Nick Chubb on the mind of everybody in Athens after injury

ATHENS, Ga. — Few players have meant as much to Georgia Football during the Kirby Smart era as Nick Chubb, and that’s why on Tuesday when asked about the former Bulldog running back’s recent injury, the eighth-year head coach had such high praise to share.

“He’s an incredible human being first and foremost. What kid still goes back to his high school weight room, strength coach program, track, and works out like he does? Just very rare in the sports world to find someone as humble and just a great person he is,” Smart said of Chubb.

Chubb suffered a season-ending knee injury during Monday night’s match up between the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers. It was a blow to the same knee that he injured while at Georgia back in 2015. Chubb battled back from that injury that many feared would change the trajectory of his career, and Smart said he thinks the 27-year-old will go the same again this time.

“I reached out to him. He’s probably flooded with all kinds of people reaching out to him, so no expectation of anything in return … I talked to Ron (Courson) about it today. I think he’ll make a full recovery and bounce back. That’s just who he is. He’ll be ready to get after it.”

Prior to his first injury, Chubb proved himself to be one of the top backs, not only in the SEC but in the entire country. He entered his freshman season as a backup to Todd Gurley. When Gurley was suspended, Georgia’s run game didn’t miss a beat with Chubb stepping in to total 1,547 yards and 14 touchdowns that season. He rushed for 143 yards on 38 carries in his first career start before having 202 yards and two scores on 30 touches the very next week. Chubb won SEC Freshman of the Year and was a First-Team All-SEC selection that season.

Chubb got off to a strong start in 2015, tying Herschel Walker’s record of 13 consecutive 100-yard games in early October prior to his injury against Tennessee.

Chubb would return in 2016, Smart’s first season, and made an immediate impact. In his first game back against North Carolina, he ran for 222 yards and a pair of touchdowns. It came as a part of a more modest 1,130 yards that season. However, it was his return in 2017 that proved so crucial for Smart and the trajectory of Georgia’s program as he helped the Bulldogs win their first SEC Championship since 2005 and make their first ever appearance in the College Football Playoffs.

Working in tandem with Sony Michel, Chubb put up 1,345 yards and a career-high 15 touchdowns. He had 145 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Rose Bowl victory over Oklahoma to put Georgia into the National Championship Game. He also eclipsed the 100-yard mark against Samford, Vanderbilt and Kentucky, finishing his career second all-time in SEC rushing yards behind Walker while also joining Walker as the only Georgia players to rush for 1,000 yards in three single seasons.

“Just a lot of respect for him and what he does for this program in terms of toughness, buy-in, giving back,” Smart said, reflecting on Chubb’s career impact in Athens. “He decided to come back when he did. I thought it was in his best interest to come back, but he certainly did UGA a favor returning too. What an outstanding year he had when he did.”

Chubb’s impact, as Smart alluded to, stretches beyond the players he played with. Defensive lineman Zion Logue never shared a locker room with Chubb, but having seen him around Athens at times and knowing the kind of impact he’s had not only on the Georgia program but football as a whole in the NFL, Chubb’s injury hurts him to see.

“You know, you kind of cringe a little bit just because the season that you knew he was probably going to have. I mean, he’s been playing very well the past couple seasons. Being the number one back kind of hurts, you know?” Logue said. “I never really knew Nick personally, but I’ve seen him on the sidelines when he came back to games and things like that. It hurt me a little bit, but praying for him and hope he gets back and has a speedy recovery.”