Dickies American Worker of Year honored at Texas (cont'd)

Hughes began a career as an oilfield roughneck right out of high school and in 2003 earned the title of company safety manager, one of 12 positions in a company comprising of more than 3,000 people.

On the job, Hughes said he strives to guide, inspire and be an example to those around him.

After his accident, his back injuries were extensive enough to sideline Hughes permanently.

"When the rig collapsed in on itself, I was right in the middle on the drill floor. And I was hit in the back by a large steel bar weighing about 900 pounds. It was like I was struck in the back with a baseball bat," Hughes recalled.

But after a week-long stay in the hospital and a few months of TLC from his wife, he was back to safely digging holes searching for gas pockets in the fields of Texas.

He wears a jacket donning dozens of safety patches awarded to him throughout the years. And on the left breast of his jacket are patches symbolizing each member of his family: a holly leaf for 7-year-old Hallee, a hawk for 5-year-old Hawk, and a pink breast cancer awareness ribbon for Danyell.

"I wouldn't be able to anything without my wife, she literally was my backbone," Hughes said.

And Danyell was hardly in any shape to be someone else's backbone as she was just finishing her cancer treatment.

"I remember her hair was just starting to grow back," Hughes recalled.

Another patch on Hughes' jacket is a tiny green drill bit symbolic of his mantra: "It only takes a little bit sometimes to make the situation better."

Hughes plans to remove his patch and offer it to Gordon before Sunday's race.

"Because sometimes it only takes a little "bit," Hughes said. "Maybe Gordon just needs a little bit to win."

About the Dickies American Worker of the Year

For the past 16 years, Dickies has been tipping its hat to hard-working men and women with the annual American Worker of the Year contest. Each finalist honored is an exceptional worker in fields often overlooked in today's society -- farmers, builders, mechanics, teachers, electrical lineman and soldiers, among others. These exceptional individuals personify and truly embody the iconic Dickies brand and reveal what it really means to be an American worker.

Six regional finalists are selected out of thousands of applicants based on their commitment to their work and their ability to be a genuine example of a true American worker. All six regional finalists won a trip to the PBR World Finals in Las Vegas from Oct. 30 through Nov. 3, where they each won a Yamaha four-wheeler and regional Dickies gift certificate. Hughes was announced as the 2008 Dickies American Worker of the Year during intermission of the PBR World Finals event.

The American Worker of the Year promotion's call for entries kicked off on June 1. Participants were able to enter via a Web site (workeroftheyear.com), mailing in an entry form, completing an entry form in a participating retail location or at a Dickies mobile tour.

Since its beginnings in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1922, the Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Company has grown from a humble manufacturer of bib overalls into a global brand powerhouse, with Dickies work pants, shirts, denim, outerwear, school uniforms, outdoor gear, medical and chefs apparel and an extensive licensing program offering sturdy head-to-toe clothing options for hard-working men and women of all ages, professions, regions and interests. Williamson-Dickie operates through subsidiaries in North America, Canada and Europe as well as exclusive distributorship around the world.