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The People I See on My Travels – 3

March 19, 2011 By
Another flight, another person for you. As you know, I travel all over and see a ton of people. This one even baffled me. Let me introduce you to Mr-I-REALLY-Think-I-At-Home guy:
Please note: this is not an actor. He really rolls like this in public!

Can’t tell what this guy is doing you say? Let me clear it up for you…..he is cutting his nails while everyone is waiting to get on their flights! I really wish I was kidding, but, unfortunately, I am not.

Once again, as was with this guy, I simply couldn’t divert my eyes. I was staring into an eclipse with binoculars on but I didn’t care. This was something that needed to be viewed and analyzed. I was starting to get a little nervous that he would catch me, but then I realized, am I really the one that should be embarrassed? Absolutely not. Therefore, I embraced.  This guy is so off with his social norms that he needs to realize how clueless he is. I was hoping he would see me. He did not.

He was so blatant with his clipping (I was approximately seven feet from him acting like a paparazzi and he didn’t bat an eye), it made me really hope it was in the summer. That would have opened up so many opportunities with the obvious sandal option. This cat was at an airport I frequently hit, so I am really pulling to see him in a couple months. Keep your well manicured fingers crossed.

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Chris-Rubio-2

Rubio Long Snapping is, by far, the biggest and best resource for Long Snappers in the country. Offering the best instruction and most exposure in the world. Rubio Long Snapping can help you to become the best snapper you can be!

In just 12 years, Chris Rubio, President and Owner of Rubio Long Snapping, has become the #1 Long Snapping instructor in the country and the go-to man when a college coach needs a Long Snapper. Colleges from across the country rely on “Rubio’s” word day in and day out on who the best Long Snappers are in the country. Rubio Long Snapping has assisted in over 300 Long Snappers earning FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to major colleges and universities just for Long Snapping and many into the NFL as well.

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Filed Under: Article Archives, Humor Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

The People I See On My Travels – 2

March 15, 2011 By
Well, I have been to a couple of airports since my last entry and oh do I have some winners for you (I’m only going to tell you about one right now). Let me introduce you to Mr-I-Have-No-Idea-That-I-Am-Wearing-A-Backpack guy. Please take a second and look at the following picture I have added for all the visual learners out there:

The Enemy
This guy is the person you see in the airport wearing a monster backpack. Seems innocent enough and you almost feel bad for him. Don’t ever feel sorry for this person. They are the enemy. They can take a person and/or magazine rack out with one turn of their body. Their backpack is usually filled with at least one laptop, and from the damage they create, one would assume at least a cinderblock or two.
This particular man was on a flight with me and sitting across the aisle. I noticed him right off the bat as he is a rare “double bagger.” Basically, he carries a monster backpack the normal way and then carries another bag with his paws. The extra bag just adds to his dangerousness because he will pay more attention to the bag in hand instead of the weapon he carries on his back (which does enough damage on it’s own, let alone when he is double unfocused).
He took out at least two small children simply walking down aisle of the plane. I was smart enough to see him coming and fully embraced the person next to me to avoid his wake. He sat down and tried to stuff his backpack/weapon under the chair in front of him. Given, it didn’t fit so he had a personal ottoman all flight. He almost cramped up he was in such a fetal position for so long. I was really hoping the cramps set it in so he would wait to get off the flight. They didn’t.

When we landed, I tried again to snuggle with the person next to me to make some room for Godzilla’s tail but I couldn’t get out of the way quick enough and was nailed several times. I am not sure if the guy was warming up for a hula-hoop contest or what, but he was spinning like a wild man and connecting with me on each turn. After four of five blows to my grill, I decided to just embrace hoping he would knock me out cold to end the misery. I was literally ducking and diving like a boxer.

Bottom line: you see a person on your travels with monster backpack, get away. You see a person with monster backpack and bag in hand, run for the hills.

_________________________________________________________________

Chris-Rubio-2

Rubio Long Snapping is, by far, the biggest and best resource for Long Snappers in the country. Offering the best instruction and most exposure in the world. Rubio Long Snapping can help you to become the best snapper you can be!

In just 12 years, Chris Rubio, President and Owner of Rubio Long Snapping, has become the #1 Long Snapping instructor in the country and the go-to man when a college coach needs a Long Snapper. Colleges from across the country rely on “Rubio’s” word day in and day out on who the best Long Snappers are in the country. Rubio Long Snapping has assisted in over 300 Long Snappers earning FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to major colleges and universities just for Long Snapping and many into the NFL as well.

