Always overlooked, little Hubert earns big chance at NFL – DeCock

When Chris Hubert was a freshman at Middle Creek, and even before that, varsity players would tell coach Sean Crocker about him. When Crocker got a look at Hubert, he found their praise slightly hard to believe: Hubert was tiny, his weight barely into triple digits.

They would tell Crocker, “Look out for ‘Smoke.’ That kid’s like 5 feet tall, but don’t let him fool you. Nobody can touch him.”

No one warned the Arizona Cardinals about the little guy from Apex. They figured it out for themselves.

This is the story of Hubert’s career, from Division II walk-on to NFL training camp. At a tryout camp in May, Hubert was one of two players among two dozen hopefuls to earn contracts, giving him a spot on the Cardinals’ 90-man offseason roster and an invitation to camp in August.

Hubert signed a standard undrafted tryout contract – worth up to $1.62 million over three years if he makes the team but nothing if he doesn’t, without the signing bonus or guaranteed money of a draft pick or priority undrafted free agent. Essentially, Hubert played his way into a football lottery ticket.

“At first, when you tell people you’re going out for the football team, they look at you with a smirk on their face,” Hubert said. “Then when you go on the field, you show what you can do. That’s how it always was.”

The son of Wayne “Smoke” Hubert, a longtime football equipment manager at N.C. State, Hubert started out as “Puff” when he hung around the team as a kid before becoming “Smoke” on his own.

At every step of the way, Hubert got one shot and only one shot. There are no second chances on the football field when you’re Hubert’s size. At Middle Creek, he became N.C. State-bound quarterback Garrett Leatham’s favorite target, but college interest in a 5-5 receiver was limited – a total of two recruiting letters and no offers.

“It was a tough sell,” Crocker said. “Chris was small, but he had the desire to play. It was tough finding a good fit for him.”

After walking on at Fayetteville State, Hubert redshirted as a freshman, played little the next two years, and, after his sophomore season and a change of coaching staffs, found himself at the bottom of the depth chart for spring practice. Not for the first time, he had to prove himself all over again.

His senior year, he set single-season school records with 71 catches and 13 touchdowns. He also grew a few inches, and put on some weight. By the time he graduated, he measured 5-7 1/2, 170 pounds at N.C. State’s pro day.

“I would always say to friends and strangers, if he were 2 inches taller and 30 pounds heavier, he’d be in the NFL,” Leatham said. “His last two years at Fayetteville State, he bulked up and started to show what he can do. He has the best hands of anybody I’ve ever played with. He’s quicker than anybody I’ve ever played with, including N.C. State guys who went on to the NFL. I tried telling him to transfer to N.C. State as a senior. He was better than any receiver we had.”

Hubert’s play at Fayetteville State earned him an invitation to try out at the Cardinals’ rookie minicamp, as one of the warm bodies who come in and fill out the practices with the drafted players. Not for the first time, facing long odds, he managed to make an impression. Arizona liked Hubert’s quickness, hands and ability to return kicks enough to sign him to a contract and invite him to training camp.

The Cardinals will have 10 receivers in camp. But there’s preseason playing time available, and practice-squad spots, and other NFL teams watching. It’s a chance to open eyes, to keep the dream alive a little bit longer. Not many players who come out of a tryout camp make the NFL, but it’s not impossible.

Throughout his life, Hubert has done more with less. He wasn’t supposed to make it onto a college field, let alone share a locker room with NFL star receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

This opportunity is no different. It’s the same for him as it ever was.

“It’s a blessing,” Hubert said, “but at the same time, this isn’t where I want my story to end.”

This story was originally published June 21, 2016 at 10:33 AM with the headline "Always overlooked, little Hubert earns big chance at NFL – DeCock."