N.C. State's Bradley Chubb lives up to the name made famous at UGA

Bradley Chubb has sure made Kirby Smart feel silly.

Back when Chubb was a promising recruit at Marietta's Hillgrove High School, Smart came to his school multiple times to scout and recruit players from the football hotbed. But each time Smart visited, he passed on speaking with Chubb.

Smart, who was Alabama's defensive coordinator at the time, wasn't the only Southeastern program to skip on Chubb. So did Georgia, the football team Chubb's father, Aaron Chubb, played for. Chubb ended up at N.C. State and has gone on to have an excellent career. This season, the defensive end recorded 23 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and was named to the AP All-America first team.

Before Chubb was named the 2017 Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner as the nation's best defender last week, Smart spoke about the Wolfpack standout during his keynote address. Given how Chubb's career transpired, Smart still kicks himself over whiffing on him.

"Bradley Chubb. This guy is easy to talk about because he makes me look like a dumbass," Smart said, drawing laughs from the crowd.

Chubb is now considered a sure-fire first-round selection for the 2018 NFL draft, and he might wind up being a top-10 pick.

Hearing Smart, who was a part of four national titles at Alabama and has since led Georgia to the College Football Playoff, mention that brought a smile to Chubb's face.

"It was definitely cool to see, for him to say — as a guy who has won multiple national championships and has done a lot of great things on the collegiate level — he kicks himself in the butt for not getting me," Chubb said. "It's definitely cool to see. But I don't blame him. If you came to my high school, I was about 6-(foot)-1, 190 (pounds). I'd look over me if I was a coach."

It wasn't until Chubb was a junior in high school that he hit a growth spurt. He did hold an offer from Georgia Tech, but he chose N.C. State instead. He is now 6-4 and 275 pounds, an ideal size for both college and the NFL.

Chubb's last name is recognizable to those who follow the Georgia football program. And yes, he is related to running back Nick Chubb. But the two didn't realize it until their high school careers were nearing an end. Bradley heard about Nick's superstardom at Cedartown and asked his father if they were related.

As it turned out, Aaron's first cousin is Nick's father, making Bradley and Nick second cousins. They connected then and speak to each other at least every week, Bradley said.

Throughout the two players' college careers, Nick has received more national attention than Bradley. At Georgia, Nick is the program's second all-time leading rusher with 4,699 yards, which ranks only behind Herschel Walker's 5,259.

When Bradley made it down to Atlanta for the Home Depot College Football Awards show, a group of Georgia beat writers were on hand to interview him. He was asked if it bothers him to receive questions about a relative instead of what he has done on the gridiron.

"It's all good," Bradley said. "He deserves it. He's one heck of a player, so he deserves it."

Bradley praised Nick for being able to get back on the football field following his severe knee injury at Tennessee in 2015. He also mentioned how their careers ran parallel at the start.

Nick was fourth on the depth chart early on as a freshman before injuries and a Todd Gurley four-game suspension paved his way to a starting role. Bradley was a freshman reserve defensive lineman looking to fill out his frame. But the two stuck with it and waited on their opportunities.

Since then, the Chubbs have gone on to record stellar careers for their respective programs.

"I feel like it's in the name to stay humble and stay true to who you are," Bradley said. "Even though he shares carries with (Sony Michel and D'Andre Swift), he's maximizing those opportunities. He's still doing great things out there at Georgia.

"I feel like I was the same way. I wasn't getting that much playing time as a freshman. I didn't complain. I just kept my head down and kept working. Then I got my opportunity to start my sophomore year, and it took off from there."

This story was originally published December 12, 2017 at 3:56 PM with the headline "N.C. State's Bradley Chubb lives up to the name made famous at UGA."