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Nike Spring Camp in CA

March 11, 2011 By

I can’t sleep. It is 2:24 am and I am pretty much wide awake. Couple reasons: baby on the way (May 23 and I am a thinker so my mind is always rolling on this one), a certain Apple product has peaked my interest, I watched Short Circuit a couple hours ago and was shocked at how bad it/the acting was (I refuse to believe all classic 80’s movies I grew up with are the same way!) and, finally, I am thinking a ton about this weekend’s Nike Spring Camp in CA.

(Side note: thought this was known, but apparently it is not, when you see something in my blogs in blue, like the words Apple product, that means there is a link within that word…click on it for a whole new world of possibilities. Double side note: you might also need to meander back through some past blogs to clear some things up)

This weekend’s camp is the beginning of my spring and summer tour. Think first day of school. I didn’t dread school when I was younger. I enjoyed it. It was easy and I was able to hang out with my friends. Don’t get me wrong, I was not a fan of homework, but rest of it (socializing, etc) made that part worth it for me. This camp is my first day of school…and I am excited.

It is essentially a local camp (I live in Idaho, but travel back to California quite often) for me so there will be a lot of Long Snappers that I know and this won’t be their first rodeo at a Rubio Long Snapping camp. I am very interested to see who steps up. Being comfortable around me is one thing. Performing in front of me is a whole other. The “regulars” know the routine and what I expect. The new guys will not. I would love to see a new Long Snapper come in and just wow me. Love it, but will it happen?

2011 –  Obviously, this class is stacked and there will be some key players in CA for this camp. I wonder if Scott Thompson and Tanner Gibas will show their dominance like they did in Vegas at the 9th Annual Event and blow everyone out of the water. Will Den Bleyker be confident and really let the ball fly? Will Longo show me how he has gained weight and prove that UCLA made a great decision in offering him a spot on the team? Will Gibbs stick his chest out, trust his form and let me see his improvement? How about Avila, the kid is built like a rock and is improving by the second.

2012 – This class is starting to really get their identity and it is solid. A lot of movement is going to occur in their rankings during the next nine months through the spring/summer camps and especially Vegas. This camp is their first step in a long journey and they need to start off on the right foot. The group in CA is filled with good Long Snappers…which ones will step up on Sunday and be great?

2013 – Several new sophomore Long Snappers will be attending this camp. Always intrigues me, but can they possibly keep up with some of the already old-timers? Key match-ups to see will be Lizanich (proven dominance), Mazza (up and coming, built like a 20 year old) and Thompson (form is best in class, and I am just waiting on the size to kick in). I am fully expecting a good amount of movement in this class.

Just read this post. Looks like I am putting a bit of pressure on the Long Snappers out in CA. That is not like me at all. I would never play a mind game like that now would I? Of course, being a Long Snapper is a position where one has to be able to handle an immense amount of pressure so maybe I would. Those that know me know the real answer is………

_________________________________________________________________

Chris-Rubio-2

Rubio Long Snapping is, by far, the biggest and best resource for Long Snappers in the country. Offering the best instruction and most exposure in the world. Rubio Long Snapping can help you to become the best snapper you can be!

In just 12 years, Chris Rubio, President and Owner of Rubio Long Snapping, has become the #1 Long Snapping instructor in the country and the go-to man when a college coach needs a Long Snapper. Colleges from across the country rely on “Rubio’s” word day in and day out on who the best Long Snappers are in the country. Rubio Long Snapping has assisted in over 300 Long Snappers earning FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to major colleges and universities just for Long Snapping and many into the NFL as well.

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Filed Under: Article Archives, Athlete, Athletics, California Camp, Deep Snapper, Exposure, Football, High School, Long Snapper, Motivation, Recruiting Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

What Makes a Long Snapper Great?

March 3, 2011 By

Rubio-Ad.jpgI work with hundreds of Long Snappers per year and often get asked the question, what makes a Long Snapper great? The answer is something that I should be able to (don’t worry, I can) spray out to someone pretty darn clearly and with the utmost precision for a couple different reasons.

First, I rank Long Snappers for a living on RubioLongSnapping.com so I probably should know what I am talking about and not just go off something like a ball hitting a target. It would be pretty ignorant of me to completely demolish a Long Snapper’s ranking simply because he missed a target by a quarter of an inch (would you punish a quarter back if he was aiming for the center of a receiver’s chest, but was off a quarter inch….didn’t think so). So much goes into the art of Long Snapping, but very few actually know what it entails.

