CLEVELAND (AP) — Almost from the moment Nick Chubb was drafted by the Cleveland Browns, he felt a deep connection to the city and its fans.
An unshakable bond.
It has never been stronger.
Just days after the running back returned to an NFL game following a second major knee injury, the normally reserved and private Chubb expressed his gratitude Wednesday with heartfelt and touching words in an essay.
Chubb teamed up with The Players’ Tribune to write a letter telling his story and thanking fans for the love that pushed him to recovery.
“I’m just trying to give back a little bit,” Chubb said Wednesday before practice. “I’m kind of a withdrawn guy, so I thought it would be good. I thought people would appreciate it if I opened up a little, especially at a time like this.
Chubb has endeared himself to the region’s passionate sports fans like few other athletes. He is loved on a level that goes beyond the usual fan-player relationship, which is why Chubb said he was inspired to write “Cleveland Got May Back.”
He wanted to share the emotional journey after his left knee, the same one he injured in 2015 while playing at Georgia, was destroyed in Week 2 last year at Pittsburgh. While completing a carry inside the 5-yard line, Chubb was hit by Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.
His season was over. He feared his career would be too.
Chubb overcame his own doubts and the predictions of others. Fueled by the support of family, friends and strangers who know him simply by his No. 24 jersey and orange helmet, Chubb is ready to play again. He is grateful for this opportunity.
“It means a lot because people only see me on Sundays and they don’t know how it went last year,” said Chubb, who will likely start this week against Cincinnati. “It’s been a lot of hardship, a lot of hard work, a lot of stress.”
In more detail than he previously shared, Chubb wrote in the essay that after going on social media shortly after being kicked off the field, the first comment he saw on X, formerly known as Twitter, was that of LeBron James.
“Those messages meant everything to me,” the four-time Pro Bowler said. “Just LeBron and everyone showing me love in a really dark time. But I can’t lie to you. At that point, I thought I probably downplayed my last NFL.
Chubb required two surgeries to repair two torn ligaments as well as the medial capsule and meniscus in his left knee. Knowing Chubb and his dedication and work ethic, the Browns were optimistic he would return at some point in 2024.
He did not disappoint. Never.
“Nick is a pretty special football player,” coach Kevin Stefanski said. “She’s a pretty special person. I think he embodies a lot of what we want to be as the Cleveland Browns, and I certainly think our fans feel that from him.
“For me, from my chair, I can watch him work and see the fruits of his labor. I can peek out my office window early in the morning, and he’s the only one running. I have been able to witness this journey over the last year and how hard he has worked.
Although he was in the final year of his contract, the team restructured his deal, telling his agent that they never considered parting ways with Chubb and wanted to bring him back in part because of what Chubb means to the city.
“It truly meant everything to me,” he wrote.
Chubb said once he started running in April, any lingering doubts about whether he would play again were erased. Since then, things have been progressing at full speed.
“It was just a monumental moment for me to run again,” he said. “I knew in that moment that I would go back to who I was.”
His teammates were there to support him throughout his journey. Just as Chubb began his media session in the middle of the Cleveland locker room, several Browns players playfully shouted and applauded him.
In what has been a dark season so far, Chubb is bringing some light.
“He’ll be that spark for us,” linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah said. “We can’t wait to see that.”
Chubb hasn’t allowed himself to think too far ahead about what his emotions will be when he steps on the field. Just him being on the field will mean as much as a touchdown or a 100-yard game.
Cleveland fans waited to chant his name again – “Chubb, Chubb, Chubb.”
It’s time.
Chubb laughed when reminded that he was not recognized at the Cleveland airport after being drafted in 2018. As he stood near the baggage carousel, someone asked him what what he did in town.
“I miss those days,” he said. “It’s still the person I am. People in Cleveland have come to appreciate me for who I am and that’s what I love. I’m still that guy. I just want to work and I want to win.
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