Following a strong career as a steady, dependable offensive lineman for the UAB Blazers across four seasons, which saw him play in more than 30 games and start more than 20, Chris Hubbard expected to hear his name called in the 2013 NFL Draft.
In fact, based on some pre-draft visits and conversations, he expected to land with the Seattle Seahawks in the later rounds.
But, ultimately that didn’t happen as Hubbard landed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent, and continues to stick around in the NFL today as a member of the San Francisco 49ers.
Appearing on “The Addicted Mind Podcast” to discuss his life and career, Hubbard recalled the moment he went undrafted and how he landed with the Steelers, stating that as soon as he heard from head coach Mike Tomlin and then-GM Kevin Colbert, he wanted to put his name on the dotted line immediately.
“I had not even got a call yet during the whole draft. I know Seattle, they called me and they said like, ‘Man, we’re looking to draft you.’ I’m waiting around, we’re having a party, thinking about like, yeah, I’m gonna get that call. I didn’t get the call,” Hubbard said to host Duane Osterlind, according to audio via the show’s podcast page. “And I got the call after the draft, which was…man, I thought I was gonna get drafted, but it’s okay. I still got a call.
“I got the call from the Pittsburgh Steelers right after the draft. They said, ‘How would I like to be a Pittsburgh Steeler?’ I said, ‘Man, coach, sign me up right now. I’m ready.'”
Hubbard signed with the Steelers and set forth a path to a long, successful career in the NFL, becoming another example of an undrafted free agent putting in the work, carving out a role and taking advantage of an opportunity.
The UAB product didn’t make the 53-man roster out of training camp in 2013, but he showed enough for the Steelers to sign him to the practice squad, where he spent the entire 2013 season before then earning a reserve/futures deal from the Steelers in January 2014.
That season would be a big one for Hubbard as he earned a 53-man roster spot coming out of training camp and quickly settled into the swing reserve tackle role, though he was inactive for much of the season. He made his NFL debut for the Steelers on Sept. 21, 2014 against the Carolina Panthers, which was his only game of the 2014 season.
But that work as the reserve swing tackle and the development he had in practice led to an increased role in 2015. That year, Hubbard was inserted into the starting lineup for the Steelers in place of the injured Marcus Gilbert and ended up starting four games that season, appearing in 15 total.
The following season, Hubbard started 10 games for the Steelers, appearing in all 16 as that extra offensive lineman and swing tackle. Hubbard was a true backup swing offensive lineman that the Steelers coveted, and doing so going from a UDFA that was disappointed to not hear his name called in the 2013 NFL Draft to a legitimate starting lineman in the NFL was quite the story arc.
Getting that chance in Pittsburgh was special for Hubbard.
“I got the chance to talk to Coach Tomlin and Mr. Rooney. A special group of people there, man. Pittsburgh holds a place in my heart always, man. Because they gave me an opportunity, they gave me a chance getting there in 2013, my first year there. I was excited, man. Very excited. Didn’t know what I was getting myself into,” Hubbard said of joining the Steelers. “Kind of got under the older guys that were there in Pittsburgh. I got the chance to be around Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, Maurkice Pouncey, Ramon Foster, the guys that’s on the o-line, man. Ben Roethlisberger. Like, yeah, man, you name it…It was just prestige group of guys that were there, man. And I got to watch those guys day in and day out, how they carried themselves on and off the field. And I was like, ‘Man, I wanna be like that, man.’ I wanna be able to make a name for myself here in the league and do it the right way, because I saw it from the guys do it.
“They did it the right way. They took care of their body. They took care of their mind.”
Though that group never did win a championship together, they did things the right way on and off the field and were always in the mix when it came to being contenders. Hubbard found himself part of a great offensive line group that was tight-knit and extremely talented, and getting to play in front of a quarterback like Ben Roethlisberger was quite the treat for Hubbard.
Having that opportunity to be around those veteran players, learn from them, grow in the process and make a mark in the NFL with the Steelers ultimately led to more opportunities for the UDFA.
Hubbard then took advantage of that development to sign a lucrative contract with the Cleveland Browns in free agency, going on to start 35 games and appear in 46 with the Browns over five seasons before then spending the 2023 season with the Tennessee Titans.
Though it was just four years in Pittsburgh, it was some of his best years in the NFL, on and off the field, a time that he still holds near and dear.
And it all started with a phone call in one of the more disappointing moments in his life.
