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The Difference Between a Walk-On, a Preferred Walk-On and a Full Scholarship
Rubio, Can You Give Me Some Pointers?
That is probably the most common question I receive through email, phone, Twitter and Facebook and the answer is, of course, YES!
But, I don’t.
Why? Cause life doesn’t work that way. Do you simply want an answer or do you want the right answer? Confused? Let me explain.
I could easily give you some cookie-cutter, plain Jane answer to appease you, but what good does that really do? If you want me to give you a specific answer and one that actually works, I need to see exactly what I am dealing with.
Think of it this way, would you call your mechanic and spray him about how bad your car is and how it needs to be fixed but then NOT bring it into them? No. You would get the car to them so they could see it, decipher the problem and rectify the situation.
The same goes with me. As soon as I see you live (video’s fine, but it is harder for me to explain unless you are right next to me. At that point, I know you’ll get it), I can fix your issues within a matter of seconds. Don’t get me wrong, I can easily give you some generic answer to make you feel better but it won’t make you better. Side note: those that give you a quick answer right off the bat, most likely don’t know what they are talking about and are just trying to make it look like they do.
I can fix any single problem you have with Long Snapping and I can do it quick. This is my job and I take it very, very seriously. You want to be more accurate, more consistent, snap faster, block better, etc? Check, check, check and check. No problem at all, but let me see you first. I want to make sure you are getting a correct answer the first time (as I am sure you do too).
Remember, there are no shortcuts to greatness. Rarely does someone just have an immediate knack for Long Snapping. Every single one of my top kids started the same way….not knowing what they are doing. They began slow, worked hard on their form, their mental attitude and Bam!, they now know what they are doing with their Long Snapping. They worked smart and not just hard. You can spend all day pushing on a door to get out of a room but if it says to pull you might want to re-evaluate your methods.
Kind of funny how Long Snapping is just like life, huh?
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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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Rubio Long Snapper Reid Ferguson Receives Full Ride Offer
Long time Rubio Long Snapper Reid Ferguson (2012, GA) has been offered a full scholarship from San Diego St! Reid started his career with Rubio Long Snapping at the beginning of his freshman year in high school and has been dominating ever since.
Reid is someone that has worked extremely hard for what he has earned within his football career. His form is darn near flawless and his large frame enables him to snap an absolute rocket. He plays for a powerhouse in Georgia so he is used to the spotlight and definitely seems to be his best when the pressure is on. Here is a clip of him at the 9th Annual Event in Las Vegas:
NEW UPDATE 6/20: Reid has committed to LSU!
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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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The People I See on My Travels – 5
Please let the R on the bag mean he is a long lost Rubio |
- A pink/salmon/peach blazer (with matching tie) that was pressed to the highest extent possible. A naval Sargent would have been happy with the smoothness on this thing.
- Enough jewelry to make Liberace and Mr. T drool. Somehow, he made it look classy and not gaudy. Fantastic.
- Some sort of shiny alligator type shoe that was so polished you could easily see your reflection.
- Matching his shoes, of course, an alligator type briefcase that was equally as shiny. My assumption is four bottles of Armor All were used daily on that baby.
- A monogram on his sleeve that read “God’s Gift.” I am not even kidding. What a soldier. One has to believe that is a label many a lady has bestowed upon him and that it’s simply his title now.
- A fedora. Do I really even need to talk about how cool you are if you are sporting a fedora? Indiana Jones and this guy. Done.
He never made eye contact with me on the three hour flight or I would have made conversation. I would’ve had to spray him to simply tell him just how cool he was.
He strolled off the plane, given he didn’t walk like an average person, and stayed just long enough for me to catch him in action. As you can tell, he is looking right me and probably not even shocked that someone was taking his photo. God knows it is probably a daily occurrence for this cat.
RUBIO
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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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You
There are many reasons the best athletes are the best. One of the key factors is that they know they are. Nothing stops them. Tell them they can’t do something and they will go out of their way to prove you wrong.
