Bradley Chubb – December 12, 2024
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Thursday, December 12, 2024
LB Bradley Chubb
(What has this journey been like for you? 11 months, practicing two weeks, what’s the wait like?) – “It’s been an up and down journey for sure, you know what I mean? Starting from getting the surgery and that being almost a five-hour surgery at the time, and coming back home and having my mom and dad there with me, my girlfriend there with me helping me out throughout the whole process. Seeing from when I was there, to where I am now, man, it’s been nothing short of a blessing. So just being able to keep chopping wood, carrying water each and every day, continue to have a positive mindset as I approach the building every day, it wasn’t easy but at the end of the day, man, it got me to where I am right now and continue to move forward.”
(How does this one compare to the first time?) – “It doesn’t compare, man. When I first did it, (Head Athletic Trainer) Kyle (Johnston) kind of told me, he was like, ‘Yeah, this is a completely different ball game,’ because it was my ACL, my (patellar tendon) and my meniscus that ended up tearing. It was, like I said, a five-hour surgery, so it was a long process. It’s kind of hard to compare it to the first one with the first one just being a partial tear, but like I said, I know the work I had to put in for the first one and I did the same thing this time. Changed up some things in terms of how I approached it because of all the stuff that went on, but the mindset was the same.”
(How has it felt kind of amping up in practice the past couple of weeks and realistically, how close to game-ready do you feel?) – “It’s been feeling good. I’m just taking it day by day. I’m not trying to look big picture right now, just trying to see how I feel each and every day, how it responds to each and every different obstacle that’s thrown at me right now. So far, it’s been good, so hopefully it trends in the right direction.”
(What would it mean to be able to take the field this season?) – “It would mean a lot because like I said, being on that field the last time screaming and holding my leg and doing all this, it would be cool to get back on there and have a new memory of my last football snap. But at the end of the day, I’m just thankful to be where I’m at right now in this process. I know it’s going to be a continued uphill climb, but the past 11 months have prepped me for that, so I’m excited just about where I am.”
(What was New Year’s Day like for you because the injury happened on New Year’s Eve?) – “Terrible, to be honest with you. Not comfortable at all, in very much pain. All of 2024 I’ve been fighting this right now. Like you said, I got hurt on New Year’s Eve, so just been taking it day by day. New Year’s Day was not fun, but make new memories throughout the year and you look back on these and be like, ‘OK, I’m glad I went through that to put me where I am today.’”
(How were you feeling going into that game? Because I looked it up and you had 4.5 sacks in the two games before that.) – “Yeah, feeling good, man, feeling good. At the top of the world, it feels like God finds ways to humble you, you know what I mean? But I’m thankful for that opportunity, I’m thankful that – nobody wants to be hurt, but I’m thankful that I had to go through that because I wouldn’t be half the man I am right here standing in front of you. So it’s been a great journey. Like you said, I was feeling good going into that week, so I would like to get that feeling again.”
(What have you learned about yourself during this process?) – “I learned how resilient I am, that nobody can take my shine. I had to dive into myself a lot because I was tired of doing the same things, feeling the same things. As this process goes on, you kind of get caught in a cycle. So I was trying to break that comfortability of that cycle and it helped me grow as a person, as a player, as a man of God and like I said, I’m thankful for the opportunity to do that.”
(There was a lot of conversation of whether starters should have even been in the game at that point in time, the game had kind of gotten away. What do you remember about conversations maybe you and Head Coach Mike McDaniel had?) – “I don’t remember much about that time last year. I just remember, like I said, screaming my lungs out on the field because of the pain I was in. I don’t get too much caught up in, ‘It was a blowout,’ or whatever the case is. A lot of people were throwing that at me like, ‘Man, you shouldn’t have been on the field,’ but at the end of the day, God put me in that position to be there, to go through the things I went through, and it made me a better man for it.”
(As hard as it is for you to go through this, how much worse is it knowing that LB Jaelan Phillips is going through it as well right now?) – “For sure, man – as hard as it was for me, I feel like God put me in this position to help others that have gone through the same things or are going through the same things. So all the hardships and all the time that I had to get close to myself, I’ve been trying to relay that to ‘JP’ (Jaelan Phillips) and he’s been accepting it well. He’s been killing his rehab process as well, so it’s been cool to see how he’s responded as well. And like I said, I’m doing everything I can to help along his process, but he’s a dawg as well.”
(Another person you’ve been helping is LB Chop Robinson. What’s it been like kind of taking him under your wing knowing how highly he thinks of you?) – “It’s been dope, man. The first time he came in here, he told me I was his favorite player and stuff like that. And at the time, you’re like, ‘Man, you’re just saying that whatever. You’re just talking.’ But being around him, seeing how he works, how he approaches the game, it’s nothing short of special. And to see him having the success he is now – all the talent was there at the beginning of the year; he’s just starting to put it all together as the games have been going on. So it’s been fun to see because he’s like a sponge too. You tell him one thing, he fixes it right away, you know what I mean? He doesn’t let two mistakes roll over. He’s a good, young rookie to have in the room and I’m excited to see his growth.”
(What’s the process been like of watching the team play these games?) – “It’s been hard. It’s been not the most fun being on the sideline, but I’ve tried to find a new role into how can I affect the team while not playing. And that’s bringing energy every day, that’s being the same guy every day, that’s being in the meeting rooms, helping Chop (Robinson), helping Mo (Mohamed Kamara), helping all the young guys in the room. Even – we’ve got guys like ‘Q’ Bell (Quinton Bell) who’s been in six years but hasn’t played much, but now he’s getting his chance to shine, do his thing, make tackles, make plays. It’s been cool to see just how the room has been growing, how the defense has been growing and how the team has been growing.”
