fry his 100th victory at Iowa. Hughes admitted in an interview on 1600 KGYM's "" radio show in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Sept. 27, 2011 the celebration was premeditated. Danan Hughes also played outfield for the Hawkeyebaseball team and was one of the best two-sport athletes in Iowa history. Hughes was drafted in the 3rd round of the 1992 amateur baseball draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. Only two Hawkeye baseball players have been drafted higher since 1992.
Professional career
Danan played minor league baseball for the 1992 and 1993 seasons in the Pioneer League for the Helena Brewers. He decided to make football his full-time profession after college when the Kansas City Chiefs selected him in the 7th round of the 1993 NFL Draft. Hughes played for the Chiefs from 1993 to 1998 as a wide receiver and special teams player.
Broadcasting career
Since 2008, Hughes has also served as a college football and college baseball analyst for the Big Ten Network. On July 17, 2020 it was announced Danan would be joining the Kansas City Chiefs broadcasting team.