How many times has someone told you that you can’t do something?
You are too small.
You are too heavy.
You are too slow.
You can’t get a scholarship.
You can’t snap in the .7s.
You can’t be accurate.
You can’t snap AND block.
You can’t go to college.
You can’t make the pros.
You don’t have the drive.
You don’t have the flexibility.
You don’t have the ability.
You don’t have “it”
Or do you?
Prove the world wrong today. Prove….them….wrong. Go out, with confidence, and dominate others. Control your future and do it now.
I KNOW you can do it………………Do you?
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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.
26
Now What?
When I see a Long Snapper go to college & not play, it makes me wonder if they worked as hard when they GOT THERE as they did TO GET THERE
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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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The Parent Trap….
How much should parents be involved with their son and his Long Snapping career is a very touchy issue and I am going to tread lightly. A lot of it depends on the relationship between the kid and the parent. If you are laughing right now as a parent or the Long Snapper and asking, “What relationship?” let me reassure you of this….
For the Long Snappers – your parents actually were teenagers at one point in their life. They actually have gone through some of the same things you have encountered. True, it may not have been Long Snapping, but other situations can correlate to give them a very similar experience. Your parent(s) just want to be treated with respect and like an adult.
For the Parents – your kid(s) will get through this. It/They can be trying, but it is what it is. Like I always say, you have one teenager and I have hundreds. I see a a lot of teenagers per year. I see them all over the country and they are all pretty similar. Your kid(s) just want to be treated with respect and like an adult.
As for how a parent should handle the issue of dealing with college coaches, here is the best way to think about it so you can relate…..
When you were dating your future husband/wife, did you want to go out with their parents or with them?
You wanted to go out with your date and not their parents. Same with the coaches. They want to deal with the Long Snapper and not you. Sure you can assist (similar to a parent giving their kid a couple bucks for a date or advising them of a solid restaurant to go to) but let the Long Snapper take the lead. They speak to coaches, not you. The coach will be with the kid for the next four years and need to see their personality and not yours. Trust me when I tell you, an overbearing parent can crush a young man’s chances with a school.
Hope this helps.
Rubio Long Snapping is, by far, the biggest and best resource for Long Snappers in the country. Rubio has been featured in the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the USA Today, Deadspin and countless other publications.
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 15 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 1,000 Long Snappers earning full scholarships and preferred walk-on opportunities to major colleges and universities just for Long Snapping and many into the NFL as well.
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The People I See on My Travels – 4
Another airport, another person to marvel at.
The setting is DFW (Dallas Fort Worth Airport for you non-travelers). I’m scrambling through the airport searching for my flight. I get to my gate and I see the check-in desk, the ticket-taker person, chairs that people are sitting in, a big open area that people walk through in order to get to check-in desk and/or ticket-taker AND Mr. I-Really-Really-Want-People-To-Notice-Me (face has been blurred)
Please take a gander at this genius:
Where do I even begin? |
Let’s look at the facts with this guy. He was….
- Completely sprawled out so everyone HAS to see him. Come on man! Yet again, do people not know the difference between public and private?
- Wearing the shoes that make people have to stop and stare. Given, I have already sprayed about my hatred for said shoes. The more prevalent they become, the higher up the list they are getting towards Crocs and Uggs.
- Talking ridiculously loud on cell phone. If you weren’t staring at his shoes, his manner of sprawled-outness or his positioning on floor for sprawled-outness, his cackling on the horn was sure to get your attention.
Best part, he was not even on my flight. He was just parked in a random spot. His gate was elsewhere. Amazing. Rethinking this one, I should have “accidentally” tripped and landed on him and just said “oh sorry man, I never thought someone would be sprawled out RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WALKWAY.” Well, I guess I can live and learn:)
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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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10 Steps to Making a Great Highlight Tape for a Long Snapper
- Reason: YouTube NEVER goes down. It is able to be seen on EVERYTHING (computer, cell, tablet). I know many schools use Hudl but Hudl doesn’t always work on all devices.
