CHARLOTTE— Chuba Hubbard has a lot of facets to his personality and his game. He is a hard-nosed runner, unafraid of contact and challenging any defender to stop him. He's also a smart guy who knows some laws of physics can't be beat.

Both came into play on Tuesday, in two different plays of the day (because it's the final day of training camp, so we can change the rules).

On the first play of the final move-the-ball drill, Hubbard took a handoff and broke off the right tackle. He drove his way through traffic and found an edge before racing down the right sideline. It looked to be a wide-open touchdown run, so Jimmy Horn Jr. and Raheem Blackshear both sprinted down the sideline with him, hyping him up and screaming along the way.

Mike Jackson had an angle from the far side of the field, though, and the speed to at least try to catch up with the back. He sprinted across the grass, making a final push for Hubbard at the goal line. Hubbard was too far ahead, though, stepping into the end zone and holding the ball out for good measure before Jackson could grab him.

On the next play, Hubbard took the handoff again and bounced out to the left.

Defensive lineman Derrick Brown was there waiting, setting up in a stance that dared the running back to come his way. But Brown is 6-5, 320 pounds, and Hubbard has been there before. He stared down Brown for half a second, paused, and made a business decision that was so noticeable, it could be seen from around the field.

Leaving Brown where he was, Hubbard jumped left and took off again down the opposite sideline, this time in a moment that was funnier than it had any right to be.

Hubbard also notably pushed the offense through a quick gasser midway through practice, unsatisfied with their play. The marriage of that leadership and both plays—the physicality and the right cut—highlight why Hubbard was able to surpass 1,000-plus yards last season and was rewarded with a long-term contract by the Panthers.

"It's the biggest blessing I've gotten," Hubbard said Saturday during the preseason game against the Texans, of the deal and the confidence from his team.

"All I can say is thank you to God and, honestly, the Carolina Panthers as well for believing in me. This is where it started for me, so to be able to continue to be here and be on the up and up, it feels good."