CLEVELAND — From a mid-tier finisher in the 100-meter dash in high school to the fastest speed on a touchdown run in the entire National Football League just six years later.
That is what hard work in the offseason and taking seriously every play on the practice field has done for second-year Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb, as he proved in a memorable performance in a 40-25 victory over the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore last Sunday.
Early in the fourth quarter, Chubb broke free for an 88-yard score, and according to NextGen Stats, reached a speed of 21.95 miles per hour, which was the highest speed of any NFL player on a touchdown run this season.
“It happened so fast,” Chubb said following Tuesday’s workout at team headquarters in Berea. “Just had to get to the end zone. I did not want to get caught, so I made sure I did what I had to do to get into the end zone.
“That’s what I train for in the offseason. I go back home and I have an amazing trainer who does a lot a speed training and weights, so it’s paying off for me.”
Not bad for an athlete who was not even top five in the state of Georgia with his effort in the 100-meter dash, despite running a 10.6-second time.
“You get to state in the 100 and you see smaller guys,” Chubb recalled. “I looked like I was out of place when I got there.
“I came in like sixth place.”
But there is a difference between track speed and football speed.
Chubb helped the Browns out of a jam with the 88-yard touchdown rush, as they faced a first-and-15 from their own 12-yard line after a false start penalty against tight end Demetrius Harris.
Not deterred by the penalty, Chubb caught a pitch from quarterback Baker Mayfield, hustled through a hole created by the right side of the line and tight end Pharaoh Brown and raced 88 yards untouched for the touchdown.
Although the Browns failed to convert the two-point attempt, they held a 30-18 lead over the Ravens with 9:35 to play in regulation.
“I did not see anyone else, so I pretty much knew. It was wide open, so I had a good feeling it was going to be a touchdown if I did not get caught.
“It was wide open, so from that standpoint, I knew I had a chance to make a big play, and I saw the safety out of my peripheral, and then, I didn’t see him anymore. After that, I knew. I just thought, ‘Don’t get caught. Get in the end zone and finish.’”
Chubb totaled 165 yards and three touchdowns on just 20 carries against the Ravens, which he felt much better about than the week prior when the Browns suffered a 20-13 loss to the Los Angeles Rams at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland on Sunday Night Football.
Despite totaling 96 yards on 23 carries, Chubb was stopped after a two-yard gain on a fourth-and-nine play in the second half.
“I can’t help the play calling, if it was a bad play call or whatever, but the ball’s still in my hands on fourth-and-nine, so I’ve got to make something happen,” Chubb said. “I should’ve done something. It was fourth-and-nine.”