CINCINNATI — As the Bengals continue their offseason workouts, Cincinnati defensive end Sam Hubbard put his mental skills to the test while taking on an escape room with one fan.
Celina, Ohio native Bailee Kelch won an online raffle for the Sam Hubbard Foundation, getting the chance to not only tour Paycor Stadium and have lunch with Hubbard, but also visit Escape Game at The Banks Monday afternoon. The escape room was Hubbard's first.
"I'm excited," he said before going in. "Hopefully, we can find a way out of here."
While all 32 of last season's Walter Payton Man of the Year nominees had raffles, Hubbard's raised the most money. The "Rally with Sam Hubbard" campaign brought in $81,000 for his foundation, which is dedicated to fighting food insecurity in the community.
"That's a testament to the support I've have in the city, and all we've done in Cincinnati," Hubbard said.
A Bengals fan since birth, Kelch said she saw Hubbard's post on social media and thought entering the raffle would be a fun way to support his foundation.
"I grew up not having a lot, kind of having to dig through the couches for quarters and stuff for lunch money, so him doing that ... it's really kind of personal to me, because I would've loved something like that," Kelch said.
Getting the chance to meet Hubbard and visit the stadium, she said, has been a great opportunity.
"It's been a great time so far," Kelch said before the escape room. "He's super nice."
While escape rooms can be intense, it appears there was no fighting or yelling as the group worked to get out. Teamwork was, of course, essential.