- Reason: A coach will want to make sure you are not a moron. Blunt, but completely true. You don’t have to recite a soliloquy but they should be able to tell you have a pulse. They will also want to know who to contact (you, your email, possible cell, my name and info, school, HS coach and his info). That is it. No need to put other nonsense (speeds, maxes and such as you are probably just lying anyway). You will want to put my info so they can you use me as a credible source. Some randoms info is going to be worthless to you as a coach won’t trust them. They will want someone that will be dead honest with them….hint, hint: me.
3. Your highlight tape should be a heavy majority of punts and NOT pats.
- Reason: A monkey can do a pat. They aren’t that big a deal. The speed of the punt is what they are going to want to see. Ratio should be about 95% punts & the views should be from a front/side angle and total side view. They will want to see if there is an arch (arch = usually needs more speed). Please note: put your best snaps first!!! If you don’t catch their interest right off the bat, you are done.
4. Your highlight tape should show live snaps and practice footage.
- Reason: Game footage is obvious and I always recommend to have some practice snaps because it lets them see your body without pads. Also, it will allow them to see your form and you blocking (yes, you need to put those) a bit clearer and, if you can do it, you can put running tape on of some snaps. That is a huge win. Plus, if you have been to some quality camps, you are most likely better now than you were during the season. Improvement is a good thing.
5. Your highlight tape should be between three and ten minutes.
- Reason: Your audience will be males. Males lose focus quickly. You don’t grab their attention pretty quick and you are going to have a huge loss on your plate. The only way I approve of a longer highlight tape if it is just ridiculously good (you’ll see what I mean at the end of this blog).
6. Your highlight tape should have no sound after you speak. NO MUSIC or RANDOM SPRAY
- Reason: It is incredibly annoying and it just gets muted anyway. Trust me, I see hundreds per year and none of them have had the volume turned up. Please note: no one has actually had the guts to put on some silky smooth sounds of Lou Rawls or Teddy P so that might be the reason for immediate muting.
- Reason: No one wants to hear a mom yelling, dad cheering, grandma hitting someone with her cane (sorry, flashback) or any words written (.71 for 15 yards!). They, a coach, won’t even look at it and will just end up calling someone they can trust to get a time.
7. Your highlight tape does NOT need to be done by world class professionals. A couple of the best ones I have viewed were done on pretty cheap standard video cameras.
- Reason: audience is males and they want a bottom line. It doesn’t have to be Avatar.
8. Your highlight tape should focus on Long Snapping. Sounds basic enough, but you’d be surprised.
- Reason: You want them to know how great a Long Snapper you are first and foremost. If you are going to show them highlights of another position or sport, they better be just that…HIGHLIGHTS. You want them to see something extraordinary, not just ordinary and it should be placed after your Long Snapping portion.
9. Your highlight tape should be edited well. Meaning, not a lot of wasted time on it. Example: waiting for thirty seconds on each snap while the punter remembers when to move his hands to be ready for your glorious snap or watching the returner run for a touchdown.
- Reason: Again, your audience is males and they have short attention sp…..hey, look at that bird….just kidding, but you get my point…I hope.
10. Your highlight tape should be reviewed by someone who knows what the college coaches will want.
- Reason: Simple, you want them to be pleased right off the bat and not wanting more or less.
Here are examples of a couple great ones….
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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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Baby D______ Contest!
Unless you have been in a cave (ie. not following me on Twitter – side note: boo to you) for the past eight months you should know that my wife, Jolie, is pregnant and due May 23. Also, if you know me, you figured there was no way I would let this get away without having some sort of contest. Well, let the games begin my friends.
Here is how this will work. I am looking to see who can guess the weight of the baby and, as a tie-breaker, the time of arrival of Baby D_______ (name is not being revealed since all names we were throwing around people were telling us they were dumb – thanks a lot family members). I will do Price is Right style with the numbers…meaning, you go over and you lose…I don’t care how close you get, don’t overbid.
