Star tailback Nick Chubb isn’t known as one of the big talkers on Georgia’s football team — in fact, he said he’s working hard at becoming more vocal — but one of the highlights of spring practice for him was a conversation with a special visitor.
Chubb smiled after practice Thursday when a reporter brought up his meeting last week with Herschel Walker, Georgia’s most famous tailback and the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner.
“I enjoyed it a lot,” Chubb said. “It was a great experience to meet him. … I’d heard a lot about him, obviously.”
The first question Chubb asked Walker was: “How did you handle the popularity, the fast fame, that came to you?”
It was a natural question, given the popularity and fast fame that has come to Chubb since he took over as Georgia’s starting tailback from the suspended and then injured Todd Gurley last season.
“I definitely get more attention now than in the past,” said Chubb, surrounded by a dozen reporters after Thursday’s practice.
In reply to Chubb’s question, Walker said he relied on his coach and teammates and advised Chubb to do the same and, beyond that, just continue to work hard.
Chubb ran for 1,547 yards as a freshman last season, including eight consecutive games of 100-plus yards — the first Georgia player with such a streak since Walker in ‘82. Comparisons were inevitable in Bulldog Nation.
“He was the greatest running back at Georgia, and (people) say we have some similarities,” Chubb said. “That makes me happy.”
But, having watched highlights of Walker’s career, Chubb has concluded, “No one can ever do it the way he did.”
The Bulldogs, of course, were thrilled with the way Chubb did it last season. He is so entrenched as the No. 1 tailback that in a scrimmage last Saturday, the coaches saw no need to have him carry the ball. So he played only on third downs, focusing on pass protection and route running.
Asked if he was itching to run the ball, Chubb said: “I want to play football, but it’s coaches’ decision.”
He said he has “no idea” how he’ll be used in Georgia’s G-Day intrasquad game on April 11.
Chubb has several areas in which he wants to improve before the start of the season.
“Gain a little weight, get stronger and be more of a vocal leader,” he said.
Running backs coach Thomas Brown said Chubb is having a good spring.
“He is one of the hardest working guys on the team,” Brown said. “… He is a model of consistency (who) comes out every single day and does whatever I ask him to do.”
Even if, for the most part, he does it quietly.
“He doesn’t say a whole lot, so I’m trying to get more words out of him,” Brown said. “Get him into kind of a leadership role.”
Chubb said he and the rest of the offense are adjusting fine to changes brought by new coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.
“We’re working hard, learning a new system. We have to take it slow at times,” Chubb said.
“The terminology is different. But running back-wise, we’re still here at Georgia, we’re still going to run hard, run (with) low pad level and be able to catch the ball out of the backfield.”
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