Nick Chubb came to Georgia as a five-star recruit in the class of 2015 out of Cedartown, Georgia, a small town with a population of around 10,000.
Chubb wasted no time putting his hometown on the map, rushing for 1,547 yards during his freshman year at UGA. Within months, Cedartown was featured in ESPN segments, was written about in nearly every article discussing Chubb and was receiving plenty of recognition.
Chubb’s stellar career continued, and eventually he finished as the school’s second all-time leading rusher. Trailing only Herschel Walker.
He went on to become the 35th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. After a solid rookie season in which he did not receive nearly enough touches, Chubb again put Cedartown in the national spotlight, tallying 1,494 rushing yards during the 2019 NFL season. He came 46 yards shy of leading the league in rushing.
Chubb wants to be an example for kids not only from Cedartown, but from small towns all across the country.
“Now, I use myself as an example for the kids who still go there. No matter if we do come from a small town, you can still fulfill your dreams. You can still play college at a D-1, and you can still go to the NFL,” Chubb said to CBS Sports’ Jim Rome.
Chubb also mentioned that growing up in Cedartown, people would tell him that he needed to move to a bigger city where he can garner more national recognition.
But Chubb stayed put and perfected his craft in his hometown.
“Just coming from the small town I came from, older guys that lived there said I should move away,” Chubb said. “I’d never get attention there. College coaches never come looking in this small town. I’d never make it. That just motivated me to go harder in high school.”
So he stayed, and he signed with Georgia as the fifth ranked running back in his class.
“So, I’m using myself as an example for them to keep their head on straight and not listen to the outside world. Just keep focusing on what’s important.”