Second, I get asked by coaches of all levels that exact question (what makes a Long Snapper great? in case you already forgot) simply to challenge me. They are actually testing me and want to hear what I say to decide if I actually know what I am talking about. Can you imagine asking a world class chef why his food is so tasty and he responds with “um, well, it is hot and, um just tastes good.” You would not trust him and definitely would not think he knew what he was talking about.

My answer needs to be precise and broken down so the average Joe can understand. For some reason, not everyone is as into Long Snapping as I am so I try to stay away from getting too technical. I know it is pathetic and sad, but it is what it is. I will work on the people I meet and you do the same. Hopefully, sooner than later, enough of us spraying can enable people to see the light and figure out that the “center just doesn’t do the snapping for punts too.”

Those of you on my e-mail list have already received something similar to this, but I thought I might make it even clearer. Here, in my opinion, is what makes a Long Snapper great……

SPEED – This is easily one of the top things everyone sees when they watch a Long Snapper and it should be. How fast is your snap from 15 yards? We are talking from the instant you start your snap (that is when the defender can get moving) to the instant it hits the punter’s paws.   You are looking for something below .78. Most top tier Long Snappers nowadays flirt with the high .6s. Obviously, the quicker you are the better your rank and the more people/coaches/agents will be drawn to you. Easy way to judge speed is to simply watch the ball from the side about ten yards away. Does the ball have an arch or is it still rising when it hits the punter? Arch is bad, rising is good….told you I would break it down for you:) Check out this video of Rubio Long Snapper Tanner Gibas (2011, CA – headed to Kansas) and how his ball is rising:

Please note on this video: Gibas is basically trying to kill the person catching the ball. I love this (sorry Mr. Sue) because I ALWAYS teach my Long Snappers to snap the ball through the punter and not to him. Mr. Sue actually looks like he is trying to defend himself. I love it! Sorry, yet again Mr. Sue.The average high school Long Snapper hovers around the 1.0 second region. Most high school coaches don’t care simply because they just want the “ball to get there” (sound familiar to all of in the high school world?). The average college Long Snapper is mid .6s to high .7s.The pros are usually right around the same as college but they just don’t ever miss. They are like machines.

ACCURACY– This is usually the third thing someone notices about a Long Snapper. How accurate are you when snapping. Meaning does the punter/holder have to move around a lot to catch your snaps. Best possible location is the right hip (for a right footed punter). Even though some punters like the ball at their chest, this is actually not that great of a spot since they (punters) have to turn the ball over and, for some reason, they can have troubles with this process. A great Long Snapper is not going to make their punter/holder move. Good way to test this is to have someone catch your snaps from about 15 yards away while sitting in a lawn chair. How many footballs in a row can you snap without making that person move? Five, ten, fifteen, fifty? Anything less than ten and you need some work in my book.

Here is a good example of a Rubio Long Snapper, Scott Daly (2012 – IL – Starting at Notre Dame now), showing some very solid accuracy. The ball is in the same spot on all snaps.

CONSISTENCY– This one is a bit tricky to understand since everyone always tries to lump it in with accuracy. Little bit different since consistency, in my eyes, means the ball staying the same speed the with each and every snap. Basically, you and the punter/holder/kicker are trying to create a rhythm. Given, the whole process starts with the most important person on the team, the Long Snapper. Your snap needs to be a good, consistent tempo at all times. It is very hard for a punter to get a rhythm with a Long Snapper if one snap is a rocket and the other is a floater. If you snap a .75 that is great, but is it like that every time? Varying your time from .7 to .8 is a massive valley to cross and can screw up the timing of everything. It is similar to seeing fast ball, fast ball, fast ball, change up…it would screw you up. Big issues with this category come when a Long Snapper has to snap and block.

Below is a great video for consistency from Rubio Long Snapper Reid Ferguson (2012, GA, now at LSU). When you watch this masterpiece, note how the speed is almost identical on every single snap. It almost looks like one snap, cut and pasted over and over again.


