Chubbtown to Cowtown
Defensive end’s inspiring road to big-time football started generations before him
Don’t assume that Bradley Chubb was simply born for this moment. That his becoming the Broncos’ top NFL draft choice was predetermined. Or that his towering frame preordained he would be a great pass rusher.
To appreciate Chubb’s rise to being the No. 5 overall pick is to understand the work ethic and fearlessness ingrained in his family’s DNA.
The story began in the 1860s, when Chubb’s ancestors — specifically eight brothers — left North Carolina for rural northwest Georgia to start a self-sustaining, all-black community. On a 2,600-acre plot of rolling plains and forests, tradesmen of all kinds gath- ered to pursue a new life with endless possibilities. They called their home Chubbtown.
Bradley has since visited the site where the town’s church still stands, and while holding an orange Broncos’ No. 1 jersey Friday at his introductory news conference, he reflected on the family foundation that led his path to Denver.
“(Chubbtown) is where I feel like my hard work and
background comes from,” he said.
And, much like his ancestors, Chubb’s success was never guaranteed.
Long before he blossomed into a 6-foot-4, 269-pound edge rusher who broke North Carolina State records for career sacks (26) and tackles for loss (60), Chubb was a Hillgrove High School (Ga.) sophomore who didn’t start on varsity. His head coach, Phil Ironside, who has tracked Chubb’s football development since the fifth grade, called Chubb a “late bloomer.” Chubb’s progress was also halted with an ACL tear as a junior, leading many colleges to stop recruiting him.
That’s when Chubb leaned on the advice of his father, Aaron, a former Georgia linebacker (1985-88), with lessons passed down from Chubbtown.
“I was raised to treat people with respect, dignity and how I wanted to be treated,” Aaron Chubb said. “I raised my kids to be their own men. … If you’re going to do it, do it right.”
Chubb embraced his ACL rehab full steam. “It was remarkable how fast he came back,” Ironside said. Chubb accepted a scholarship from N.C. State over offers from Iowa, Mississippi State, West Virginia and others.
“When I dropped him off at N.C. State, he was 18 years old, an immature kid, wide-eyed and bushy-tailed,” Aaron Chubb said. “Eventually, little by little, you just saw a change in him. It’s like he was becoming a man.”
Chubb faced another learning curve at N.C. State. He arrived at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds — with his coordination not yet fully catching up with his athletic gifts. Chubb played mostly special teams as a true freshman. By his junior season, he had blossomed into a feared pass rusher. Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren said: “I knew he was going to be the best player we had. You just try to keep him buying in to what got him there.”
So many moments could define Chubb’s dominance at N.C. State. His brother, Brandon, a Detroit Lions linebacker, points to a 2017 home game against Louisville where Chubb chased quarterback Lamar Jackson from sideline to sideline in a 3925 victory. Chubb recorded a pair of tackles for loss and a sack.
“That game was not a comingout party,” Brandon Chubb said. “But it solidified the player (Bradley) is — and not just a straight downhill guy. He can play in space.”
Intimidating on the field, Chubb’s persona changes off the field.
“He literally has that switch,” Doeren said. “He’s so polite, it’s not fake, and he cares genuinely about people. But when he starts competing, if you’re in his way, he’s going to come after you.”
Chubb’s father, mother and brother were in attendance at Dove Valley when Bradley was introduced for the first time as a member of the Broncos. So much has changed since Chubbtown was a thriving community, and yet, the opportunity that awaits him today isn’t so different than those Chubbs that came long before him.
A chance to make the family name proud.
“It means the world to me,” Chubb said. “Growing up, my dad would make sure he held us to a higher standard than everyone else around us. I feel like that helped not only me, but my brother as well, with being great men. Being a Chubb is something different, and I have to have a higher expectation for myself and for future generations to come as well.”