To say that Sam Hubbard has lived the dream is an understatement. Starting off as a high school standout at Moeller High School and then jumping to THE Ohio State and winning a National Championship with the Buckeyes would be enough for many football players.
However, Hubbard was a third-round pick in 2018 by his hometown Bengals and parlayed that into a very successful seven-year career. He retired this offseason, playing every one of his professional seasons with Cincinnati and will go down as both a fan favorite and one of the better defensive ends in team history—particularly with “The Fumble in the Jungle”.
We caught up with Hubbard ahead of the Week 2 matchup between the Bengals and the Jaguars and, as always, he exuded grace and love for the Bengals ahead of his pregame. And, he feels that the Bengals have good a chance at both a win against the Jaguars on Sunday, but to go on a lengthy run in 2025.
Thanks to the fine folks at Crown Royal Whisky, we had the opportunity to chat with Sam, as we often do around this time of year, to catch up on many things. The Bengals’ 2025 outlook, Sam’s Sundays, post-retirement and his being the Ruler of the Jungle this Sunday against the Jaguars.
We asked him if he had anything special planned for the ceremony and what it means to him to be designated with this honor so shortly after his retirement.
“Well, I don’t want to spoil the surprise,” Hubbard said of his potential celebration as Ruler of the Jungle. “I know, for one thing, after Zac’s (Taylor) presser, opening in orange and so I’m going to do my best to get those guys going and I know that Paycor’s going to be rocking. It starts winning at home and get to the playoffs and start winning at home, that’s the key for us.”
Hubbard’s time with us covered a variety of other topics, too. Not only does he foresee a win this Sunday, but he also weighed in on Trey Hendrickson’s contract status, his offseason workouts with his fellow EDGE-mate and more.
Some of the aspects of the interview:
-Sam’s life post-retirement.
-His conversations with Trey Hendrickson amid his contract negotiations with the Bengals.
-His thoughts on the team’s Week 1 win, and the outlook ahead in the 2025 season.
-Sam’s manning of the “Royal Rig” from Crown Royal and tailgating with fans on Sunday.
Sam Hubbard joined us courtesy of Crown Royal Whisky. If you’re going to the game at Paycor Stadium on Sunday, keep your eyes peeled for “The Royal Rig”, a purple 18-wheeler that will be in the East plaza of Paycor Stadium.
Sam will be there to hang out and tailgate with fans on Sunday against the Jaguars, so be sure to seek out “The Royal Rig”to get signature cocktails, giveaways and potential seat upgrades!