SIZE– This is either the first or second thing someone notices about a Long Snapper. Even before you snap a ball someone is going to judge you on your looks. Think about it. You ever look at the old time Cadillacs and say, “Man, I bet that thing hauls!” Not even close. You see a massive ride that isn’t going anywhere quick (quite comfy though).How big are you? How strong are you? Are you built well? Do you pass the eyeball test? If you got off a plane to visit a college coach, what would be the first thing he thought when he saw you? Size and look of your body is a big thing with colleges and, therefore, a big thing with me.Given, not everyone is 6’4″ and 250 lbs so you have to do the best with what you got. How would you look in just your underwear? If vomit is making its way to your mouth right now, you might want to hit the elliptical and some weights. If you are undersized you will need to make up in other ways to compensate (grades, perfect form, blocking, speed of ball, attitude, aggressiveness). Perfect example would be someone like Rubio Long Snapper Scott Thompson (2011, CA – headed to NC State). He is not a giant, but uses his solid Long Snapper frame….meaning massive butt and legs which is a good thing for a Long Snapper:)…exceptionally well. Watch this video to see Scott really utilizing his backside almost like a trebuchet…love it!


Ideal Long Snapper frame? Rubio Long Snapper Nick Boyle (2011, NJ – headed to Delaware) is pretty darn close:

Yours truly and Nick Boyle
Please Note: I am not a small fellow (over 6 ft tall and above two turns on the scale)
and Nick is making me look like a child.

ATHLETICISM– how athletic are you? Can you move down field? Would you be able to divert the punt returner or even tackle him? Are you light on your feet or are you causing the ground to shake…in a bad way? Solid athleticism can really help out a ranking if you are under and over sized. It is not a deal breaker, but man oh man can it help a Long Snapper that is battling against another one in the coach’s eyes.

On that note, I can reflect back on quite a few Long Snappers that are beyond sub-par athletes (think doing a layup, mind you with no one around, and launching it well over the backboard….not even kidding) that are exceptional at Long Snapping.

BLOCKING– how well do you block? “My HS coach does not require me to block” doesn’t fly with me. It shows toughness and coaches will want to know if you can block. You say the school/coach you are getting recruited by does the spread punt….awesome! What happens if/when that coach leaves and the new one wants to see you block since he is doing the pro style? You aren’t going to say “sorry I don’t block” you are going to do exactly what you need to do to get/keep the starting spot.

Blocking is a major selling point for a Long Snapper. You can jump up the rankings very quickly by being able to snap AND block. Like I always say, there are thousands of people that can snap a ball, and there are thousands that can block, but there are very, very few that can actually snap AND block.

Look at this video of Rubio Long Snapper Samuel Rodgers (2011, PA – headed to Syracuse) and how his snap is the exact same (phenomenal) when he is blocking. Such a huge win to be able to do both.


SPIRAL– This one is pretty basic. Either your ball spirals or it doesn’t. You can look at this one two ways. 1) Scientifically: tight spiral cuts through the wind due to less resistance. 2) Caveman: Bad spiral is hard for the punter, who is already fighting an uphill battle since they aren’t a Long Snapper, to catch. How well does your ball spiral? Having a very fast snap and little to no spiral will crush your speed, your ranking and the opinion of you in a coach’s eyes. Just think if someone didn’t know a ton about Long Snapping, wouldn’t a nice, pretty spiral be something that catches their eye? The answer is undoubtedly YES.
MENTALITY– This is a huge one for Long Snappers and can absolutely crush you. Being a Long Snapper is extremely challenging because you essentially can never obtain a rhythm. A lineman misses a block and he has about forty seconds before he can redeem himself. You might have to wait for twenty to thirty minutes.  You snap a perfect ball, jog off the field and have to wait for a large chunk of time to get back in there. The only time you are on the field a ton is if your team is great (pats) or terrible (punts).How well do you handle pressure? Look at the picture below. Would that bother you or would you thrive on it?

Being a Long Snapper is a difficult position. If it was easy, quarterbacks would do it:) Coaches and I need to see how well you handle pressure and awkward situations. When you are playing in front of 100,000 people are you going to tell them all to shoosh? Nope. Didn’t think so.

When you combine all of these factors with a solid work ethic, you will get a Long Snapper that is simply a juggernaut. See, that is the trick. Finding someone that has all the attributes AND is willing to put in the time and effort. When you mix them all together you will obtain something along the lines of this (turn your volume WAY up so you can fully embrace)…..


For those of that don’t know (welcome back from living under that rock you have been calling home for the past 8 years), in the video is long time Rubio Long Snapper Christian Yount. He is someone that got into Long Snapping simply to get a spot on the bus. After hearing his HS coach tell him to “not even bother with Long Snapping since no one goes to college simply for that”,  Christian accomplished the following….

