Ex-bulldog Chubb impressing Browns

BEREA, OHIO — Browns rookie running back Nick Chubb may be in his first days of training camp, but he’s already been given a nickname.

“He’s ‘Old School,’” running back Duke Johnson said. “His helmet, his face mask. He doesn’t really wear gloves all the time. He’s in the wrong generation.”

Maybe. But Cleveland feels like a good fit.

The hard-running but soft-spoken Chubb laughed off his new moniker. “It’s just my helmet,” the second-round pick from Georgia said. “It’s just a little bigger.”

His game seems oversized as well.

While the accuracy of Chubb’s nickname is up for debate amongst his teammates, one thing is for sure: Chubb has made an imme- diate impact on the Browns and Cleveland’s coaches in more ways than one.

Certainly, there’s his physical prowess on the field. Linebacker Christian Kirksey called the rookie a “workhorse.” Carlos Hyde, another of the new backs on Cleve- land’s roster, said Chubb has the ability to make a defender miss after mak- ing just one cut.

But along with his physical abilities, Chubb, selected with the No. 35 pick in this year’s draft, has also impressed with his willing- ness to master the mental side of the game in a way that most first-year players don’t always understand.

“I don’t really feel like he’s a rookie,” Hyde said. “Usually, rookies come in and be all kind of lost, just trying to feel their way out. I think Nick understands what’s going on. He understands what being a pro is, and he’s definitely been on top of the playbook, been on top of his game.”

Early on, Chubb is at the very least giving the Browns, looking to shake off a 0-16 season, options. Coach Hue Jackson said that given the makeup of the team, he believes the Browns will be able to run the ball more than in the previous two years. It’s possible that Jackson will use a three-headed attack with Johnson, Hyde and Chubb sharing the workload.

Chubb is no stranger to a rotation system — it’s some- thing he did last season with the Bulldogs as he shared playing time and carries with former teammate Sonny Michel, now a rookie with the New England Patriots. Chubb said the two divided the workload play by play or series by series, and played every game together.

In the process, both players racked up big yards. Chubb rushed for 1,345 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2017 while Michel went for 1,227 yards and 16 TDs. Ultimately, the system helped catapult the Bulldogs to the national title game and bonded Chubb and Michel.

“Me and Sonny are very good friends,” Chubb said. “We both had success. We both got drafted fairly high. To do that with someone who you started in college with, and lived with four years and did everything with, I don’t think it could get any better than that.”

If the Browns decide to rotate backs, Chubb is confident they can find success.

“Good competition brings more out of you,” he said. “I look forward to competing with these guys and learning from them and eventually playing with and winning some games with them.”

CURTIS COMPTON / CCOMPTON@AJC.COM Nick Chubb of Georgia, making a first-down run against Oklahoma during the Rose Bowl, already is being called “Old School” by his new teammates with the Cleveland Browns.