Former Ohio State Defender Catches Touchdown Pass in NFL Game

A former Ohio State Buckeyes defender caught a touchdown pass during the Cincinnati Bengals' win over the Tennessee Titans.

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard (94) celebrates his touchdown during the second quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard has consistently been a force along his team's defensive line ever since entering the NFL in 2018.

However, on Sunday, the former Ohio State Buckeyes star actually did something offensively.

During the second quarter of the Bengals' 37-27 win over the Tennessee Titans, Hubbard caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Joe Burrow, who himself played at Ohio State (albeit briefly).

Sam Hubbard catches a touchdown from Joe Burrow! #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/3ZEjeNupGe

— THE Bunch of Nuts Podcast (@bunch_nuts) December 15, 2024

Talk about a wild Buckeyes connection.

It was the first reception of Hubbard's NFL career, and going into Week 15, he had been targeted just once throughout his entire professional tenure. That target came all the way back during his rookie campaign.

Hubbard logged one tackle against the Titans.

Unfortunately, the Ohio State product also injured his knee on the touchdown grab and was ruled out for the rest of the contest.

On the season overall, Hubbard has totaled 41 tackles, a couple of sacks and a forced fumble.

The 29-year-old played for the Buckeyes between 2015 and 2017 and established himself as a premier defender in the Big Ten, amassing 116 tackles, 30 tackles for loss and 17 sacks during his time in Columbus.

Hubbard was then selected by Cincinnati in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft and instantly made an impact during his first season, finishing with 39 tackles and six sacks.

While Hubbard has never registered double-digit sacks, he has posted six or more sacks on five occasions, topping out at 8.5 back in 2019.

The Cincinnati native has one year remaining on his deal with the Bengals after this season.