Last Thursday night, Norwood found itself in a sporting spirit quite unlike the usual gridiron action. The fourth annual Sam Hubbard Fowling Tournament brought together nearly a thousand supporters for a charitable cause that seems to bowl over the community in all the right ways. With a fusion of football and bowling, or "fowling" as it's been coined, the event successfully raised funds earmarked for Hubbard's Cupboards program—an initiative under The Sam Hubbard Foundation, tirelessly working to provide essential items to needy children. As FOX19 reported, former Cincinnati Bengals defensive end and local hero Sam Hubbard is retiring into a level of community engagement that, judging by the tournament's scale, tackles more than just football.
Playing his entire career with the hometown Bengals, Hubbard is no stranger to Cincinnati's heart. After hanging up his cleats post the 2024 season, he's spearheading efforts to increase the reach of his philanthropic work. According to a Sports Illustrated interview, the event saw current Bengals stars like Trey Hendrickson and Ted Karras in attendance, showing that support runs deep in the team's roster, even after players have left the field. The charitable aspect of the fowling fun resonates with the players, Hubbard included, who seems to have found a sweet spot in engaging with the city that raised him.
Matt Kittell, the foundation's executive director, outlined the tangible goals they have set looking forward. Aspired to expand into even more schools, the foundation is set to catapult its reach from 21 to 36 schools, promising to arm 15,000 students with healthy snacks, hygiene items, and educational supplies. "We're just focused on growing funding that makes sure 15,000 students are going to have what they need," Kittell told FOX19, in a night that managed to double as both fun and impact, exemplified by merging sport with social good.
WLWT5's coverage highlighted that the Fowling Warehouse Cincinnati was packed to the gills, with 240 teams vying to knock down pins for a purpose. The Sam Hubbard Foundation's Hubbard's Cupboard Program has already made impressive strides in assisting nearly 10,000 Greater Cincinnati youth, and with figures like Hubbard's 38.5 career sacks and 236 solo tackles, his actions off the field are poised to leave a mark as indelible as his sports achievements. Hubbard told Sports Illustrated, "doing twenty different things and I'm thankful for that," carrying the ethos of a man who's clearly more than just an athlete.
As the fifth annual installation in what has become a cherished local tradition, the fowling tournament marries the best of Cincinnati's sporting culture with its big-hearted generosity. This event, hosted by someone who knows all too well both the roar of a stadium and the quieter victories of community service, again shows why sports stars can leave their cleats on the field and still keep scoring for their community. With Hubbard at the helm, the event and the foundation are bound to grow—and so is the impact it has on the lives of Cincinnati's youths.
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