Running back Nick Chubb, who broke onto the scene with a shoeless touchdown in his first college football game, has called it quits after eight years in the NFL. His career was so legendary that his former team’s nemesis, Pittsburgh Steelers ex-head coach Mike Tomlin, also paid his respects.

“Congratulations, Mr. Chubb. It was always a pleasure and a challenge to face you. Respect,” Tomlin commented on Chubb’s retirement post on Instagram.

Tomlin has consistently called the former running back “Mr. Chubb” because of the way he was able to crack the Steelers’ defenses. So, in 2023, when Pittsburgh prepared to host Cleveland, Tomlin was asked how he planned to contain Chubb.

”I call him Mr Chubb that’s just a level of respect I have for him,” Tomlin told Bob Pompeani on the Mike Tomlin Show. “Not only in terms of what he’s done in Cleveland, but we don’t talk enough about his body of work in Athens. This guy’s a grown man runner.”

Chubb was drafted in the second round, 35th overall, in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. He quickly took the number one spot at the running back position and recorded four straight seasons with more than 1,000 rushing yards from 2019 to 2022. He also earned Pro Bowl selections in all four seasons and was named a second-team All-Pro in 2022.

As AFC North rivals, Tomlin’s Steelers faced Chubb’s Browns twice every season. It was during a game against the Steelers in 2023 that Chubb suffered a brutal left knee injury, limiting him to just two games that season and eight games in 2024.

“Dealing with injuries was something else that wasn’t part of the plan. The only thing I could control after hurting my knee twice was getting back up, getting back to work, and getting back on the field. And I was able to do that both times. But I will tell you, going through a devastating knee injury at 19 is a lot different than going through one at 28,” Chubb wrote in his retirement post.

During his time at Georgia, Chubb tore multiple ligaments in his left knee during his sophomore year. He was limited to just six games that season but still recorded an FBS-leading 8.1 rushing yards per attempt. His freshman year started with one of the most remarkable stories in the program.

It was the first game of the season, and the Bulldogs were facing the Clemson Tigers. Chubb made his way through several defenders and ran for 47 yards to score a touchdown. The defenders who were trying to stop the running back were left with nothing but Chubb’s shoe.

“It’s probably going to be something we’ll have to look back on,” running back Sony Michel said in 2017. “I can see that he’s as good as advertised. But it’s something that himself, me, and other people will probably look back like, ‘Dang, he was really that good.’”

Chubb finished his college career with 4,769 rushing yards, second in Georgia’s program history behind Herschel Walker’s 5,259 yards. But as memorable as his career was, he was never able to achieve the highest individual and team honors in football.

“In college, I wanted to win the Heisman, become an All-American, and win a National Championship. In the NFL, I wanted to lead the league in rushing, win MVP, and win a Super Bowl for the city of Cleveland. I wasn’t able to accomplish any of those things,” Chubb added. “I know there’s a deeper meaning in that, one that I hope to understand someday. But if not, I’ll understand that it’s just life.”

Last season, the 30-year-old played with the Houston Texans and appeared in 15 games, starting nine. He finished with 506 rushing yards and three touchdowns while helping the team reach the playoffs. Out of eight years in the league, Chubb played seven of them with the Browns.

Chubb now looks ahead to life after football, ending his career at what he described as a “great place.” Despite the injuries and the goals he could not achieve, he leaves the NFL as a four-time Pro Bowler who gave everything to the Browns, the Texans, and the game that shaped his life.