Sad, But True

There once was a Long Snapper that went to visit his favorite college in the fall. He took his father. His father spoke too much. Rubio told the father to stop talking to the coaches as they would want to talk to the son and not the father. Rubio told the the father it was like when he was dating his wife. Did he want to hang out and speak with her or her parents? He said he got it.

The Long Snapper got a tour of the weight room and the locker room from the coaches. The father kept talking.

The Long Snapper was asked questions by the coaches, the father answered.

The coaches offered the Long Snapper a preferred walk-on spot. The kid was ecstatic. The father reached out, shook the coaches hand and said we will take it. The kid didn’t speak.

The father called Rubio after this and said “they” had committed to their dream school as a preferred walk-on! Rubio congratulated them and hung up.

Two minutes later, Rubio’s phone rang, he answered it. It was the head coach of the college that had just offered the Long Snapper a preferred walk-on spot. The coach asked Rubio what he knew about the dad he had just encountered. Rubio told him all he knew. The coach replied with “love the kid and his ability to snap but we are going to pull the offer because we can’t stand the dad and don’t want to have to deal with him for four years.”

The offer was pulled. The Long Snapper did not go to a four year university.

THE END

p.s. Yes, this is a true story.

 

___________________________________________________________________

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.

5387

What a Preferred Walk-On Needs to Ask

You got a preferred walk-on spot to a major university? That is great news BUT know what you are getting into….

  • They (coaches/school) will most likely try to bring in more than one preferred walk-on. They will do this for competition. ASK IF THEY ARE BRINGING SOMEONE ELSE IN
  • They will want you to get on campus soon. ASK WHAT IS THE EARLIEST YOU CAN BECOME A MEMBER OF THE TEAM. You will want to get there asap to get a jump on the rest of the athletes that will be competing with you for the scholarship.
  • They will tell you that you can earn the scholarship. ASK EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO EARN THE SCHOLARSHIP (use the word EXACTLY so you can hold them to it)
  • They will tell you that you can be put on scholarship immediately if you start. ASK EXACTLY WHEN YOU WILL BE PUT ON SCHOLARSHIP. Will it be after the first game you start, the next quarter/semester, or the next year? (Yes, use the word EXACTLY again so you can hold them to it).

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1598

40 Times from VEGAS XXV

Each Long Snapper was timed twice on Sunday running a 40 yard sprint. Here are their averages (alphabetically).

