Bengals' Sam Hubbard Sacking Hunger, Opposing QBs On Playoff Push

Cincinnati Bengals veteran defensive end Sam Hubbard is currently enjoying one of the better stretches of his career. With two sacks in his previous three games, Hubbard has put a training camp injury behind him. He also recorded his first career interception in Sunday’s AFC North victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Hubbard recently spoke exclusively with The Draft Network while discussing his partnership with Campbell's Chunky and their Chunky Sacks Hunger relief program. Hubbard discussed Sunday's thrilling win over the Browns, his evolving pass-rush arsenal, his first career interception, and more.

JM: You're here at Freestore FoodBank fighting food inequality on behalf of Campbell's Chunky and the Chunky Sacks Hunger relief program. Why is this cause so important to you and your family?

Sam Hubbard: Food insecurity has always been near and dear to my heart. I have my own foundation, the Sam Hubbard Foundation, and we’ve always targeted food insecurity as a cause we care deeply about.

We typically focus on food insecurity in schools. I’ve worked with the Freestore FoodBank since I was in high school all the way throughout my career. This partnership with Campbell’s Chunky allows me to continue making a direct impact because they’re donating 1,000 meals for every sack to Feeding America. It’s the perfect partnership.

JM: That was a massive divisional win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. You guys racked up four sacks as a team, that’s a ton of meals to Feeding America. The way things have gone this season, did you feel like you needed Sunday’s win?

Sam Hubbard: Yeah, that was a huge game for us, a divisional win. I’ve actually never won in Cleveland. Since 2017, we hadn’t won there [in their building]. It’s a tough place for us to play. It was a huge win for us.

We have a ton of football left ahead of us. We have another big game on our schedule this weekend against the Philadelphia Eagles. We feel a lot better going into that game after getting the win in Cleveland.

JM: You had your first career interception on Sunday! That ball got batted in the air and I bet you were thinking, “Don't drop it” when you saw that ball coming towards you (laughs). 

Sam Hubbard: Yeah, that’s exactly what I was thinking (laughs). I’ve had a bunch of tipped balls and turnovers throughout my career, but they were all classified as fumbles. That was the first true interception. I went up there and high-pointed that thing (laughs). 

People were swatting at it and I had to secure it with the help of my helmet (laughs). I came down with it. It was a big-time play for us. I’m glad it was my first one. It was a good one to put on tape.

JM: You also have two sacks in the past three games. You're coming on strong after a slow start. How has your pass-rush arsenal evolved as you've gotten older and more experienced?

Sam Hubbard: I went through a few training camp injuries in the summer. I had surgery on my ankle and got off to a bit of a slow start this season. I worked my way back and I’m feeling a lot better now.

I think my play over the last three or four weeks has proven that. We’ve had some injuries up front. I’ve been asked to bump inside and play the interior on certain downs. I’ve been asked to do different jobs and different roles.

I’m embracing whatever the team needs. Whatever it takes to win games and be effective, that’s what I’m doing. I’m trying to take advantage of my opportunities, even if that means doing some things I’ve never really done before. Whatever they need me, I'm going to line up and try to help us get the win.

JM: Rookies like Amarius Mims, Kris Jenkins, and Erick All are giving you guys some good snaps. As a guy who knows what it takes to make a quick impact, what have you seen from the rookie class?

Sam Hubbard: I think we hit on our draft picks, some great picks in my opinion. Mims, Jenkins, a lot of these young guys are providing us with energy, juice, and athleticism. All of those guys are huge freaks of nature in the athleticism department (laughs), which always helps.

Our rookies have the right mindset. We need them. We’ve been dependent on them in some cases given our injuries elsewhere. We’ve asked them to come in and provide meaningful snaps. Their ability to offer us good depth has really helped us get through some binds. 

I’m excited to continue helping our rookies grow in their journey. They’re helping us win games.  

JM: We've appreciated your time today, and all you’re doing with the Chunky Sacks Hunger relief program. What are your goals for the remainder of this season?

Sam Hubbard: It’s going to come down to our ability to handle the games within our division. We have to win our division games. That comes first and foremost. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves an opportunity to compete in the postseason.

For me personally, I need to continue building off the performances I’ve displayed over the last few weeks. I’m going to continue being a leader while helping keep things on track.

We have clear goals we’re setting out to achieve. Everything we want is still in front of us.