  • He went out and received a full scholarship to UCLA during his junior year (first to ever do that)
  • He was the only member of his HS team to get a full ride (the irony on this simply delicious)
  • He started all four years at UCLA
  • He was a two time Playboy All-American (the first one to ever be chosen)
  • He was selected to the Senior Bowl
  • He played in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Bucaneers, Cleveland Browns and the New England Patriots.

To top it all off, and in the Long Snapper way, Christian is a superb human being. Combine it all and you have a Long Snapper that is, well, great.

Told you I could answer the question:)

_________________________________________________________________

Chris-Rubio-2

Rubio Long Snapping is, by far, the biggest and best resource for Long Snappers in the country. Offering the best instruction and most exposure in the world. Rubio Long Snapping can help you to become the best snapper you can be!

In just 12 years, Chris Rubio, President and Owner of Rubio Long Snapping, has become the #1 Long Snapping instructor in the country and the go-to man when a college coach needs a Long Snapper. Colleges from across the country rely on “Rubio’s” word day in and day out on who the best Long Snappers are in the country. Rubio Long Snapping has assisted in over 300 Long Snappers earning FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to major colleges and universities just for Long Snapping and many into the NFL as well.

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Filed Under: Featured Posts, Long Snapper, Recruiting Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Rubio Spray

February 25, 2011 By
I figured before I continue with these Rubio Long Snapping blogs, it might be time for a little background on the words and phrases I use in my spoken and written word. I definitely have my own sort of language. Many are confused by it while others embrace. Either way, I keep spraying so you better get used to it. Here is a key for you to get by:
EMBRACE: Definitely one of my favorite words. Originally started off as a saying between Sailer and I. Began as “accept and embrace” since we believe you should accept and embrace each and everything in your life. Keep that motto and life will be easier for you. Trust me. You will hear/see me use this word a ton. It can be used in place of several words and can be used for pretty much anything. For instance….
“I embrace so hard” translates out to “wow, that is really, really great.”
“Embrace” translates out to “love it”
The possibilities of this word are endless.
DONE: This word is used at the end of a sentence to finalize something. Quick and very to the point. Example would be being in a restaurant and asking the waiter/waitress if meal A or B is better? When they reply that meal A is better, you simply say “done.” Translates out to “that is perfect. I appreciate you telling me that and I will take it.” People get a little confused by this one as they are usually waiting for a follow up word. One must really hold on and let “done” do its work.
SPLASH: Means a little bit. A Long Snapper can have a splash of nervousness and needs to relax.

YES: Simple and to point. This word for me is used with a ton of gusto and always in an exclamatory fashion. Nothing is needed to follow it and a simple YES! will suffice most of time time. This one started back in the day when Sailer and I were running a camp in PA and ran into my relatives in Pittsburgh. Needless to say, they had a 87 course meal waiting for us and every time they asked him if he wanted something to eat, he simply answered YES! They were astonished and he just kept embracing (see, this time embrace is used differently…hopefully you are grasping the concept now). I will use this a ton after seeing an exceptional snap.

SPRAY: Means talk. You can spray someone with words or knowledge. The trick is to not get sprayed too much. Plane rides can cause a code red for being sprayed since you are trapped and usually can’t get away from the sprayer.

GANDER: Means to look at someone. One can “take a gander at a Long Snapper from a distance”

GLORIOUS: Means really good. Great if you will. Why don’t I just use the word great? Because I don’t want to. “That snap was simply glorious”

FANTASTIC: Means what it means but not a lot of people use it so I chose to embrace it. Try it next time someone asks how you are doing. Respond with fantastic. It really rattles them. On the phone is also a great time to use it. “Hey Rubio, how are you doing today?” “Fantastic, and you?” Given, I try to do it all the time to hear/see the reactions.

208: Refers to all of Idaho because the entire state has only one area code. I think this is amazing and can’t get over it. You will often her me call someone a “208er” or say “that is so 208”
WELL DONE: This one can get tricky since you already read about DONE and want to correlate this one with that one. Stop. You are wrong. This one translates to “You did a terrific job” I could look at a Long Snapper have a great snap and simply say “well done” and that is more than enough praise in Rubio terms. Well done is not said with a lot of excitement. There is no need to as it is strong in it’s stance.