Adams, C

4.96

Alexander, D

5.87

Aloma, J

5.60

Anderson, K

6.16

Anthony, E

7.68

Appio, Z

5.53

Arent, N

5.26

Arroyo, R

6.98

Arroyo, T

DNP

Ashe, A

5.28

Babb, W

5.71

Baldeck, M

5.89

Bale, J

5.37

Barham, J

5.27

Barstow, S

5.31

Baugus, T

5.45

Beauford, B

5.93

Becker, H

7.13

Bentley, B

5.87

Bettis, J

5.55

Biby, B

5.17

Blaylock, A

5.75

Block, A

5.49

Boudreaux, M

5.40

Boudreaux, T

5.52

Bowling, T

5.32

Brady, J

5.38

Brennan, C

5.67

Brennan, J

5.05

Buis, M

5.83

Burcher, M

5.81

Cadavieco, M

6.01

Calcagno, J

5.71

Cameron, B

5.50

Campbell, G

5.82

Cantrell, D

5.46

Capp, B

5.58

Carty, A

5.95

Casillas, M

6.05

Castro, D

7.09

Ceballos, N

5.53

Cervantes, G

6.36

Cesear, J

4.64

Chase, D

5.50

Cline, G

5.31

Clore, C

6.42

Cognetti, D

5.95

Colwell, J

5.85

Comaroto, P

5.68

Coughlin, P

5.58

Cruikshank, W

5.83

Crum, G

6.37

Culbertson, R

5.60

Curry, M

5.53

Daggett, B

5.75

Daniel, G

5.72

Davis, J

5.68

Den Bleyker, J

5.09

Dhabalt, T

5.33

Dickerson, E

5.01

Diffee, D

5.41

DioGuardi, B

5.77

Dixon, J

4.98

Drager, L

5.52

Durham, N

5.82

Eatherly, G

5.16

Eckelberg, K

6.25

Edwards, A

5.60

Eitemiller, S

5.64

Eldridge, D

6.17

England, Z

5.88

English, M

5.36

Epley, T

5.25

Farnsworth, W

4.73

Fean, T

5.36

Ferguson, B

5.24

Finnicum, C

5.49

Fisher, J

5.96

Fletcher, N

5.55

Fletcher, T

5.31

Foley, M

5.94

Freeman, H

5.31

Freund, F

5.44

Gaines, R

8.05

Galvan, O

5.64

Giammalva, L

5.09

Gibbs, K

5.43

Gibson, J

5.83

Gifford, B

5.97

Gilbert, O

5.40

Gilliam, T

5.95

Givens, T

5.27

Gluhaich, G

5.16

Goodison, M

5.39

Goodwin, J

6.03

Grant, Z

5.62

Griffiths, T

5.48

Guthrie, J

5.66

Hale, B

5.38

Hall, M

5.94

Hamilton, L

5.00

Haney, J

5.11

Hasty-Grant, T

5.47

Hayes, D

6.39

Hayes, K

5.65

Hernandez, C

5.87

Hess, J

6.94

Hiett, R

5.94

Hoffman, H

5.60

Holman, J

5.79

Hutson, N

5.59

Jacobs, Z

5.90

Jacobson, J

5.56

Jaffe, G

5.57

James, C

5.66

Jenkins, E

6.47

Jenkins, S

5.27

Jerman, D

5.80

Johnson, D

5.41

Jumper, B

5.09

Karres, G

5.21

Kelleher, K

5.54

Kemp, P

5.58

Key, J

6.05

King, J

6.01

Kirkegaard, C

5.15

Klippenstein, K

5.65

Klotz, S

5.50

Klusman, L

5.29

Knight, J

5.74

Knight, M

5.63

Knowlton, J

5.72

Korinek, S

5.44

Koziel, B

5.50

Kragero, C

5.42

Kramer, T

5.44

LaCilento, M

6.29

Lauvai, I

5.49

Lawson, E

6.32

Lawver, C

6.10

Leath, W

5.42

Leckrone, M

6.06

Lefton, P

7.01

Letter, J

5.27

Long, C

5.60

Lowery, B

5.80

Magness, J

5.71

Mahorney, J

6.05

Marker, J

7.67

Markgraf, K

5.80

McCracken, D

5.27

McCullough, L

5.40

McCullough, R

6.01

McDonough, C

5.13

Merickel, T

5.64

Meyer, S

5.95

Michaelsen, A

5.67

Miller, G

6.23

Miller, J

6.02

Miller, S

5.84

Mimbs, T

5.33

Mimoun, J

5.87

Mitchell, C

4.88

Mitchell, J

5.51

Monaco, P

5.33

Moore, I

5.74

Moore, J

5.76

Moss, Z

5.56

Muller, R

4.68

Munoz, J

5.29

Munsey, J

5.89

Murphy, J

5.75

Myers, J

5.63

Nicholas, T

5.75

Nielsen, C

6.41

Noth, D

5.41

O’Connor, K

5.96

O’Donoghue, M

5.63

Oak, R

5.00

Ober, J

5.00

Oliveira, M

5.41

Pagel, J

5.34

Palmer, D

5.60

Paprota, D

5.72

Parris, R

6.18

Petrucci, K

6.40

Piatt, C

5.42

Picerelli, J

5.26

Pladson, W

6.54

Plash, S

5.16

Pohlman, E

5.21

Pool, L

5.70

Poujol, M

5.37

Powell, K

5.51

Prevette, K

6.02

Probst, J

5.31

Quiggle, J

5.19

Racina, N

5.47

Raines, J

5.78

Ramos, J

5.53

Ramos, J

6.02

Ratliff, A

5.08

Ray, J

5.37

Reeves, A

5.61

Reiter, D

6.30

Reiter, R

6.43

Richardson, B

6.28

Riddle, C

6.60

Riordan, J

5.32

Robinson, B

6.22

Robinson, P

5.67

Rubenstein, J

5.91

Ruff, R

5.58

Sablan, S

5.87

Sablan, T

5.98

Sainsbury, B

6.15

Sak, H

5.52

Samarzich, C

5.43

Samarzich, S

5.90

Sassler, B

5.21

Sayan, C

6.03

Schoenberger, Z

6.30

Scoggins, G

6.18

Scott, C

6.70

Seacat, I

4.94

Shannon, J

5.10

Sharp, D

5.41

Shores, S

5.25

Siegel, S

5.35

Simmons, R

5.61

Skinner, Q

5.51

Skrobot, G

5.21

Smith, M

5.50

Smith, M. B.

