Hubert Takes Positive Attitude to Super Bowl LVI
Feb 08, 2022 | Football, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Four days before the Cincinnati Bengals began training camp, former Kansas State defensive end and seventh-round draft pick Wyatt Hubert tweaked his pectoral muscle while wrapping up his battery of workouts in Atlanta, Georgia. The 6-foot-3, 258-pound Hubert instantly knew something was terribly wrong.
Hours later, doctors confirmed the worst: Hubert tore his pectoral muscle. It required surgery and a six-month recovery. He'd miss the entirety of his rookie season.
"It came out of nowhere," Hubert says. "When I was at Kansas State, I missed one out of 36 career games, so this injury was one of the toughest things I've ever dealt with physically and mentally just because the timing of it. It's extremely tough to talk about."
But this story has a happy ending.
Today, Hubert lifts in the weight room daily. He is back to normal and eager to embark upon his first season on the field in 2022.
"I just realized it was my time," Hubert says. "My time had come. Obviously, the injury came at a bad time, but I do believe that everything is going to work out for the best. I'm pretty much fully cleared now, and I just can't wait to get back started and get back on the football field and start practicing with the team during OTAs in the spring. It's been very tough. It's been a great challenge for me, but it's all going to work out for the best."
Hubert is taking a trip on Tuesday. He is flying with the Cincinnati Bengals to Los Angeles. This will be his first trip to the state of California, and it'll be a memorable one, as the Bengals, 10-7, prepare to face the Los Angeles Rams, 12-5, in Super Bowl LVI at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
"Never in a million years would I have imagined myself being on a team that's going to the Super Bowl," says Hubert, a Topeka native. "It really hit me after we beat the Chiefs. For about 20 minutes, I was just star struck like, 'Holy crap, I'm going to the Super Bowl.' It's something I never envisioned for my life."
It's been quite a journey since Shawnee Heights High School.
A two-time First Team All-Big 12 selection, Hubert recorded 94 tackles, including 33 tackles for a loss with 20 sacks in 34 career games at K-State. That included 27 tackles, including 13 tackles for a loss, to go along with 8.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles as a junior in 2020. He finished his career tied for eighth in school history in sacks.
Hubert was just the second K-State sophomore defensive end in the then-23-year history of the Big 12 to earn First Team All-Big 12 honors, and the eighth K-State defensive end in history to earn first-team recognition overall.
Hubert joined Nyle Wiren (1996), Darren Howard (1998, 1999), Monty Beisel (2000), Ian Campbell (2006, 2007), Meshak Williams (2012), Ryan Mueller (2013, 2014), and Jordan Willis (2016) on the list of K-State First Team All-Big 12 defensive ends.
Cincinnati appeared thrilled that Hubert, who left K-State after his junior season, was still available in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Hubert signed a four-year rookie contact with the Bengals on May 17.
"We're excited about adding Wyatt," Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said. "He brings a ton of intangibles — he's a tough guy, he brings a ton of enthusiasm, and he plays with tremendous effort. I'm looking forward to watching him develop. The future is bright for him."
Hubert was on the sideline for most of the Bengals' home games this season. He sat in meetings and film study and watched defensive ends Sam Hubbard, Cam Sample and Wyatt Ray perform on the field while taking mental reps.
"Even though I was injured and I wasn't out on the field, I was still definitely learning as I went on, sitting in meetings and always being involved as much as I could," Hubert says. "I'd say I was pretty much involved in everything besides the actual playing football part, which is just a small bit of all the preparation that goes into it. I've definitely learned a lot and have grown in that way for sure."
What is Hubert looking forward to the most during Super Bowl week?
"It's crazy because thousands and thousands and millions of people play football in this nation and this is the biggest game out of every single football game that's played every single year," he says. "That's just a realization I've come to. That's an awesome thing to be a part of. It's just going to be the coolest thing ever, especially in Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium.
"I'm pretty confident that the Bengals fans are going to travel well for sure. We haven't been to a Super Bowl since the 1980s. Bengals fans are die-hard and are very similar to K-State fans. They're there through thick and thin for sure. I'm definitely confident they're going to travel well."
The Bengals captured their third-ever AFC crown with a 27-24 overtime win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the conference championship game. The matchup against the Rams marks the first time in Super Bowl history that both teams entered the playoffs as No. 4 seeds. Cincinnati has appeared in two Super Bowls (1982 and 1989) and seek its first Super Bowl victory on Sunday.
"It's so awesome and such a cool experience," Hubert says. "I give credit to all the coaches on the Bengals. They're great coaches. The players love the coaches on our team. We have a lot of young talent and great vets who are great mentors for us rookies. All the pieces just came together at the right time. The coaches led us to a great season along with the captains and leadership. We weren't perfect by any means, but we had a good enough record to make the playoffs.
"Once the playoffs came around when it was crunch time, we just buckled down and got one win and then another win and now we've made it this far. Hopefully we can come out with a win in the Super Bowl. It's just a crazy thrill. I can't wait to get to Los Angeles."
Hubert also can't wait to finally see the field next fall.
"I'm extremely pumped and excited," Hubert says. "I like my teammates and the guys I play with. I've made a lot of really good close relationships, specifically with guys in my rookie class. Playing in the NFL is every kid's dream growing up. I'm here and now it's time to get onto the field and show what I can do.
