Some football players are remembered for the numbers they put up.
Others are remembered for the type of person they were while doing it.
Nick Chubb will be remembered for both.
The former Georgia star and longtime Cleveland Browns running back officially announced his retirement from the NFL after eight seasons, ending one of the most respected careers of his generation. Chubb finishes with 7,349 rushing yards, 54 rushing touchdowns and a ridiculous 5.0 yards per carry in the NFL while earning four consecutive Pro Bowl selections from 2019 through 2022.
Those numbers tell you Chubb was a great football player.
But they don’t completely explain why Nick Chubb was so easy to root for.
Long before he became one of the NFL’s best running backs, Chubb was already a legend at Georgia.
He finished his Bulldogs career with 4,769 rushing yards and 44 rushing touchdowns, averaging 6.3 yards per carry. That still ranks Chubb second all-time in SEC history in career rushing yards, trailing only fellow Georgia legend Herschel Walker’s 5,259.
And considering what happened during his sophomore season, those numbers become even more impressive.
In 2015, Chubb suffered a horrific season-ending knee injury against Tennessee on Georgia’s first offensive play of the game. The injury was a severe knee dislocation that included multiple ligament tears and ended a sophomore season in which Chubb had already rushed for 747 yards in just six games.
At the time, there were legitimate questions about whether Chubb would ever be the same player again.
Then came one of the greatest comeback performances Georgia fans will ever forget.
Less than a year later, Chubb was back in the starting lineup for the 2016 season opener against North Carolina. He didn’t simply prove he could play again — he ran for 222 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries, including a 55-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter to seal Georgia’s 33-24 victory.
That game perfectly summarized Nick Chubb.
You could knock him down. You just weren’t going to keep him there.
That mentality followed him to the NFL, where another devastating knee injury in 2023 threatened his career. Once again, Chubb battled his way back onto an NFL field.
But toughness is only part of his legacy.
Chubb was never the loudest guy in the room. He didn’t need to constantly promote himself or tell everyone how good he was. He simply showed up, worked and became one of the most physically dominant running backs of his generation.
That’s what made him different.
There aren’t many athletes who can become legitimate superstars while seemingly having almost no interest in being celebrities. Chubb carried himself with humility, earned the respect of teammates and opponents and became the type of player that was almost impossible not to appreciate.
At Georgia, he became one of the greatest running backs in SEC history.
In Cleveland, he became the third-leading rusher in Browns history, behind only Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly.
And through two devastating knee injuries, he became one of the best examples of perseverance football has seen.
Great Georgia Bulldog. Great Cleveland Brown. Great football player.
And an even better human being.
Football is going to miss Nick Chubb.
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