SOLDIER: Means a great person. Someone who gets things done immediately. Someone you can trust. “You are a soldier! I can’t believe you finished all of the work so quickly“CAT: Means a guy. I heard a jazz musician spray it once. I embraced. Done. “That kicker is one odd looking cat”

WINNERS AND LOSERS: Another key phrase Sailer and I use. Simple and clears things up for people. In everything, there are winners and losers. Figure that out and life will be just a tad simpler for you. “You lost your prom date to another Long Snapper? Winners and losers my friend”

CAVEMAN: When a Long Snapper is very strong and extremely raw. Basically like a caveman. Tons of potential just don’t know what they are doing…yet. “That kid is a caveman. He is going to be good once he figures out how to do it”

HUGE WIN: Means what it means. A huge win would be having a Long Snapper that is extremely talented AND has fantastic grades.”You just snapped a .68 and have a 4.5 gpa! That is a huge win!” I prefer to really hold the huge for emphasis.

FARM: This one was created by Marcus J (Sailer’s brother). To farm or farming is a long process of doing something. Getting recruited as a Long Snapper is basically like farming. You plant a seed (snap well) and watch your crops grow (recruitment). Sometimes you need to stop the crop (move onto a different school) and sometimes the crop is right for the picking (you found your school). TOP 12ers have a different meaning for farming and you will have to ask them about it.

SPREAD OUT: I love this one. Spread out translates pretty clearly and simply means to move away. People crowd you? Just say spread out. “Alright, alright….you are all too close to me, spread out.” Used it a ton while teaching 6th grade. Originally used in The Three Stooges. It is a phrase that works wonders.

GIVEN: I use this when something is, well, a given. “Are Long Snappers more important then kickers? Given.” As one can see the word is very powerful and needs no partners with it. Easily stands on it’s own like “done” and “yes”

SIDE NOTE: Since I am a Long Snapper, I tend to be a higher level thinker. In being that, my mind works quickly and is all over the place. I will use the phrase side note usually when I am telling a story and then, all of a sudden, another story pops into my head. Instead of simply waiting until the end to spray the sub story I will say, in the middle of the story, “Side note” and then tell the sub story. Then, without hesitation, jump right back into the main story. It can cause confusion, but since I am speaking to mostly Long Snappers I know they handle it:)

Hope that clears some things up for everyone. I think that is most of the phrases and words I use in abundance. Let me know if I missed any and I will add them to this glorious list.

Chris-Rubio-2Rubio Long Snapping is, by far, the biggest and best resource for Long Snappers in the country. Offering the best instruction and most exposure in the world. Rubio Long Snapping can help you to become the best snapper you can be!


In just 12 years, Chris Rubio, President and Owner of Rubio Long Snapping, has become the #1 Long Snapping instructor in the country and the go-to man when a college coach needs a Long Snapper. Colleges from across the country rely on “Rubio’s” word day in and day out on who the best Long Snappers are in the country. Rubio Long Snapping has assisted in over 300 Long Snappers earning FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to major colleges and universities just for Long Snapping and many into the NFL as well.

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Filed Under: Article Archives, Humor Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

