| Akron Beacon Journal
A few week after Nick Chubb’s left knee had been blown out on Oct. 10, 2015, he watched scenes from “The Darkish Knight Rises” on his smartphone throughout a break from rehabilitating on the College of Georgia.
The star running back typed “Batman will get his again damaged by Bane” into the search subject on YouTube.
Chubb felt a connection to the 2012 movie when supervillain Bane tells Batman, “Victory has defeated you,” within the early levels of their first battle.
“I keep in mind I used to be like on prime of the world, coming off [freshman] season, feeling myself, doing good in every part, and he stated that, and I really feel like he was speaking to me,” Chubb stated.
The encounter ends with Bane lifting a overwhelmed Batman and breaking the superhero’s again over his proper leg.
“I felt like my knee was damaged in every bit, too,” Chubb stated.
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Then Bruce Wayne finds himself in Bane’s jail generally known as “The Pit.” Wayne spends months recovering and coaching, and after a number of failed escape makes an attempt, he completes a treacherous climb, rising from the “The Pit,” so he can return to Gotham Metropolis and his life as Batman.
“I felt like that wall was what I went via getting out of rehab,” Chubb stated. “I needed to stand up the wall and get free and get again to myself. All that simply was so relatable to me throughout that point.
“I type of used that as motivation to maintain me up and maintain me going due to how he got here again from that. That is how I attacked my rehab and my restoration from my damage.”
Chubb had seen the movie earlier than, however the iconic combat between Tom Hardy’s Bane and Christian Bale’s Batman and Wayne’s subsequent ascent did not change into an obsession till the participant launched into a comeback from the ugly damage he suffered as a sophomore in opposition to the College of Tennessee.
“The following time I watched it after that,” Chubb stated, “I used to be hanging on each phrase, actually into it, listening to every part.”
With Batman inspiring Chubb, he rebounded from three of the 4 ligaments in his left knee shredding, all however the anterior cruciate ligament, and the surgical procedure he wanted consequently. He returned to motion in time for the 2016 opener, flourished in his last collegiate season in 2017 and became a second-round draft pick (No. 35 total) of the Browns in 2018.
Nick Chubb takes on Gotham
Within the buildup to the Browns enjoying consecutive video games in opposition to the New York Giants and New York Jets in Gotham — OK, East Rutherford, New Jersey, however play alongside right here — Chubb spoke to the Beacon Journal by telephone for quarter-hour on Dec. 17 about his Batman fandom.
Chubb rushed 15 occasions for 50 yards and a landing, his tenth of the season, in Sunday night’s 20-6 win over the Giants. The Browns (10-4) might be knocking on the door to the playoffs once they return to MetLife Stadium and face the Jets (1-13) on Sunday, Chubb’s twenty fifth birthday.
You may wager Chubb’s presents will embody some Batman objects from his household.
When Browns communications coordinator Mike Annarella knowledgeable Chubb of a Batman-centric interview request and relayed a message concerning the Gotham angle, Chubb realized Annarella did not know Gotham is a fictitious model of New York within the Batman universe. Ready on deck for a Zoom session with native media, Chubb whispered a proof to Annarella whereas quarterback Baker Mayfield fielded questions from reporters close by.
Sure, Chubb is a person of few phrases, however he enjoys speaking about Batman.
Right tackle Jack Conklin revealed a number of weeks in the past he sometimes chats with Chubb about Batman in an try and lure the two-time Professional Bowl choice out of his shell. Chubb has additionally bonded with offensive lineman Chris Hubbard and practice-squad fullback Johnny Stanton over their affinity for the Caped Crusader.
Chubb considers Stanton the locker room’s prime Batman knowledgeable as a result of he’s well-versed in comedian books. Stanton has given Chubb loads of studying suggestions.
“He will get excited,” Stanton stated by telephone. “He is very interested in it.”
Batman vs. Superman
Chubb took a liking to DC Comics superheroes in highschool when he and mates performed the Injustice video video games on PlayStation 4.
