There's an off-the-field experience from Brandon Chubb's time at Wake Forest that the former all-Atlantic Coast Conference linebacker will bring up before any win or play from his decorated Demon Deacon career. He cites it as the catalyst for the work he's found himself in now, both as a player director for the NFL Players Association and CEO of the Chubb Foundation.
The experience occurred during his third year at Wake Forest when Chubb was connected to an organization in the Winston-Salem, North Carolina, area called HOPE, which stands for Help Our People Eat. With a mission to help fight hunger in the area through volunteers and donations, the organization's efforts include delivering nutritious meals to those in need in a green truck on Sundays.
The first time Chubb rode in that truck changed everything.
"It brought that servant heart out of me," Chubb said of the experience. "It's this big green food truck with cartoons of vegetables on the side, and you go into these neighborhoods and kids are chasing it like it's an ice cream truck. They're eating an apple and a boxed milk and a ham sandwich and some Go-Gurt, and they're having the best time of their lives. It humbled me and opened my eyes to more than football, more than just money, more than just material things. It's about life and experiences and opportunities and relationships.
"100%, HOPE was the springboard and the catalyst for, community-wise, everything I've done so far."
Chief among those efforts is the Chubb Foundation, which he launched after suffering a season-ending injury before his second NFL season. He founded the organization with his younger brother, current Denver Broncos linebacker Bradley Chubb. Their foundation is involved in a few communities, including Denver and Atlanta, in several ways. This includes providing education, mentorship, food and football camps in these communities.
Chubb (right) was a two-time captain at Wake Forest, where he played from 2011 to 2015. A native of Georgia, Chubb said his time in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, served as a catalyst to serve others after his football career ended.
The elder Chubb's injury in 2017 also offered him an opportunity to start figuring out life beyond playing football, while aligning with his passion to serve others. He did so through the Player Association Injured Reserve program, which offers injured players an opportunity to learn about and experience different professional opportunities through workshops and internships. Chubb's opportunities through PAIR included time with sports gear maker Fanatics and the nonprofit United Way, as well as working as an aide to the late congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis.
Through these opportunities, Chubb became more engrained with the NFLPA and what it offers players. When an opportunity became available in 2021 to serve as a player director, which allows him to serve as a bridge between players and the NFLPA, he jumped on it because of how it aligns with the passion he discovered at Wake Forest.
"I have a servant heart to begin with. That's through my foundation, through what I did at Wake Forest on every Sunday after games within the local community. Being able to serve the players is the most fulfilling part," Chubb said of his role with the NFLPA. "I think guys take it for granted, the time they're in the league and the head start in life they get by playing football at a high level. I'm there to make sure they get the most out of it, squeeze the most juice out of the orange and also get more oranges."
Chubb accomplished this personally through the PAIR program. The experiences it offered serve as a blueprint for the advice he gives players now. He said it's applicable for college athletes, as well.
"Find what you're interested in and, conversely, find what you don't like," he said.
For the most part, Chubb figured that out through the internships. While he understands not all college athletes have the time flexibility available to do so, he emphasized there are other ways to get there.
"You just have to be creative with that. A lot of it might just come from reading and podcasts and studying other things," he said, adding that he specifically reads nonfiction books for this purpose. "There are many ways to do it, but it all boils down to learning what you like and don't like and learning about yourself."
Chubb added that part of this approach was instilled in him during his time at Wake Forest, where he majored in economics and was surrounded by people pursuing careers he did not know existed until they crossed paths.
"I'm a true believer in you are the company you keep," he said. "Wake Forest puts you in those types of rooms with other students, other overachievers, valedictorians and legacy business hierarchies, and that rubs off on you. You soak it in, regardless of if you want to or not or you're trying to or not."
