CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The running back trainer who worked with Nick Chubb for the first time on Thursday at Chubb’s alma mater, Cedartown High School in Cedartown, Ga., was amazed at where he is only 7 1/2 months after undergoing surgery to repair his ACL, the second installment of his knee reconstruction.
“I even had to ask him, ‘Which knee was it again?’” Brad Lester, offseason running backs coach to about 15 NFL players, told cleveland.com by phone. “He said ‘the left one.’ I said, ‘That’s good that I can’t even tell.’ He’s way ahead of schedule in my opinion.”
A former Auburn running back and exercise major who made some NFL practice squads and spent two years in the CFL, Lester has worked with such NFL running backs as Alvin Kamara, Chris Carson and Najee Harris.
But he’s never seen anything like this — a player who can do the things Chubb is doing less than eight months after his second surgery. The first one, in September, repaired the torn MCL, meniscus and medial capsule.
“I will honestly say I have never seen anyone recover as fast as he has so far,” Lester said. “After certain movements, I was kind of like, ‘How do you feel?’ And he’d say ‘I was fine.’ I was like, ‘Man, this is pretty impressive.’ To be seven months out and he didn’t have any pains in the workout.”
Even more incredible was the fact that Chubb had just completed a grueling weight workout with his longtime Cedartown track and strength coach Mike Worthington before starting the running back drills.
“Those workouts with (Worthington) have really put him over the edge to where he needs to be right now,” Lester said. “I told him earlier, the work you’ve already done with him is great, so now what we’re trying to do is transition more into getting ready to do position movements, get back to cutting and things that we’re about to do on game day.”
Having Chubb do a lot of plyometrics and single-leg stability drills, Lester was surprised at how strong and agile he was. But knowing the precious cargo he had in his possession, he took it relatively easy on Day 1.
“I was actually very timid going into the workout, especially with that type of injury,” Lester said. “The workout today was more like a rehab session. I was very cautious. And even though he’s ahead of schedule, obviously I think he’s still needs to take his time, and whenever he’s ready to come back, come back.”
Lester hasn’t consulted with the Browns’ training staff yet, but has been in contact with Browns running backs coach Duce Staley.
“He’s happy with what I have going on with Nick and he just wants me to keep them updated as we’re going,” Lester said.
Chubb first heard of Lester through Browns rookie running back Aidan Robbins, signed out of Brigham Young as an undrafted free agent. Lester helped train Robbins during the pre-draft process, and Robbins (6-2, 237) managed to catch the Browns’ eye. He was also present at Chubb’s first workout with Lester on Thursday, and will work out with them more both at Cedartown and in Atlanta, where Lester works with most of his backs.
“We’ll be doing this a lot over the next several months,” Lester said. “Probably twice a week for awhile, and then three times closer to training camp (in late July).”
Lester said he wouldn’t be surprised if Chubb were available for the opener Sept. 8 against the Cowboys, “but I also wouldn’t push it too much. Take your time, because you want to have them for long haul. You want to have them around the Week 7, 8, 9 when you’re fighting for the division championship.”
He said it’s the first time he’s ever worked with a player coming back from his second major reconstruction of the same knee. Chubb first tore three ligaments at Georgia, and defied all the odds by becoming a four-time NFL Pro Bowler and runner up for the NFL rushing title.
“But both of them were kind of freak accidents,” Lester said. “It wasn’t like he planted and it just it just happened. The issue was just wrong place, wrong time, and he’s just got to move forward and pray for the best and keep working.”
Lester found Chubb to be in very good spirits, very positive, but also his usual humble and quiet self.
“I’m very excited for Nick,” he said. “How can you not root for him to come back and have a great season?”
If Lester can play even a small part in the comeback story, he’ll be honored.
“I don’t see why he wouldn’t be ready to get back this year,” he said.
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