My First Snap

February 22, 2011 By
Right off the bat I am going to tell you this one will be long winded but well worth it. It’s a great story and will explain a lot about the way I snap and teach my Long Snappers.
I am at UCLA and my first year is basically filled with coaches saying this, “Rubio, go play offensive line for scout team” In case you don’t know what the scout team is, let me clarify: blocking dummy with less pull. I was 18 years old, very chubby (I will choose not to use the word fat thank you very much), red shirting and third string Long Snapper. I was beyond the lowest man on the totem pole. I did what I was told and embraced. It stunk, but I was on the team.
My second season, I am the backup Long Snapper and actually getting a couple reps. When you are the second string guy at a skilled position, “couple reps” means maybe two per week. Those reps better be perfect or you will get even less the following week and your chance of sniffing the field will be become less and less a reality.
Anyway, I am fully cherishing my role as the second string Long Snapper. Lots of relaxing and not a lot of doing. I basically warmed up and had the best seat in the house for the game. All was well until I started to really think about being the second string guy. The main thought rolling around in my dome was: ok, so if this guy (the starter) goes down, I have to be ready to go right away. This was quite the concern to me for a couple reasons. First, am I really ready to go into a college game and do one of the most incredible and difficult things in sports (why yes, being upside down, hitting a perfect spot and having someone want to crush you is very difficult…a quarterback gets to stand up, look around and has people blocking for them…Long Snapper, not so much help or simplicity)? Second, how would I know when to start loosening up to get ready to snap in the game? This one might need a bit of explanation. In case you have never seen me in action (bending) I am quite possibly the most un-flexible human being in the history of man. Try to imagine a frozen caveman dipped into cement and you have me. Trainers at UCLA seriously told me that I was the most un-flexible athlete, not limiting me to just football, they have ever seen. Given, I embraced and I am pretty sure Sailer high-fived me when he found out that little fact about me.
Enough background, we are playing Arizona St. and it is getting out of hand….in a good way. By the end of the first quarter I think we were up by 20 and it just kept snowballing from there. At halftime, we were up 42-0. I begin my trot into the locker room and a coach grabs me and says, “Rubio, this keeps up and you’re getting some reps in the game.” Words cannot express how fast and hard my heart was pounding. I make it to the locker room and immediately start a power stretch. By end of halftime, I am in deep lather from stretching as hard as ever.
Third quarter comes and goes. We are still crushing them and I am snapping footballs on the sideline like it is going out of style. Finally, with about five minutes left in the game, a coach tells me, “Rubio, we attempt a field goal and you are going in” More stretching, more snaps, more cardiac arrest.
We are driving, I move towards the coaches, we stall and the ball is on the 25. Field goal unit is called. This is when the story really gets going. I jog on the field and get in our huddle. Things are said. I remember nothing. I was focused. Too focused. I meander up to the ball. Long-haired monster from Arizona St. is staring me down. He is exhausted. I am of course fresh as can be. I place my hands on the ball. Time stops. I look at my right hand and flip out. Here is where over thinking plays havoc on a Long Snapper and why I am so adamant about my Long Snappers not doing so.
I couldn’t remember if my dominant ring finger was just above, on or below the lace. I must have adjusted it from above, to on, to below twenty times in ten seconds (seemed like hours). Nothing felt right and I was thinking so hard on where my darn finger was supposed to go. I looked and nothing looked right. Take a gander at the photos to see how truly different all of these finger placements are and why I should have stressed so much about it:)
Above the lace
On the lace
Below the lace
Finally, after a couple days (or ten seconds) the guy (remember my long-haired pal from Arizona St who is waiting to crush me) says to me in the kindest, most gentile voice (not really), “JUST SNAP THE BALL _________!” (please feel free to throw in any degrading adjective you would like and you won’t equal what was sprayed to me). I heard him, took a quick breath and snapped the ball. The ball wobbled a tad, but was still money. My first college play was over. I had snapped a good ball and learned a very valuable lesson….do NOT over think when snapping. My long-haired buddy yelled at me but was dead on. I just needed to snap the ball. No thinking, just snapping.
From this point on, I knew to not over think any of my snapping. And, in turn, why I am always telling all of my Long Snappers to let me think for them and have them just snap the ball. Like I say, we are not working for NASA, it is simply a dead animal that I need you to snap really hard.

Chris-Rubio-2Rubio Long Snapping is, by far, the biggest and best resource for Long Snappers in the country. Offering the best instruction and most exposure in the world. Rubio Long Snapping can help you to become the best snapper you can be!In just 12 years, Chris Rubio, President and Owner of Rubio Long Snapping, has become the #1 Long Snapping instructor in the country and the go-to man when a college coach needs a Long Snapper. Colleges from across the country rely on “Rubio’s” word day in and day out on who the best Long Snappers are in the country. Rubio Long Snapping has assisted in over 300 Long Snappers earning FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to major colleges and universities just for Long Snapping and many into the NFL as well.

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Filed Under: Article Archives, College, Football, Long Snapper Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

The Beginning……..

January 5, 2011 By
I am creating this blog to be able to go into a great deal of depth for my Long Snappers (always will be capitalized as they deserve it) and their parents. Imagine my Twitter on steroids. I will try to keep it up weekly. Instead of just jumping into a random topic about Long Snapping, I decided the first one will be in response to how I got started in Long Snapping. It is one of the most common questions I get and a pretty good story, so here we go…
Rubio – 7th Grade

Growing up I was always a bit heavy for my age. How big you might ask? Put it this way, elastic and I were very good friends from about second grade on. I was a big kid and a solid athlete. I did well at all sports that involved hand eye coordination and I enjoyed being in charge on teams. Pitcher, point guard, quarterback…those were my positions. I was a big kid and used my weight very well to my advantage.