5.12

Snodgrass, P

5.42

Sokach-Minnick, T

5.66

Somers, S

5.72

Soto, M

5.41

Spiewak, A

5.65

Stephenson, Q

5.69

Steward, G

6.35

Stracener, T

5.65

Sullivan, B

5.28

Suter, R

5.68

Tanner, J

5.94

Tebbetts, C

5.97

Thomas, A

6.86

Thomas, K

5.52

Thomas, P

5.78

Thompson, T

6.26

Toothman, A

6.93

Torres, L

5.92

Trammel, N

5.37

Tulo, A

5.93

Turner, N

5.61

Urbach, C

5.12

Vaca, J

5.96

Varnell, K

4.98

Vaughn, J

5.57

Vega, J

5.99

Walker, R

6.32

Walsh, K

5.53

Walsh, R

5.92

Walsh, S

6.22

Watkins, B

5.22

Watkins, R

5.72

Watson, B

5.77

Wellenhoffer, J

5.42

Weneta, N

5.34

Wethli, S

5.79

Wilcox, R

5.57

Wilhite, P

5.76

Williams, P

6.25

Willis, B

6.43

Wirtel, S

5.02

Wood, C

5.96

Wood, Z

5.87

Workman, J

5.32

Worthen, J

6.87

Wright, H

5.15

Wyatt, B

5.31

Zakavec, J

5.75

Zimolzak, B

5.28

Zindler, Z

5.16

2116

ASK RUBIO “How do you tell a coach”, “Where does an Inexperienced player begin”, “Heavy footballs?”

Dear Rubio….

How do you tell a coach that you are de-committing from his college to go to another college? How do you approach him and what tone do you use?
Signed, Confused

Confused….
You need to be up front with them and make it quick. If you are leaving a preferred walk-on for a scholarship, they will completely understand. If they argue with you, they are lying. No one would offer to pay for a car (tuition) if someone was giving them a car (tuition) for free.

If it is a preferred walk-on to a walk-on or scholarship to scholarship, explain your reasoning and be prepared to be swayed back so be strong. BE PREPARED and BE POLITE. That exact coach might be your coach in the near future since they never stay at the same location too long.

If it is a full scholarship to a preferred walk-on, you need your head examined.
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Dear Rubio….

Where does an inexperienced player begin to make it as a “Starter” on their high school varsity football team? Where do you begin?  What advice would you give to an inexperienced player?  Suggestions to go from JV to Varsity to college scouts looking at you
-#JV2Varsity

#JV2Varsity…
This is a great question and I would say it all starts with showing dedication to your craft and your sport. You don’t need to be the loudest talker on the team, you just need to be the smartest and hardest worker…the coaches WILL notice. My advice would be to show up early, bust your butt, do what your told and keep your mouth shut. If a player is ALWAYS hustling and moving, while not being afraid to make a mistake, that will move them up quickly.

Coaches understand a player will make a mistake…it happens. They just want you to make the mistake at 100 mph and learn from it. If a player doesn’t learn from the mistake, he is showing ignorance and the coach won’t have confidence to move them up and put them in the game. Once you are in the game, that is where all your works comes in and the scouts will notice and the coaches will make them notice. If they don’t, I will:)
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Dear Rubio….

What is your opinion on a Long Snapper using a heavy ball?
-K Dad

K Dad….
I am a big fan of the weighted footballs (best one I have seen is from WizardKicking and is the Baden 30 oz model) for warming up, laydown drill and some shorter snaps (less than ten yards) BUT I only like them for Long Snappers that have exceptional form. If a Long Snapper does NOT have exquisite form and uses a heavy ball, it will create more bad habits (think little kid shooting from the three point line in basketball…they push the ball instead of having really nice form like they would in close).
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Remember, if you would like to ASK RUBIO a question on any topic (honestly, it shouldn’t be on Long Snapping since you can find almost all questions answered on my blog and on RubioLongSnapping.com, just go ahead and send your question(s) to Rubio@RubioLongSnapping.com with the subject line: ASK RUBIO.

