Chuba Was Always Going to Finish

Chuba Hubbard made official what many of us knew. He was going to finish the season.

STILLWATER -- Tuesday afternoon following a tight two hour practice session in which number 30, Chuba Hubbard took some reps with the offense against Texas A&M scouts, Hubbard told the world what his teammates and many around him felt was obvious. Hubbard is not a quitter, he's a finisher. While a number of college players do opt out of finishing the season with their teammates, that is not in Hubbard's DNA.

"I really just want to finish the season strong and it's been a really good season," Hubbard said of his immediate call to play against Texas A&M in the Academy Sports and Outdoors Texas Bowl. "With everything going on, I wanted to put that aside and play this last game with my teammates and finish strong. With the whole NFL Draft and everything, I'm just taking that day by day, but right now I'm focused on Texas A&M."

Hubbard said he had not received his NFL Draft grade from the league, but that he was uncertain about next year and that information would be pretty important in hleping him decide. Oklahoma State Assistant Athletic Director for Speed, Strength, and Conditioning Rob Glass handles the exchange on all things between the NFL and players. He confirmed that Chuba did not have the information yet, but that he would soon. 

Consensus All-American.

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His teammates did not seem surprised but quarterback Dru Brown also said he didn't ask Hubbard. He really didn't want to pester him since the rest of the world was inquiring.

"I didn't want to be, like 'hey Choob, you playing?' I just always told him to enjoy every moment and not take anything for granted," Brown said of his interaction with Chuba.

"It's exciting to have him for one more game or whether he comes back (next season), whatever that's up to him," the newly elected team captain Brown said of Hubbard's announcement. "I'm real excited to play with him one more time. I think everybody is excited to play with him at least one more time." 

Teven Jenkins, the starting right tackle for the Cowboys, spoke for the offense line and he seemed to know Hubbard would play and said the offensive line is still working to hit a goal.

"It is very special because at the beginning of the season we wanted to be number one in rushing team in the Big 12 and once we saw Chuba churning and churning and he led the nation in rushing and then was the first one to a thousand yards," Jenkins relayed. "Then we (offensive line) sat down after that day he got 1,000-yards and had a meeting. We said, 'you know what is next, we got to get 2,000 now.'" 

"Honestly, I forgot about that," Hubbard said of gaining 2,000-yards on the season. "Obviously, that would be amazing and stuff like that, but I'm focused on winning the game."

Hubbard, now guaranteed being a consensus All-American, may have been snubbed on a trip to New York City for the Heisman and in winning the Doak Walker Award, but the red-shirt sophomore from Sherwood Park, Canada can still get that 2,000 mark. He goes into the bowl game with 1,936-yards on 309 carries for a 6.3-yard per carry average. He has 21 touchdowns. He also has 2,119-yards of total offense. The offensive line want that 2,000-yards rushing. Chuba wants to win and believes the Cowboys are motivated to do so.

"If you just look at the last few bowl games we've been too, we've won the last three, that I know of. We are doing that again this year. We are focused and we are trying to win,? Hubbard said of his upcoming trip to Houston.