Rueben Mayes pulling for Panthers’ Hubbard to break his NFL rushing mark [Video]

Long the standard by which Canadian running backs are measured in the NFL, Rueben Mayes is hoping Chuba Hubbard can set that bar even higher.

In 1986, Mayes became the first Canadian to rush for over 1,000 yards in an NFL season, running for a career-best 1,353 yards (over 16 regular-season games) as a New Orleans Saints rookie.

On Dec. 8, Hubbard became the second Canadian to crack the 1,000-yard plateau and needs 159 yards in the Carolina Panthers’ final two regular-season games to surpass Mayes’ single-season mark.

“I’m cheering for him to do it,” Mayes said. “I did what I did 38 years ago and being the first (Canadian) to do it, I feel a lot of pride about that.

“But now it’s Chuba’s time. It (1,353 yards) is definitely within reach and I think Canadians should be really proud to know there’s a homegrown player who’s doing that …