At first, Batman wasn’t truly Chubb’s favourite character.
“I used to be a Superman fan as a result of actually I did not know any higher,” he stated. “I simply know what I noticed. He was flashy. He might fly. He had tremendous energy and all that stuff. My mates had been into it, too. Rising up, we would at all times argue Superman versus Batman, and I would at all times have Superman’s aspect. However they delivered to my consideration why Batman was higher, and I type of flipped sides, becoming a member of them.”
So why is Batman the perfect superhero?
“He is human identical to us, and in the event you had been indestructible like Superman, would you concern something? No, you would not. If you realize you may’t die, you would not concern something,” Chubb stated. “However Batman, we are able to die, we’re mortal, and he nonetheless stands up and faces any problem. He is only a man, however he has braveness.”
Chubb defined his allegiance to Batman “actually took off” shortly after he suffered the devastating knee damage 5 years in the past in Knoxville, Tennessee.
“Loads of gamers need to take care of accidents, however the truth that Nick was capable of come again from one thing so arduous and to have the ability to use that as inspiration is fairly cool,” Stanton stated. “I am certain film creators would love to have the ability to hear one thing like that.”
Chubb hasn’t dabbled a lot in Batman motion pictures and TV reveals predating this century. “The Darkish Knight Trilogy” directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Bale as Batman is Chubb’s bread and butter, although he additionally watches animated movies made prior to now decade.
So far as Batman memorabilia goes, Chubb would not personal numerous comedian books and motion figures. Nonetheless, the contents of his wardrobe and storage aren’t coincidences. He wears a silver Batman image on a sequence necklace, a Christmas reward he obtained throughout his rookie season from his mom, Lavelle. He stated he dons black clothes frequently and has matte black vehicles — a Mercedes-AMG and a Dodge Charger — with tinted home windows due to Batman.
Chubb has even considered shopping for a Batmobile sooner or later.
“It could be both once I’m finished with soccer or someday within the offseason once I’m simply feeling spontaneous,” he stated.
‘It would solely be Batman’
Chubb would not have any tattoos, but when he will get one, you may guess what the theme can be.
“If I ever acquired a tattoo,” he stated, “it might solely be Batman — 100%. I’ve considered it, however I do not know if it might be cool or corny. It could in all probability be in-between, so I do not know if I will get it.”
Hubbard has a Batman tattoo on considered one of his legs, and Chubb thinks it turned out nicely.
“But when I am getting it,” Chubb stated, “I am getting it proper on my chest, like him gliding down, huge — all people can see it.”
All of this raises the next query: Has Chubb ever dressed as Batman?
“Yeah, I’ve. Yeah, after all,” he stated with amusing. “My junior yr of faculty, I used to be Batman for a Halloween get together.”
The Browns have had enjoyable with this, too, largely by following Chubb’s lead on social media.
After Chubb suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in his proper knee on Oct. 4 in opposition to the Dallas Cowboys, he wrote on Instagram, “Thanks for all of the prayers and needs. I will be again quickly sufficient. To the bat cave till then.” Don’t fret — he included a bat emoji on the finish of the message.
When the Browns designated Chubb to return from injured reserve on Nov. 9, the crew tweeted an animated GIF of a soccer participant standing atop FirstEnergy Stadium as a Bat-Sign of types that includes Chubb’s face shone within the night time sky.
Chubb’s favourite Batman quote is, “I am no matter Gotham wants me to be.” Final yr, he tweaked the well-known line from “The Darkish Knight” and wrote on Instagram, “I am no matter Cleveland wants me to be.” The caption accompanied {a photograph} of Chubb in his Browns uniform.
If Batman had been to play soccer, Chubb stated he can be a operating again with a hell of a stiff-arm.
“He would have every part,” Chubb stated. “Full-balanced operating again.”
He in all probability would even resist the temptation to attain a landing and as a substitute run out of bounds at the 1-yard line if it ensured he would save Gotham.
“Yeah,” Chubb stated with out hesitation, “Batman would not kill.”
