Where Are They Now?: Grambling’s Randy Hymes

Former standout Randy Hymes, quarterback as Grambling won Southwestern Athletic Conference championships in 2000-01, is back in football.

He has been signed by the Abilene Ruff Riders, a Texas-based charter member of the Indoor Football League. The team is in the midst of its 2009 campaign, having gone 6-3 so far; it made headlines earlier this year by signing former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Quincy Carter.

Abilene plays at Corpus Christi this Saturday.

Hymes, who made 43 catches for 600 yards and four scores in the NFL, was originally signed out of Grambling in 2002 as a rookie free agent with the Baltimore Ravens. His best season there was 2004, when he started seven games, making 23 receptions for 323 yards and two touchdowns. He also made 11 receptions for 132 yards and two touchdowns in 2005, before signing with Jacksonville.

Hymes has been on the roster with the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, the AIFA’s D.C. Armor, and with the AFL’s Cleveland Gladiators — where he made a trio of touchdown receptions.

“Randy is a big time player who is going to make big time plays for our club at a crucial point in the season,” Ruff Riders coach Gerald Dockery said. “I’m looking forward to having him come to Abilene and help our offense.”

Hymes, a native of Galveston, Texas, threw for 33 TDs and 4417 yards at Grambling before switching to wideout in the pros. A terrific athlete, he also played basketball at GSU.