Embrace him already opening paw to guide ball |
This contest will be open to anyone but you can only enter once. So, for instance, if Cory Cheadle enters, so can his mother Michelle, his father Frank and even brother (I don’t know his name, but I assume he also embraces camouflage slippers so I’m in).
To enter, simply email me (one entry PER person PER email address – so, in the above scenario with the Cheadles, they would need to have sent me four different emails from four different email addresses) your entry. As an example, stellar Rubio Long Snapper Reid Ferguson would email me an exact weight and time in email like this: Hey Rubio, my entry for the contest is that the baby will weigh 7 lbs and 7 oz and will be born at 12:57 pm. PS. I love your camps & I can’t believe how much they have benefited me. Yours truly, Reid.
The winner of the contest will receive $100 off a Rubio Long Snapping camp of their choice (TOP 12, Small Group Session & Private Lessons excluded). Obviously, you can pass the win to a Rubio Long Snapper if you are not a Long Snapper (parent, grandparent, brother, etc.).
I will post all weight guesses as comments on this blog. Therefore, it will be continuously updated so keep checking. I will not post the times that people submit as I don’t want any one to trump another person’s guess by cutting off their time frame (I see that John Smith put 11:57 so I will just put 11:56 to block him).
The contest will run until the baby gets here. Game on!
Well, as you know if you follow me on Twitter, the baby has arrived! Damon Dale Rubio rolled in last night a perfectly healthy, wide eyed boy. He literally came out with his eyes wide open. Gotta tell you, kind of disturbing seeing your kid come out and immediately mad-dogging you:)
So, back to the contest. Damon was 8 lbs on the dot when he was born and entered the world at 9:32 pm. Now, if you look at the comments on this blog you will see the person that actually pegged the exact weight was my mother, the Debster! (Side note: she guessed that weight as that is how much yours truly weighed). Since I am a fair man, and my mother actually doesn’t know any Long Snappers personally to give the win away, I am giving it to the next closest guess (without going over, in true Price is Right fashion) and that person is………..Melissa Etheridge with a guess of 7 lbs 15 oz – double side note: Melissa is Tucker Etheridge‘s mom and pretty sure not the singer:) Congratulations to her and her family!
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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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Rubio Long Snapper Daly Commits!
Rubio Long Snapper Scott Daly (2012, IL) has made his decision and committed to Notre Dame! He was offered this morning by Notre Dame Head Coach Kelly before ND’s Spring Game. Scott committed immediately as Notre Dame has always been his dream school. He was previously offered immediately after the 9th Annual National Event in Las Vegas by Northwestern.
Scott is the youngest Long Snapper to ever be offered (January of his junior year in high school) and commit (April of his junior year in high school). The previous record holder was Christian Yount of UCLA/NFL and Chase Gorham of Arizona who both were offered in May of their junior years.
Scott is a unique story as he originally came out to a Rubio Long Snapping camp as a baseball player that just wanted to sample Long Snapping. After his first camp, I advised him and his mother to trust me and focus on Long Snapping. He had the tools but just had no idea what he was doing. If he was willing to work, he could make a name for himself. Love it when I am right and a kid with potential WORKS his tail off. Daly is a great person, Long Snapper and his success is well deserved.
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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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Meet the “TOP 12” Long Snappers!
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Only So Many Days….
24
What is Grayshirting?
- Time off. Your son may think it is the best thing in the world that he will technically have off from graduation until he reports. That could be a nightmare for him and you. Imagine a six month long summer where he has no responsibility. Exactly.
- Emotions. Many kids that do this have a tough time being the top dog (recruitment, newspapers, etc) to someone who is forgot about for six months. No football for some for that long of a time can be very difficult.
- Staying in the groove of school. How many times have you heard someone say I am just going to take a semester off to get refreshed and then I am coming back full speed? I think we know the ending of that story nine times out of ten. School and football are usually a good thing for a kid since it gives them a routine. Get them off that routine and oh man.