Ask Rubio

1295

ASK RUBIO “My coach just….”

Dear Rubio….

My coach just took another job at a bigger school. What do I do now?
-Angry Long Snapper

Angry Long Snapper…
I have actually answered this question a couple times recently due to coaches leaving or being fired. Bottom line, just go out and do your job. It most likely will happen again in other positions. The coaching change will not impact how you snap the ball. That is what is most important: how you snap the ball to enable your team to win. You chose the school, not the coach. If you did choose the school based on the coach, you have obviously NOT been paying attention to what Sailer and I have been saying for years.
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Dear Rubio….

I have recently committed to snap for a coach that could possibly be leaving the University after this season. He wants to take me with him to the bigger college and snap over there. The problem is that although the current school is a HBCU I feel like I would feel more at home and do better with my studies there instead of the bigger school.

-Snapper From the Deep South

Snapper From the Deep South….
Stay with your commitment. The coach wants you to go to make his job easier. If you go with him, he won’t have to start from scratch and recruit another Long Snapper. He knows you are good and will do a solid job…that is why he recruited you.

I always say, pick a school that you can see yourself being happy at IF you weren’t playing football. You will have a lot of downtime in the off-season and if you aren’t happy, you will want to transfer and that RARELY works out. Stay with the smaller school.
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1002

Long Snapper SCORES Touchdown

D'Appollino, AlanAs I am sure everybody knows (well, everybody involved with Long Snapping), a Alan D’Appollonio of Arkansas scored a touchdown! If you haven’t seen this VERY creative play, it is a must watch.

Alan attended several Rubio Long Snapping Vegas Events and ended up being a 5 Star Long Snapper that was ranked 11th in the country in 2011. Alan has always had tremendous athleticism and it looks as though the Arkansas staff has taken note. Congratulations to Alan and the Arkansas football team.

644

8 Things Every Parent Can do to Help with Recruiting

Follow these easy steps to make your son and/or daughter a more recruitable athlete…

 

  1. Do NOT overstep your bounds. If I have said it once, I have said it a hundred times….the coach will be recruiting your son and/or daughter, NOT you.
  2. Be very supportive of your son and/or daughter. I know they are going through their teenage years and this one can be tough, but remember, you were once a teenager (even if they don’t acknowledge) and times can be tough.
  3. Make sure your son and/or daughter will actually have a chance to go to college. There are tons of hoops to jump through nowadays, and you want to make sure your child has them all covered.
  4. Create a nice, clean highlight tape that is available on YouTube. Remember, you do NOT have to be an award winning director to create a great video.
  5. Review possible questions that a coach might ask your son and/or daughter. Role play if you will. Make sure your child speaks clearly, slowly and is looking you in the eyes.
  6. Do research on schools and try as hard as you can to take some trips to the schools on NON sports days. Sure, every school looks amazing on game day, but that is not reality. It will only look like that about six weekends per year. Go to the campus on a Tuesday, see what is really like. Go during different seasons so you can truthfully understand the different weather the area might have.
  7. Be sure your son is getting the right type of exposure from the right people. Just because someone tells you something, doesn’t mean it is true. Ask around, ask other parents. Do your homework.
  8. Allow your kid to be on social media, but make sure they know you are monitoring them. Nothing personal to the athletes, but they are young and they are dumb (sorry, it’s true and the reason I know it’s true is because every single adult was also, you guessed it, young AND dumb once as well) and they will make mistakes. The only difference is that when an adult used to be young and dumb, only the people that saw them do something ignorant knew about it. Now, with the onslaught of social media, the world can know about it in less than a second. Even saying that, there are so many benefits to social media for them to be off of it (one of the first questions a coach will ask me, “is the kid on Facebook? Have him friend me so I can contact him”).

 

 

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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.

 

 

654

Is Your Son Ready for a Rubio Long Snapping Camp?

“Rubio, I’m nervous my son is not ready for your camp since he is just starting out”

“Rubio, all your camps have a ton of great Long Snappers and I don’t know if my son will be able to handle it”

“Rubio, how do I know if my son is ready for your camps?”

“Rubio, what skill level is required for your camps?

