Oklahoma State LB Amen Ogbongbemiga defends teammate, fellow Canadian Chuba Hubbard

By
3Down Staff
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Photo courtesy: Bruce Waterfield/OSU Athletics

It’s always nice to know that your teammates have your back.

Photo courtesy: Bruce Waterfield/OSU Athletics

Oklahoma State linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga took to his Twitter account to defend Chuba Hubbard’s decision to sit out the rest of the college football season. Head coach Mike Gundy had broken the news that Hubbard was forgoing the rest of the season to focus on the 2021 NFL draft.

Ogbongbemiga wrote in a series of tweets:

Obviously he didn’t have the year he wanted to and he knows that but to say he quit on his team is crazy… he was going through a severe ankle injury that he played through just to help his team win

I’m talkin’ bout taking so many pain killers just to be able to go out there and fight with us.. he couldn’t walk during the day!

Came back to WIN and simply win instead of supporting his family. Just be mindful before you make a quick judgement on someone that you aren’t fully aware of their situation. Had a hell of a career to me

Salute to you my boy! Time to fulfill your lifelong dream #RMN

Hubbard left his team’s game against Kansas State on November 7 with an apparent leg injury. He tried to play two weeks later against rival Oklahoma but was clearly still hurt, mustering just eight carries. The native of Sherwood Park, Alta. has been out ever since, missing games against Texas Tech and Baylor.

The six-foot, 210-pound running back surprised many when he returned to Oklahoma State for his redshirt junior season instead of declaring for the 2020 NFL draft. He finished eighth in voting for the Heisman Trophy in 2019 after recording an NCAA-leading 2,094 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns.
Hubbard explained before the season that he chose to forgo the NFL draft because he wanted to help his team win a championship.
“I didn’t come back to break records for myself,” he said in a pre-season videoconference. “I came back to win a Big 12 championship and a national championship with my team. That’s my main goal.”
Oklahoma State had a relatively strong year but fell short of reaching the Big 12 Championship Game, finishing the regular season with a 7-3 record. Hampered by injury, Hubbard’s production was down drastically from 2019, carrying the ball 133 times for 625 yards and five touchdowns.
Ogbongbemiga was excellent at middle linebacker, finishing his senior season with 76 total tackles, five tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, 2.5 sacks, and two fumbles recoveries in ten games. The senior may elect to return for another year at Oklahoma State, though it’s possible that he will look to join Hubbard in the NFL.
No matter where Hubbard and Ogbongbemiga end up, it’s clear that the pair of Albertans always have each other’s backs.
3Down Staff

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