- Identity. Sometimes it takes some time for a Long Snapper to adapt to which class he essentially is in when he does report. Is he with his original class of 2012’s (all his age and grad year) or is he with the class he will be signed with (2013, younger but will do all the meetings with)?
- Time off. It can be a good thing to let your body heal and really get ready for when you report. The coaches will expect you to be perfect (as they do with any Long Snapper of mine they are bringing in mind you….focus up). High School football can take a major toll on the body. Some coaches are just insane with their lengths of practices and that can be taxing on the old chassis.
- Socially. You will have to adapt to being able not be a full on football player right off the bat. After speaking with Christian, he said this was huge for him as it forced him to socialize with non-football players while the team was traveling (hint, hint: girls)
- School. If you do this and have some money available, the best thing is to actually enroll in classes (can’t be a full load) at the school you will be attending. This way you can get a major jump on the rest of the kids in your class (2013 at this point) and you should EASILY be able to graduate on time, and if worked correctly, should be able to get your Masters on their dime. Winner, winner, chicken dinner!
- School again. Say the money is not obtainable, you can still take JC classes local to you as long as it is not a full load. More units for you to walk into college with. Win.
- School again again. Getting there a bit early and not having to deal with football right off the bat, can really make a difference in getting comfortable with the workload. Anyone that has played a sport and gone to school at the same time can tell you it can be quite daunting. Doing a gray shirt gives you training wheels for the first quarter or two since you don’t have football to get in your way.
- Maturity. You will have to get into the mature groove very quickly with the schooling system. You won’t have the football program to help you here. You will have to set up your classes and you usually won’t have tutors at your side until you are officially with the team (January)
- Injury. Say you do get injured, you still have your redshirt year in your back pocket. Side note, if you gray shirt and redshirt, you better get your Masters or I won’t talk to you ever again…especially since they are paying for it!
- Coaches. They will love you even more if you actually do end up doing this and going in early (basically with the rest of the 2012 class) but just don’t do any activities with them as a team. You would have to be very self-motivated and responsible (welcome to being an adult, suck it up!). You would be able to work out and be on the field with the guys…..just not at the exact official times as the team. For instance, the team works out from 4-6 pm and you would have to work out from 2-4. Coaches love this dedication and trust me they notice.
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Hand Placement for Long Snapping
My paw on the bottom and a Rubio Long Snapper’s (2013) on top. |
At this point, you are either embracing and are having an epiphany (what a great word) or are upset with me since I just demolished your theory. Either way, you are probably saying, “Ok Rubio, so what’s the proper way to hold the ball when snapping? My answer: there really isn’t one.
I pulled up some pictures of several very dominant college and pro Long Snappers. Look hard at them. I want you to notice one thing: not one of them has exactly the same grip and they were all instructed by me at some point. The closer you look, the more you will notice the little differences.
You might see them and say “Come on Rubio, there is barely any difference!” But let me remind you that being a Long Snapper means dealing with a very small surface area (football), any slight adjustment or variation on that area conveys a completely different feel and will result in a completely different outcome (ball trajectory, spiral, placement, etc). Compare it to a car and it’s “area”….just the slightest movement within it and everything feels different (imagine driving from the passenger seat…you could do it, but man would it be different). Now imagine if that car was the size of a football. An inch adjustment would mean you are now driving from the trunk.
Therefore, I am a firm believer in doing what comes natural to you. Hold the ball with your dominant hand the way you would throw a pass like a quarterback. Remember, like I always say, a Long Snapper is just a quarterback that is upside down and going the wrong way? So, go ahead and snap like it that.
What about the non-dominant hand you ask? Well, this one can be a tad trickier. I taught myself and I have my left middle finger right on the seam. Why? It felt comfortable and it was easy for me to remember where to put my hand. Not a lot of scientific reasoning for you on that one. It worked, and I embraced it. Done.
As I have continuously worked with Long Snappers over the past decade I have noticed that many can’t do that grip because of hand size or lack thereof. It seems that most like to embrace a split of the seam between their non-dominant index and middle finger. Hey, whatever floats your boat. I don’t care, just get the ball back there fast and put it on the hip. If you are getting the final product right, why would I adjust you?
