Noble's Gabe Hudson: Driven Athlete of the Month – Presented by Landers Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM of Norman

By Derrick Smith

There are times in life that we are thrown a curveball and we have to decide how we are going to react. Are we going to throw in the towel or do we fight through and overcome the obstacle?

A few years ago, Gabe Hudson had such a situation come up in his life.

“When I was in seventh grade, I got punched in the stomach causing a perforated bowel,” he said. “We didn’t know for two days what had happened until my mom noticed I had a fever. By the time we got to the emergency room, my fever was 104. The doctors said that if my parents wouldn’t have acted so fast, I could have died. I had to have emergency surgery at Children’s Hospital. We had some serious things happen while I was in the hospital but the doctors got it under control. Somehow I had a huge turn for the better and got to go home six days later. I was supposed to take it easy when I got home because i had an 8 inch incision to be careful with. Of course the day I got home I started slowly walking upstairs to make myself strong again. By two weeks I was dribbling the basketball again, and by six weeks I was playing in a basketball tournament.”

Hudson, who is a sophomore at Noble High School, is a member of the Bears’ football and basketball teams. He plays safety on the gridiron and guard on the basketball court. He has played both since the second grade.

Gabe says his parents, Chad and Audrey Hudson, have taught him how to work hard and make priorities, which have helped him become the player he is today.

“My parents have taken me and my sister to the gym since we were little kids to work and get better as players,” he said. “When we were old enough we started weight training also. Pretty much after practice is over, we go home, do homework ,and eat dinner. Then we go to the gym shoot and go threw drills then lift and go home and get to bed on most nights.”

The biggest influence in his life would be his dad, according to Gabe.

“My dad taught me how to find different ways to score and also how to play defense.”

Another person who impacts Gabe’s life is his basketball coach, Chad Byrd.

“Coach Byrd has taught me to be confident in myself. And he gave me the chance as a young player to start over older players.”

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