The 2018 NFL Draft began Thursday night in Arlington, Texas. Nick Chubb was taken Friday by the Cleveland Browns with the No. 35 overall pick in the second round.
Chubb had an incredible career at Georgia and was an integral figure on the Bulldogs’ 2017 SEC Championship team.
1. Nick Chubb is the second-leading rusher in Georgia history
Georgia has produced a number of great running backs over the years. From Todd Gurley to Garrison Hearst to Knowshon Moreno, a number of good NFL backs have had great careers at Georgia. But statistically speaking, only Herschel Walker — arguably the greatest college running back of all time — finished with more rushing yards in a Georgia uniform than Chubb.
Chubb topped 1,000 yards in three of his four seasons at Georgia to finish his career with 4,769 rushing yards and 44 rushing touchdowns. And had he not suffered a serious knee injury, his stats may have even surpassed Walker’s. Chubb also finished as the second-leading rusher in SEC history.
2. Nick Chubb is one of two Georgia running backs who will be taken in the 2018 NFL Draft
Along with Chubb, expect Georgia running back Sony Michel to be drafted. Both running backs made the decision to return to Georgia for their senior seasons and it paid off in a big way. The two led Georgia to the school’s first appearance in the College Football Playoff and both had huge games against Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl. Chubb rushed for 145 yards on 14 carries and 2 touchdowns. In that Rose Bowl, Michel rushed for 181 yards and 3 touchdowns.
3. Nick Chubb once suffered a serious knee injury
Chubb had his best season as a freshman, as he took over for Gurley when he was suspended and finished the year with 1, 547 rushing yards. He had a strong start in his sophomore season, as he topped 100 yards in each of his five games. But then on his first carry against Tennessee, he suffered a serious knee injury in which he tore everything except for ACL.
The Georgia tailback missed the rest of the 2015 season, and at the end of the year Georgia parted ways with coach Mark Richt. There will be some concern about Chubb’s health as enters the NFL, given the severity of the injury.
4. Nick Chubb is a workout warrior
Despite the injury, Chubb rebounded to have strong junior and senior seasons. In his first game back from injury, Chubb rushed for 222 yards on 32 carries in a win against North Carolina. To Georgia fans, the phenomenal play didn’t come as a shock given that Chubb had a long tradition of just being a freak of nature when it comes to working out.
“I know I worked hard,” Chubb said on coming back from the injury. “I had people behind me, pushing me, Ron Courson, the whole strength staff, my teammates pushing me. The fans, my family, all pushing me. So it’s no surprise, because we have a great staff, and incredible people behind me, pushing me.”
Chubb posted some great numbers at the NFL combine, as he ran a 4.52 40-yard dash — a better time than Michel — and tied Penn State running back Saquon Barkley for the most reps on the bench press. Chubb finished in the top 10 among running backs in every drill he did at the combine.
5. Nick Chubb has a special connection to a historical town
Chubb has some special bloodlines. Chubb’s ancestors migrated from North Carolina and settled a small colony of free blacks in Georgia. It was called Chubbtown and came into existence shortly after the Civil War.
The usually quiet Chubb spoke glowingly about what his ancestors accomplished when asked about the subject.
“They came and settled and they were never slaves,” Chubb said on the matter. “That’s the biggest part everybody in the family always talks about — never slaves. I’ve never really understood how they were capable of doing all those things during that time period. I don’t know how they became educated and knew what they were doing. There are still questions about how they were able to do some of the things they were able to do. It’s crazy to think about it.”