Sam Hubbard
CINCINNATI BENGALS
| Position | College | Years in the NFL |
|---|---|---|
| Defensive End | Ohio State | 5 |
Excellence on the Field:
Cincinnati native and 2018 Bengals third-round draft pick Sam Hubbard has been a full-time starter at defensive end for the last three seasons and is considered a cornerstone player on defense. He has led the Bengals' defensive line in tackles in each of his three seasons as a starter (2019-21). In 2021, while playing the most snaps among Cincinnati's defensive linemen during the regular season and postseason, he was instrumental in helping lead the Bengals to an AFC Championship and a berth in Super Bowl LVI. His three sacks in the postseason ranked tied for fifth among all players, second on the team, and tied for the third-most ever by a Bengal for an entire postseason career. Sam's 26.5 career regular-season sacks rank second among all players from the 2018 rookie class, despite the fact he was the 13th defensive lineman selected in the 2018 NFL Draft. This season, he has excelled with 27 tackles, including 2.5 sacks and a team-leading six tackles for loss.
Dedication & Commitment to Community Efforts This Year:
Sam has been committed to giving back to the youth in his home community since entering the NFL in 2018. In October 2022, he teamed up with Kroger and local non-profit Crayons to Computers to launch a new program called "Hubbard's Cupboards," an initiative that supports nutritional and educational needs for students. Hubbard's Cupboards serves as an on-site supplement to fill needs that arise, like when a student needs a new backpack to start the school year or a healthy snack during the day. Each cupboard will be filled during the school year with core school supplies and hygiene products from Crayons to Computers, as well as healthy snack options from Kroger. Five schools within the Cincinnati-area Mt. Healthy school system are the first to participate in the program for 2022-23. Joining the Sam Hubbard Foundation in support of this program are local corporations with a deep history of giving back: ProLink Staffing, SugarCreek, Profill Solutions and Bob's Discount Furniture. Sam has also continued several annual events through the Sam Hubbard Foundation, which was established in 2021 to bring equitable access to food, education, and a healthy lifestyle for all Cincinnatians. Hubbard's Fowling Tournament in May attracted current and former Bengals players to match up with fans in a game mixing football and bowling at the Cincinnati Fowling Warehouse. The event raised over $47,000 and helped fund programs such as his Shop with a Pro Night, Sam's Thanksgiving Food Drive, and The Sam Hubbard Youth Football Camp — a free summer camp held in June since 2018, with an emphasis on reserving spots for underprivileged children. At the start of the school year in August, the Sam Hubbard Foundation distributed over 650 backpacks to each and every student in the Bellevue school district. Sam partnered with Crayons to Computers to tailor each backpack to the student's grade level, and students had the opportunity to take pictures with the star defensive end prior to receiving their backpacks.
Dedication & Commitment to Community Efforts in Years Past:
A Cincinnati native, Sam was selected by the Bengals in the 2018 NFL Draft and immediately began giving back to the community he calls home. That summer, he launched the inaugural Sam Hubbard Youth Football Camp, a fundamental skills camp that emphasizes serving local underprivileged children by partnering with non-profits to reserve spots for campers who may not normally be able to attend a summer football camp. The annual event, held since 2018, has served over 200 Cincinnati children and raised over $30,000 for charity, all while educating up-and-coming football players through hands-on instruction from Sam, his Bengals teammates, and some of the area's top high school and college coaches. Sam's local outreach expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when he saw a news story reporting the Freestore Foodbank of Cincinnati was just two weeks away from being out of food. He forwarded the story to a friend with an explicit mission in mind: we have to do something to help now. His initial text led to the creation of a GoFundMe campaign which raised over $85,000 and provided over 250,000 meals for the Freestore Foodbank. That initiative helped lead to the creation of The Sam Hubbard Foundation, which exists to bring equitable access to food, education and a healthy lifestyle for all Cincinnatians. Over the past two-plus years, the foundation has sponsored over a half-dozen events, including two during the holiday season that benefit families in need. In November 2021, Hubbard provided over 150 Thanksgiving meals to local residents at the Freestore Foodbank and young adults at the Lighhouse Sheakley Center for Youth, where he also gave out signed footballs and took photos with fans. The following month, he partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Cincinnati for 'Shop with Sam' night, in which 20 students were given $250 and could shop for their Christmas gifts at King Arthur's Court, a local toy store. The Sam Hubbard Foundation has additionally teamed with University of Cincinnati Health and the Freestore Foodbank to support individuals who are suffering from food insecurity through UC Health's Food is Medicine program. The program screens patients during visits to their primary care provider and offers those in need with access to an in-office pantry stocked with items. The partnership was born from a personal connection for Sam, as his mother, Amy, and sister, Madison, both work as nurses at UC Medical Center.
Positive Character & a Lifestyle of Giving Back:
Cincinnati native Sam Hubbard has remained true to the things that matter most to him: family, football and his community. Hubbard, the Bengals' 2021 nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, has since been committed to bringing equitable access to food, education and a healthy lifestyle for Cincinnati-area residents. He provided a memorable holiday season for hundreds of families in 2021, hosting a Thanksgiving drive in which over 150 meals were distributed, and a 'Shop with Sam' night that saw 20 students in the Girls & Boys Club of Greater Cincinnati buy $250 worth of Christmas gifts at a local toy store. Sam has consistently been involved in the local education system, and in 2022 partnered with Cincinnati-based Crayons to Computers on two projects. At the start of the new academic year in August, he distributed over 650 backpacks, one for each student in the Bellevue school district. His most recent initiative, Hubbard's Cupboards, supports nutritional and educational needs for students, like when a student needs a new backpack to start the school year or a healthy snack during the day. Each cupboard will be filled during the school year with core school supplies and hygiene products from Crayons to Computers, as well as healthy snack options from Kroger. For this and many more reasons, the Cincinatti Bengals are proud to select Sam Hubbard as their 2022 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.