There are all very common questions that I get continuously throughout the year. The answer is simple: your child is ready. Now. Yup, now.

Here is the thing…Yes, there are many great Long Snappers at my camps, but do you know how they became great, by going when they weren’t great.

For every amazing Long Snapper you see, I can EASILY show you film of them being absolutely terrible. Everyone starts from somewhere. Like I always say, no one comes out of their mother snapping a .75. It takes time, it takes good form, it takes effort, it takes working hard AND smart. It happens. It always does.

Great example is Rubio Long Snapper Taybor Pepper of Michigan St. The first video is from 8th grade where he is, let’s just say, not really great. The second is from this past summer where he is, lets just say, phenomenal. (P.S. I could show you HUNDREDS of examples like Taybor)

Bottom line, there is no time like the present to get your kid to a Rubio Long Snapping campThe sooner I see him and get him going with the proper form, the better he will be in the long run. If he goes to someone who doesn’t know what they are doing first, I have to correct all of the mistakes then start building the form to greatness.

233

Happy Ranksgiving to the 2016 GA Long Snappers

The rankings are completed for ALL  2016 Long Snappers that participated in the Rubio Long Snapping Summer Camp in GA.

Next ranking opportunity in GA will be on November 23 and at VEGAS XXV.

KEY POINTS:

  • My rankings are NOT done just from The Rubio Target
  • My rankings are NOT done from some mathematical formula.
  • My rankings ARE done by me and only me. That is why they take a good amount of time. (Think of it this way, it takes MONTHS to build a Rolls Royce but only hours to build an average car)
  • My rankings are based off of this blog I wrote about what makes a Long Snapper great.
  • If you would like anything added to your profile page, simply email me (Rubio@RubioLongSnapping.com) the information and consider it done.
  • All Long Snappers are ranked after their first fall camp of their freshman year in high school.

A Long Snapper has the ability to adjust their ranking anytime I see them LIVE, not on video.

For the rankings section, simply go to RubioLongSnapping.com  rollover PLAYER RANKINGS, rollover which CLASS you are looking for, click that CLASS, click LONG SNAPPERS and find your name.

Ranksgiving

128

So, I get a call from a random number and….

So, I get a call from a random number and I answer the phone. Here is how the conversation goes….

“Hello, this is Chris Rubio”

“RUBIO! This is Coach ______ from ______ University. I am not doing well. I just found out that my starter is ineligible and I need someone right now to come in and start. NOW. I have scholarship money and everything. Who do you got?”

“I will take care of this coach. I will text you a list of kids and their cell numbers for you to contact. Consider this done. I will make sure you get a Rubio Long Snapper”

“THANK YOU RUBIO!”

Couple teaching points here….

  1. This happens more often than you think.
  2. Parents, this is why I need your kids cell phone numbers. It is not for my own pleasure, it is for when a coach needs to contact a kid immediately. Bottom line, if I don’t have your cell number, you should be texting it to me right now (my info is on the website)
  3. How did the starter not pass his class? Come on! Like I always say, if you are not passing your classes in college, with the help of all the tutors, you are literally trying not to pass. Focus up.
  4. Sadly, I have many kids that will not be able to take this starting spot since they didn’t take the proper classes in HS, are not a qualifier with the NCAA and/or simply cannot leave JC early without completing their AA degree.
  5. Take care of your academics first. NO ONE CARES HOW FAST YOU SNAP IF YOU CAN’T SPELL SNAP!
  6. It is never too late. This is proof.

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135

Rubio Long Snappers Fighting for Starting Job at Michigan

According to this article, it looks as though the Michigan Wolverines have a battle for the starting Long Snapper position between, yup, you guessed it, two Rubio Long Snappers.

The two Rubio Long Snappers: Scott Sypniewski and Andrew Robinson. Both are obviously great Long Snappers and the competition should be tight. I wish them both the best of luck and I know that the Wolverines will have a great one no matter who they go with.

One must wonder, is this simply the wave of the future? A college coach simply choosing which Rubio Long Snapper to go with as the starter….

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365

Rubio Long Snapper Quentin Skinner Gets Offer AT 13 years old!

