How OSU's star became the talk of Canada
STILLWATER — “The Great One” had a message.
Holding an Edmonton Oilers TV microphone, Wayne Gretzky spoke in a Twitter video message last week. He offered congratulations and encouragement to Canada's newest star.
Hockey's greatest player of all-time joined in the newly launched Heisman Trophy campaign for Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard, a Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada, native.
America listened as Stillwater and Edmonton beamed with pride. Hubbard's hometowns made their Heisman statements.
“You never in a million years think Wayne Gretzky's going to be shouting you out saying good job,” Hubbard said. “That guy's … he's like … you have Michael Jordan, you have Wayne Gretzky, you have Usain Bolt, all those guys that changed their sport. To get something from a guy like that is an honor and blessing.”
Not only has Gretzky noticed. The entire city of Edmonton has been caught in Chuba Hubbard fever. A hockey town is suddenly showing a little more orange
and black. Where sports bars typically show only hockey, at least one TV is dedicated to “The Hubbard Game” each Saturday.
OSU might have fallen from the national spotlight entering Saturday's 2: 30 p. m. game at No. 23-ranked Iowa State. But the Cowboys' star running back remains the darling of Canada. He's the topic of Canadian newspaper articles, news broadcasts and radio shows. In a city that is the home of Connor McDavid, arguably the NHL's current best player, a football player 1,714 miles away has stolen a good portion of attention.
“Everybody knows him,” said OSU linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga, Hubbard's roommate and fellow Canadian. “He's the man.”
Dave Jamieson — a radio show host for TSN 1260 and former vice president of the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos — remembers hearing about Hubbard's high school feats.
The speed in football and
track. His ability to change the game. His humbleness. Bev Facey High School had unprecedented success with Hubbard.
Now, it's rare to have a day that a caller or listener doesn't ask for an update on Hubbard.
“We've sent players down for years and they've had success,” Jamieson said. “But this is different because it really feels like a guy as supremely talented as Chuba Hubbard made it out of our football programs.
“It's very, very high level junior programs and high school football, but it's not at the level you would have in Oklahoma or Texas. They're factories down there. We're not a factory up here.”
Jamieson believes Hubbard's attention really peaked when OSU launched his Heisman Trophy campaign last week and Gretzky delivered the message.
Hubbard still leads the nation in rushing. He's up to 1,265 yards, 297 more than secondplace AJ Dillon of Boston College and 308 ahead of Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor, who is considered ahead of Hubbard in the Heisman race. The two are tied for the national lead with 15 touchdowns.
Taylor has a state behind him. Hubbard has an entire country.
“There's viewing parties now,” said Adam Cook, a CTV-Edmonton sports anchor. “That would have been unheard of up until a couple years ago. But people get together and they watch.
“Nobody really knows what to make of what he's doing down there. But then when you see he's also in the same conversation as the likes of a Barry Sanders, it's just stunning.”
Ten current NFL players are from Canada. None have the starpower of Hubbard.
He was described as special in high school as a football and track star. He held offers from bluebloods such as Alabama and Oklahoma. OSU won the recruiting battle.
Now, he's a Canadian star.
“I think Canadians because we are your neighbors to the north, we can get overshadowed up here,” Jamieson said. “When we have somebody who is doing as well as Chuba is down south, I think Canadians and Canadian athletes in Gretzky's case, they feel a real kinship.”