LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Saying Louisville wide receiver Tyler Hudson has a chip on his shoulder just isn't enough.
"I'm mad, frustrated and pissed off," Hudson said. "Whatever you want to call it, yeah, I am."
The University of Central Arkansas transfer wasn't a highly-touted recruit coming out of high school. Despite racking up stats and being a Houston Area Offensive Player of the Year finalist at Klein Oak High School in Spring, Texas, the three-star prospect didn't hold offers from any Power Five schools.
Hudson said it was due to having a slower 40-yard dash time, which annoyed him.
"I could count on my hands how many times I've seen people run a fast 40," Hudson said. "And we go out there to play football, he can't cover and he can't catch a football. But I go out, I'm breaking everybody down and catching on everybody. Everyone's saying 'Ooh, ah. But he's slow.' So it didn't get me an offer."
He chose to go to Central Arkansas over schools like Columbia, Cornell, Harvard and Rice. Hudson said he wanted the chance to play early and saw an opportunity to do so after attending the school's spring game. That following summer, he wrote down the school's receiving records with his own personal goals, like recording 100 yards every game and then increasing it each year.
"If I do that, I'll shatter everything," Hudson said. "I'll have a hold on everything and it probably won't get touched ever again."
It didn't take long to figure out that wasn't just confidence talking. Over three seasons, he became the program's career receiving yards leader, going for 3,062 yards.
The All-American was named the Atlantic Sun's Offensive Player of the Year for 2021 after setting the Bears' single-season school record for yards (1,242) and single-game record (251).
His teammates were wowed.
"They were like, 'How are you here,'" Hudson said with a laugh. "It was just exciting and kept me going."
But it wasn't quite enough. The record-setting receiver wanted a bigger stage.
Central Arkansas also went just 19-14 in his three seasons and lost its starting quarterback in Breylin Smith as well as another productive receiver in Lujuan Winningham.
"Talking to the NFL, you have to have another good season," Hudson said. "I can't just have three good seasons playing FCS football and then go into my fourth year to have half of the production."
He said losing the quarterback and receiver to the NFL and the fact the other receivers were not established as a threat made him worried about getting double and triple-teamed.
"I'm not going to get the ball. I'm not trying to be selfish, but you got to get the ball in order to get the NFL. You've got to put numbers up," he said.
That didn't mean leaving the program would be easy. Hudson said he cried after his final game at UCA and still goes back there often. Even doing the transfer portal paperwork was difficult.
"It took the whole day just to put my paper in at the compliance office," Hudson recalled. "I just didn't want to. I just felt sick to my stomach, but I kind of had to just to see what was out there. Any coach that gets a chance to further their career at a bigger spot, they're going to at least look at it just to see what's out there. That's kind of what it was."
He quickly heard from Power Five schools who didn't show the same interest when he was a high-school prospect. But Hudson worked with his mother to have research and questions ready to see who was being truthful in their recruiting pitches.
"I got all the stats and the school's history pulled up," Hudson said. "So if they're lying or trying to beat around the bush, I got it right here in front of me. So you're not going to lie to me. I'm looking at it."
That's part of the reason he enjoyed his conversations with Louisville. Hudson also saw an opportunity to play with former UofL receivers Justin Marshall, Tyler Harrell and Jordan Watkins transferring out.
Former Cardinals wide receiver coach Gunter Brewer talked about a variety of topics with Hudson and didn't try to pressure him into a decision, even though a deadline was approaching for one. As he was close to staying at UCA, Brewer preached patience.
"'I want you to sleep on it,'" Hudson remembered Brewer saying. "'You don't want me to wake up with buyer's remorse.'"
So far, even with Brewer eventually departing for Maryland, no one on either side feels that way. Hudson said he's built a trusting relationship with UofL assistant wide receivers coach Vijay Stingley, who pushed for the wideout to come to UofL and recruited him before when Stingley was at Sam Houston State. The wide receiver also impressed head coach Scott Satterfield over the spring.
"I put him up there with a (Dez) Fitzpatrick, a TuTu (Atwell) production type of player," Satterfield said. "He's got a big catch window, he's got the long arms. You throw it anywhere in the vicinity, he's going to suck it up. And he's very versatile. He can play any position across the board."
That's what he's been out to prove: He's always been able to play anywhere and do anything.
"I'm going to give it my all and God willing, I have a crazy breakout season just like I did this past season," Hudson said. "I just show everybody I can play at this level and I'm ready for the next level. And the 40 time, it's only a number. It doesn't define who you are."
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