Skinner, QuentinYup, you read that correctly….Rubio Long Snapper Quentin “Mad Dog” Skinner got his first full ride scholarship AT 13 YEARS OLD! Mad Dog (once you meet him, you will really understand the nickname) confirmed with me this morning. He is going into the 8th grade and he has picked up a full scholarship offer to Southern University in LA!

Mad Dog started attending Rubio Long Snapping Camps when he was in the 4th grade and has been a steady returner ever since. He averages .77 for a 15 yard snap, can bench press 280 lbs and squats 315 for a set of ten. His form is exceptional and he already passes the eye-ball test very quickly.

He is the real deal in every aspect and looks to destroy all Rubio Long Snapping records (Christian Yount of the Cleveland Browns, at one point, was the earliest to get offered when Boston College offered him his junior year. That record was broken by Blake Ferguson who was offered by LSU at the end of his sophomore year). Good luck breaking Mad Dogs record.

Here is some video of Mad Dog snapping at the FBU TOP GUN Camp this past weekend where he was selected to play in the Eastbay All- Star Game!

FYI: If you are keeping track, Coach Marty Biagi offered two Rubio Long Snappers (David Michael Carrell and Quentin Skinner) on the same day! The guy is obviously well ahead of his time.

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Happy Ranksgiving to the Long Snappers from the TX Camp

The rankings are completed for ALL  Long Snappers that participated in the Rubio Long Snapping Camp in TX on April 27, 2014.

Long Snappers came out to learn, get the most exposure possible and compete against one another. The talent level was, by far, the best I have seen in Texas in quite some time.

KEY POINTS:

  • My rankings are NOT done just from the Target
  • My rankings are NOT done from some mathematical formula.
  • My rankings ARE done by me and only me. That is why I am at all my camps.
  • My rankings are based off of this blog I wrote about what makes a Long Snapper great.
  • If you would like anything added to your profile page, simply email me (Rubio@RubioLongSnapping.com) the information and consider it done.
  • All Long Snappers are ranked after their first fall camp of their freshman year in high school.

A Long Snapper has the ability to adjust their ranking anytime I see them LIVE, not on video.

For the rankings (classes of 2014-2017) and for the new FUTURE STARS (class of 2018 and younger) section, simply go to the NEW RubioLongSnapping.com, rollover PLAYER RANKINGS, rollover which CLASS you are looking for, click that CLASS, click LONG SNAPPERS and find your name.

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Should College Football Players Be Compensated?

My local paper, The Lewiston Tribune, asked me to write an article on my opinion about the whole unionization of college football and if college football players should be paid. Here it is…..

It’s about time!

That was my reaction when I saw the Northwestern University football team won the right to form a union. The Nation Labor Relations Board made a groundbreaking decision that will impact college athletics for years to come.

Right off the bat, I will tell you that I am biased on this topic. I played football at UCLA in the mid to late 1990s. I have been on the other size of Oz’s curtain and I know what it is like.

I have had this argument (should college athletes get paid, do they deserve more, etc.) with friends and family in the past and will have it many more times in the future.

Bottom line, YES, I do believe college football players should get paid and be able to form a union to protect themselves. If they don’t, who will?

The NCAA? Not too sure I would jump on their shoulders and cheer too loud for them. They say it isn’t about the money but, in reality, it’s all about the money. On every angle you look at this topic, it’s all about the money.

If it is not about the all-mighty dollar, why do universities sell jerseys with their team’s top players’ numbers on them? Why not just wipe out that process altogether and sell No. 00 jerseys? Answer: No one would wear that number because it’s not related to a college athlete.

The colleges and universities know they aren’t selling jerseys; they are selling their top QB, RB or DL. It’s obvious. It’s too obvious.

It’s also obvious the top athletes who are making the colleges millions don’t see one dime of the money. Nothing.

How many No. 2 football jerseys do you think Texas A&M sold prior to Johnny Manziel’s last two highlighteel seasons? I would bet none.

Now, how much money do you think they estimate Manziel has brought in to the university in less than two years?

Ready for the answer … $37 million! All money that the university would have never seen had it not been for their star athlete playing the game of football.

And that money will keep on coming into the college while he plays in the NFL because he attracted fans and fans spend money. The more fans, the more they will spend and the more the school will spend to make the school look better (FYI: Texas A&M is about to finish adding 20,000 more seats to its stadium) and attract more boosters and students.