Organized football began for me and it was “banished” to flag football. Oh, I could have played tackle but it would have been with kids at least four years older due to my extra bit of weight I was toting around. So, I played flag and was the quarterback. I loved it. I could throw the ball a mile (probably twenty yards) and football was one of my favorite sports. Years passed and I got to my freshman year in high school. Finally, I would be able to play tackle football without weight restrictions. I was beyond ready, or so I thought.
First day of freshman football and the coach says, “Rubio, what position do you want to play.” Given, I say “quarterback” and smile. This moment is one of the times in your life that you never forget. The coach looks at me and says, “Rubio, you are way too big for quarterback and you will NEVER touch the football.” I was sent to the offensive line and was set up with a coach who insisted on yelling every single thing. Let me clarify something pretty quickly here, I am not someone who enjoys being yelled at (hence why you will never, ever see me yell at my Long Snappers). I consider myself not too shabby in the brains department and can follow instructions pretty well. Tell me to do something and consider it done. Show me and it is really done. Yell at me and you are now Charlie Brown’s teacher to me.
Needless to say, I loathed freshman football. Fourth string everything, the pads were annoying, never played and was way out of shape. I was done with football. After season (yes, I made it through and did NOT quit….also a pretty substantial moment in my life) I told myself I wasn’t going to play again and would focus on grades and other sports. All that changed pretty quickly in about a year’s time.
Over the summer between my sophomore and junior year, a good friend of mine and I were throwing a football around at his house when he decided to snap it to me. He was the starting Long Snapper for the varsity team. I literally had never even paid attention to that position (who would) and never had seen someone do it up close (again, who would). Immediately, being competitive at that age, I told him I could do that. I grabbed the ball like I was throwing it and just tossed it, one handed, upside down to him. He was astounded and said, “Rubio, you know that snap was really good?!?” I had no idea what I had even done or how I did it. To me it was just throwing a ball upside down and backwards. It was easy for me and I was hooked. Here was my chance to touch the football and be somewhat in charge. I was essentially a more exclusive quarterback.
Rubio – 11th Grade

Junior year comes around and I am ready for football. Grew into my body a bit (still much closer to three clicks on the scale then to two but was over six feet tall) and knew what to expect. Plus, I had a niche. I ended up starting at Long Snapper and offensive lineman. I was very average at lineman but solid at Long Snapper. Junior year was finished and I got more and more focused on Long Snapping. I would set up a tire on a tree in my backyard and just let it rain. Remember, I used to be a quarterback and could throw the ball very well. Since I was a one handed snapper, it was the same thing to me as a quarterback. I just happened to me upside and aiming the wrong way. I got down, got set and threw it as hard as I could. I had no idea what I was actually doing, but I could do it and I did it well.

During my senior year of football, I began to get letters from universities across the country simply for Long Snapping. I thought it was a joke. Even though I was a Long Snapper, I still didn’t really focus on others and/or even watch a ton of football to see other Long Snappers doing it. I guess I never even realized if you did it in high school, you would essentially be able to do it in college. It turns out colleges really appreciate someone with solid grades, was well rounded with school activities, had a good frame and can snap a ball pretty darn quick.
Ended up narrowing my decision down to three schools: Columbia, Pitzer and UCLA. Columbia ended up being eliminated when the coach heard my mother yell while I was on the phone that there was no way in hell I was going all the way to New York (seriously happened). Pitzer got knocked out when I visited the school and just couldn’t see myself there. UCLA was the winner. It was a place I had always wanted to go and now I had the opportunity. Decision was done. I was off to the school of my dreams and the doors opened to that school in part because of Long Snapping.
What happened at UCLA? Maybe that story will be told on another blog:)

Rubio Long Snapping is, by far, the biggest and best resource for Long Snappers in the country. Offering the best instruction and most exposure in the world. Rubio Long Snapping can help you to become the best snapper you can be! In just 12 years, Chris Rubio, President and Owner of Rubio Long Snapping, has become the #1 Long Snapping instructor in the country and the go-to man when a college coach needs a Long Snapper. Colleges from across the country rely on “Rubio’s” word day in and day out on who the best Long Snappers are in the country. Rubio Long Snapping has assisted in over 300 Long Snappers earning FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to major colleges and universities just for Long Snapping and many into the NFL as well.

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Filed Under: Article Archives, College, Long Snapper Tagged With: , , , , , , ,