"I'm excited to play as long as I can and have the best career possible."
Four days before the Cincinnati Bengals began training camp, former Kansas State defensive end and seventh-round draft pick Wyatt Hubert tweaked his pectoral muscle while wrapping up his battery of workouts in Atlanta, Georgia. The 6-foot-3, 258-pound Hubert instantly knew something was terribly wrong.
Hours later, doctors confirmed the worst: Hubert tore his pectoral muscle. It required surgery and a six-month recovery. He'd miss the entirety of his rookie season.
"It came out of nowhere," Hubert says. "When I was at Kansas State, I missed one out of 36 career games, so this injury was one of the toughest things I've ever dealt with physically and mentally just because the timing of it. It's extremely tough to talk about."
But this story has a happy ending.
Today, Hubert lifts in the weight room daily. He is back to normal and eager to embark upon his first season on the field in 2022.
"I just realized it was my time," Hubert says. "My time had come. Obviously, the injury came at a bad time, but I do believe that everything is going to work out for the best. I'm pretty much fully cleared now, and I just can't wait to get back started and get back on the football field and start practicing with the team during OTAs in the spring. It's been very tough. It's been a great challenge for me, but it's all going to work out for the best."
Hubert is taking a trip on Tuesday. He is flying with the Cincinnati Bengals to Los Angeles. This will be his first trip to the state of California, and it'll be a memorable one, as the Bengals, 10-7, prepare to face the Los Angeles Rams, 12-5, in Super Bowl LVI at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
"Never in a million years would I have imagined myself being on a team that's going to the Super Bowl," says Hubert, a Topeka native. "It really hit me after we beat the Chiefs. For about 20 minutes, I was just star struck like, 'Holy crap, I'm going to the Super Bowl.' It's something I never envisioned for my life."
It's been quite a journey since Shawnee Heights High School.
A two-time First Team All-Big 12 selection, Hubert recorded 94 tackles, including 33 tackles for a loss with 20 sacks in 34 career games at K-State. That included 27 tackles, including 13 tackles for a loss, to go along with 8.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles as a junior in 2020. He finished his career tied for eighth in school history in sacks.
Hubert was just the second K-State sophomore defensive end in the then-23-year history of the Big 12 to earn First Team All-Big 12 honors, and the eighth K-State defensive end in history to earn first-team recognition overall.
Hubert joined Nyle Wiren (1996), Darren Howard (1998, 1999), Monty Beisel (2000), Ian Campbell (2006, 2007), Meshak Williams (2012), Ryan Mueller (2013, 2014), and Jordan Willis (2016) on the list of K-State First Team All-Big 12 defensive ends.
Cincinnati appeared thrilled that Hubert, who left K-State after his junior season, was still available in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Hubert signed a four-year rookie contact with the Bengals on May 17.
"We're excited about adding Wyatt," Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said. "He brings a ton of intangibles — he's a tough guy, he brings a ton of enthusiasm, and he plays with tremendous effort. I'm looking forward to watching him develop. The future is bright for him."
Hubert was on the sideline for most of the Bengals' home games this season. He sat in meetings and film study and watched defensive ends Sam Hubbard, Cam Sample and Wyatt Ray perform on the field while taking mental reps.
"Even though I was injured and I wasn't out on the field, I was still definitely learning as I went on, sitting in meetings and always being involved as much as I could," Hubert says. "I'd say I was pretty much involved in everything besides the actual playing football part, which is just a small bit of all the preparation that goes into it. I've definitely learned a lot and have grown in that way for sure."
What is Hubert looking forward to the most during Super Bowl week?
"It's crazy because thousands and thousands and millions of people play football in this nation and this is the biggest game out of every single football game that's played every single year," he says. "That's just a realization I've come to. That's an awesome thing to be a part of. It's just going to be the coolest thing ever, especially in Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium.
"I'm pretty confident that the Bengals fans are going to travel well for sure. We haven't been to a Super Bowl since the 1980s. Bengals fans are die-hard and are very similar to K-State fans. They're there through thick and thin for sure. I'm definitely confident they're going to travel well."
The Bengals captured their third-ever AFC crown with a 27-24 overtime win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the conference championship game. The matchup against the Rams marks the first time in Super Bowl history that both teams entered the playoffs as No. 4 seeds. Cincinnati has appeared in two Super Bowls (1982 and 1989) and seek its first Super Bowl victory on Sunday.
"It's so awesome and such a cool experience," Hubert says. "I give credit to all the coaches on the Bengals. They're great coaches. The players love the coaches on our team. We have a lot of young talent and great vets who are great mentors for us rookies. All the pieces just came together at the right time. The coaches led us to a great season along with the captains and leadership. We weren't perfect by any means, but we had a good enough record to make the playoffs.
"Once the playoffs came around when it was crunch time, we just buckled down and got one win and then another win and now we've made it this far. Hopefully we can come out with a win in the Super Bowl. It's just a crazy thrill. I can't wait to get to Los Angeles."
Hubert also can't wait to finally see the field next fall.
"I'm extremely pumped and excited," Hubert says. "I like my teammates and the guys I play with. I've made a lot of really good close relationships, specifically with guys in my rookie class. Playing in the NFL is every kid's dream growing up. I'm here and now it's time to get onto the field and show what I can do.
"I'm excited to play as long as I can and have the best career possible."
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