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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Talent
Just woke up with Long Snapping on my mind. Happens quite a bit as you can imagine. Almost always good thoughts and ideas, but every once in awhile something will creep into my dome and upset me. This thought was one that woke me and wouldn’t allow me to fall back asleep with a smile on my face.
I just recently received a message from a parent that one of my Long Snappers has decided to “retire” from Long Snapping. It happens. I know this. Long Snapping is not for everyone. I get it and I completely understand. I would never want someone to do something they are not really happy with in life.
HOWEVER, it drives me crazy when I think back to some of my Long Snappers that have “retired” simply because they were met with a challenge and couldn’t stand up to it. I think back to many that I have had that hung it up and wasted all of their talent as they came to a new bridge to climb over. They didn’t cross the bridge. They got to the edge, looked at it, turned back around and headed for easy street.
Not everything in life worth doing is on easy street. The sooner you figure that out (talking to all of my Long Snappers right now), the better you will be in every aspect of your life.
Things getting a little tougher? Suck it up. You are fine. Whenever I get stuck in a very difficult situation in life I always think of this statement: Am I the first person to be doing this? If the answer is no, then I am pretty darn sure I can do it. And I do! I use that little statement continuously in everything I come across (from playing football, to going through hell week, to graduating, to finding a job, to getting married, to having kids, to having my wisdom teeth removed, to flying for hours at a time, to making deadlines, to simply getting out of bed sometimes).
As some point in your life you need to realize how much talent you really do possess. You need to realize that if someone else can do it, that you also can do it and, for the love of all that is holy, you can do it better. What is stopping you? YOU?! Get up and go. Get it done. Do your drills. Do your homework. Eat your food. Don’t eat your food. Be a human being that people want to respect and hang out with….for good reasons. Enough excuses.
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TALENT! If for any reason alone, you will upset me:) Now go have a great day. Make today better than yesterday. Go!
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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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What to do…What to do…..
Recently, I have had some conversations through text with some of my college Long Snappers and it brought up a very common problem. Therefore, I shall now spray. See if you can relate…..
Rubio Long Snapper “My head coach comes up to me at spring ball this morning and tells me I do the exact same thing every time before I get set. He said I was like a pitcher. Given it took everything in me not to ask if he would want his pitcher to throw balls or strikes?”
Rubio Long Snapper “My coach told me to do something that I know is completely off from what you have taught me…..help”
Sound familiar? If you have been Long Snapping for more than 18 seconds in your career I can almost guarantee that someone, usually a coach, has spoken to you about your snapping. And, usually, that spray will completely counter what someone with knowledge has told you prior about Long Snapping (you should be nodding your head right now). So, one would wonder, how do I respond to such person?….especially if it is someone that can control my fate a little (playing time, making sure you get a college letter, etc).
Here is what I used to do: nod my head, with respect of course, and pretend they were Charlie Brown’s teacher (remember to click on the blue or you lose a lot of what I am saying here).
I came to the realization early on in my snapping adventure that not many know about the wonderful art of Long Snapping. That is obvious with most any conversation you have with the average Joe. However, I’m smart (given, since I am a Long Snapper) and I knew I didn’t want to disrespect and/or upset the coach that was in charge of who would be starting in the game so I simply nodded and listened to exactly what they were telling me to do. I would even go as far as actually practicing what they told me to do in front of them. Key phrase: in front of them (one must not look like a complete moron at all times while doing some outlandish drill a person of authority thinks will get you better even though they have never snapped a ball a day in their life).
Then, when it was live, I would do exactly as I was properly taught (side note: you remember how I was taught, right) and the ball would zip back there. It was great to watch how happy the coaches were that their method worked (wink, wink)! Shhhh, don’t tell them that you actually really just went back to what was already working or did a new way that I taught you. They will just care that the ball is back into the punter’s/holder’s hands. They will not be able to see the intricacies of the actual snap so don’t over stress about it.
