Being a hometown hero is probably one of the best things one could ever ask for. Only a few lucky ones are ever able to live that dream and enjoy the moments that it brings. The latest one to join that privileged club, is Cincinnati Bengals’ defensive end Sam Hubbard. Born in Cincinnati, and a lifelong Bengals fan, he made history after he scored the longest pick six for his team, one that ended up deciding the game.
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Sunday’s wildcard matchup against the Baltimore Ravens at Paycor Stadium saw the visitors almost break the 17 each stalemate in the 4th quarter. The Ravens were at the 1-yard line, and Ravens QB Tyler Huntley was looking poised to score the touchdown. However, Bengals’ linebackers Germaine Pratt and Logan Wilson had other plans, and stopped Huntley from leaping over the pack of bodies.
Although, it didn’t stop there. Wilson even managed to punch the ball out of Huntley’s hands, right into the hands of a waiting Hubbard, who promptly ran 98-yards in the other direction to score a touchdown. This gave his team a 24-18 lead, eventually gifting the Bengals the win.
Hubbard was ecstatic about his touchdown, and his transformation into a local hero. During the post-game interview, he says, “Credit to Logan Wilson punching it out. Then just being at the right place at the right time, got a few blocks along the way. And I was just worried about getting tracked down. I’m glad I made it to the end zone.”
Sam Hubbard turns into hometown hero after game winning play
Sam Hubbard is a Cincinnati native who played for Ohio State University. The Bengals picked him in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Sunday’s touchdown is the NFL’s longest ever fumble recovery, standing tall at 98-yards. Apart from this record, he also has a number of high-profile sacks on his resume, including sacking Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes during last year’s AFC Championship game.
He also is the founder of the Sam Hubbard Foundation, that aims to bring equitable access to food, education, and a healthy lifestyle for all Cincinnatians, according to their website.
The win over the Ravens has set the Bengals for a high-tension meetup with the Buffalo Bills. The last time these two teams met, Bills’ Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the gridiron. The game was subsequently cancelled, sparking “coin toss” resolution and the backlash that followed soon after.
The divisional playoff between these two will serve as the proper rematch for the game they had to end in week 17. Although, this one has significantly higher stakes than the one before. Will the Bengals upset the favorites to make it to the Championship game? Or will the Bills meet expectations for a possible conference finale against the Chiefs?
