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Jake Trotter, ESPN Staff Writer
BEREA, Ohio — Browns Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb said he’ll be “playing for” Jim Brown this season in wake of the legendary Cleveland running back’s death last month.
“Being able to know him was definitely special,” Chubb said. “Definitely a blessing. Being drafted here and playing after such a great running back was a blessing.”
Brown died on May 18 at the age of 87. He played nine seasons for the Browns and led the league in rushing in eight of those years. The Pro Football Hall of Famer also was named a Pro Bowler every year he played and led the Browns to the league championship game three times, winning the title in 1964. After Brown died, Chubb said that former Browns general manager John Dorsey sent him a message, telling him that Brown had been instrumental in convincing Cleveland to select Chubb in the second round of the 2018 draft.
“Just hearing that, it was a blessing,” Chubb said. “He saw something in me and it’s special.”
Chubb has since gone on to become the most prolific Browns running back since Brown. The two now own the eight best rushing seasons in Cleveland history.
Chubb, however, noted that their conversations rarely centered on football.
“The most impactful thing [he told me] is probably just stand for what you believe in,” Chubb said. “He was a strong man. He stood up a lot of things and he was himself. I think that’s the biggest thing I take from it. Just always be true to yourself.”