Bottom line, you are going to have to deal with difficult people your entire life and you need to realize how to handle them. They will never go away and it won’t always be about Long Snapping. Trust me, if it was life would be a whole heck of a lot easier.
_________________________________________________________________
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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The People I See on My Travels – 3
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.
_________________________________________________________________
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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Why Not Coach, Rubio?
One of the hardest habits I have to break on my Long Snappers has absolutely nothing to do with snapping. It has to do with that they/you call me. Like I have said, I am a private football coach that teaches Long Snapping. So, therefore, one would want to call me coach.
Please don’t.
“But Rubio (see how I am already training you here), you are a coach so we should call you coach.” True, but I am out with it.
Here are my reasons…..I won’t just coach you about Long Snapping. Anyone that has spent any time with me knows this for a fact. I make it a point to get to know each and every Long Snapper (and quite often their parents if they embrace) I encounter and my spray of Long Snapping is just a tiny aspect of what I actually do and teach. If you have been with me at a camp, lesson, event, on the phone, through Twitter, whatever and think all I do is coach Long Snapping, you seriously need to have your head examined.
Here are a couple images to show different things that I have taught my Long Snappers:)
Modeling poses with Drew Ferris (FL) |
How to be a Harlem Globetrotter |
How to send out a quality Twitter message with Harrison Elliott (Air Force) |
How to be a table |
And who can forget, getting ready for prom with Corey Gibas (Texas A&M) |
Being an athlete (former, unless you count the domination of random Long Snapping contests, ping pong, wiffle ball and arcade basketball as maintaining my athlete title). I have had MANY experiences with coaches as I am sure you have as well. Now, I want you to think back to all the coaches you have had. Go ahead and think. Now, out of all of them, how many bring a massive smile to your face? Maybe ten percent….if you are lucky? I’m not talking about a smile because you “remember just how crazy Coach _____ was” but a legit, “man, Coach ______ was just a flat out great guy” type smile. Getting my point?
Most (not all, but most and this is my point….the bad ones leave a terrible taste in your mouth and I don’t want that stigma associated with me) coaches can coach but they can’t speak. What that means is that many/most coaches know the games in which they are leading but have lost, and choose not to gain, the ability to speak to another person/their player as a human being. Side note: pathetic and sad.
What I like to do, and would have appreciated being done to me, is to treat each and every one of my Long Snappers like they are my own child. That is what I do….always. Is that what a coach will do….not always.
Will I say some outlandish things every once in awhile? Yup. Do I speak like that to Alec, Cruz and Damon? Yup. Will I get in a Long Snapper’s face every once in awhile? When needed, yup. Am I mean or rude about it? Nope. No need to be. I can convey my point with words and not berating or yelling. In my opinion, those that yell and intimidate those that are younger (players on their team) are insecure and essentially really don’t know what they are doing. They need to yell to show their “power” and “dominance” because they can’t do it any other way. I am beyond out with that. (note: not all coaches are like this and if you are solid coach, I respect you and will give you a big hug the next time I see you)
You know that coach you had that did tackling drills all practice long? Guess what, he had no idea what he was doing. When you advance and have good, solid coaches (yes, they do exist and I have had several) you will rarely do tackling drills. Not because you don’t need to know how to tackle, but because you can learn without abusing your body, and often your demeanor and/or mentality, over and over and over again. I am beyond out with that. There is no need for it. How about speaking to the player and simply explaining what you would like them to do? If a coach can’t explain what they want a player to do in great detail and in a way that they (the player) can comprehend, maybe they shouldn’t be coaching.
Getting my point? I’m not saying that all coaches are evil demons that remind you of the Sergeant on Full Metal Jacket, but many are. It is not always their fault. Many have been raised that way in their sporting life, but one would think they would want to break that cycle. God knows I did.
Bottom line: You will have hundreds of coaches in your life, some will be great and some will be bad, but, I promise you this….you will only have one Rubio!
___________________________________________________________________
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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