Former Georgia player Nick Chubb gives back to high school alma mater with this gift

During his time as a Georgia running back, Nick Chubb’s story always circled back to his hometown of Cedartown, Georgia. Even though Chubb has moved on to the next level, he proved Thursday he hasn’t forgotten where he came from.

Chubb returned to his high school alma mater, Cedartown High School, on Thursday to make a special donation to the Bulldogs football program. Chubb gave the school 65 “Epic-Plus” helmets produced by Xenith, a brand of helmet Chubb has worn since high school and one he recently signed a sponsorship deal with.

Per DawgNation’s Chip Towers, Cedartown coach Doyle Kelly said the gift was worth at least $15,000.

“This is my first chance to actually give back,” Chubb told Towers. “Xenith offered me a deal, and I loved it. It’s a chance to give something back to a place where I grew up and loved so much and is so dear to me. So, it was a perfect way for me to show how appreciative I am of this town that made me a better person.”

Towers explained Chubb’s relationship with Xenith dates back to Cedartown, where the emerging running back had a problem keeping the Bulldogs’ traditional Riddell helmet on his head. Because losing your helmet requires leaving the field for a play, then-Cedartown head coach and current Cedartown principal Scott Hendrix was fed up with his star having to stand idly by for too many plays.

“One game, he’s over there on the sideline on fourth-and-2 and I’m losing my mind,” Hendrix told Towers. “So I started calling around, and a guy told me about this Xenith helmet and how well the chinstrap pulls the padding against the back of your head and makes it less likely to come off. So I said, ‘Send it.’”

Chubb wore the helmet as he established himself as a five-star running back at Cedartown and as a big-play threat at Georgia. Now that he’s working toward an NFL career with the Browns, there was no better time to give back to the high school where it all started.