Go ahead and check to see schools’ application numbers after they do well in football. They always rise because the school gets more television exposure and students want to go to a wellecognized school with a winning team.

But the argument goes, a kid in college shouldn’t get that money since they are usually not very mature and would blow it right away. Fine, put it away and give it to them when they are off to the pros or graduate (that will really pick up graduation rates). I am all for that and think it could easily work.

One argument is that football players get paid by having their education covered and even a scholarship check to boot. There are a lot of holes in this argument.

Yes, just like a student on academic scholarship, a football player’s schooling is paid for. That is where the correlation ends.

You see, a student on academic scholarship has to be a top-tier student. That is all. Don’t get in trouble, keep your grades up and represent the university well and you’re good. Plus, they have the ability to get a job when they are not in class.

A football player on scholarship has to do all of those things, without having time to get a job AND has to play football. Big deal you say? It’s just a game you say?

Think about it like this, an average college football player’s schedule looks something like this during season …

  • Work out at 6 a.m.
  • Class from 8 a.m. to noon
  • Physical therapy from 1 to 2 p.m.
  • Meetings from 2 to 3 p.m.
  • Practice from 3 to 6 p.m.
  • Training table (mandatory dinner with the team) from 7 to 8 p.m.
  • Tutoring from 8 to 10 p.m.
  • Do it all again the next day.

A college football player simply has no time for anything else. They don’t have time for a job. No job means no money.

But they get scholarship checks from the university, you say? That check is nothing. It is so bad that even the NCAA admits that a “full scholarship” does not cover the basic necessities for a college athlete. My check at UCLA back in the late ’90s was approximately $800 per month. My rent alone was $450. After bills and food, there was NEVER any money left. Trust me, I was not buying anything crazy or anything at all. I wasn’t going to Disneyland every day, or ever. Without help from a parent, a football player on scholarship doesn’t survive.

With inflation and rent price increases, this check has increased to around $1,300 now. Ask any player living in L.A., and this barely covers rent and a few bills and meals.

In doing research for this piece, I spoke with several current college athletes and every single one said what they get is not even close to enough. They often will go without eating meals in order to save money to make sure the bills are paid. (fyi: since this article was written, the NCAA has adjusted to allow unlimited meals to college athletes less than two weeks after Connecticut guard and Final Four Most Outstanding Player Shabazz Napier made headlines by saying he often goes to bed starving)

One must wonder if the heads of the universities athletic departments or the NCAA are having to skip breakfast in order to make sure they have gas in their car to get to job/practice?

My bet is no.

Can you see how much time the athlete must dedicate to football? This is why they are so adamant about getting to be a union. So they can have some rights. So they can eventually get some compensation for being on the field and getting beat up all year long and risk life-altering injuries.

Anyone can do it? Not true. Only a certain few have the ability to do it.

To be a college athlete, to maintain the highest standards on the field and in the classroom takes a special person and that special person should be fairly compensated and protected.

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Questions a Preferred Walk-On Should Ask

As you know from THIS blog, a Long Snapper is recruited either as a full scholarship athlete, a preferred walk-on or just a walk on. They are all very different.

A long time Rubio Long Snapping parent, Mike Frese (older son, Nolan,  is starting on scholarship at the University of Houston, after being a preferred walk-on and his younger son, Jordan, will be a preferred walk-on at Texas A&M this fall) sent me some questions that his sons used during the recruiting process and asked me if I would like to share them with other parents and Long Snappers. They are great, so I am and I will even give some insight on each.

1. Who is on the roster that snaps (besides starter ________) Do any position players snap? What year are they, are they on scholarship? Is ________ on scholarship? This is a great starter question as it shows you are serious and want to know who your competition is. If other position players do snap, watch them and see how much they actually do. If they RARELY do it, don’t worry as they won’t be ready. 

2. Will I be on the 105?  The 105 (you should know this if you read the other blog that I already linked to!) is the number of athletes they can bring in the first wave (think the first day of Hell Week). If you are on this, that is a very good sign. If you are not, might be a code red.

3. How many LS make travel team? They will usually take two. If they have someone that can get the ball back there that plays another position, they may only take one as this guy can fill in if all hell breaks loose during a game. (Head’s Up to Coaches – THIS PLAN DOESN’T WORK!)

4. If I’m on 2 deep but not starting (redshirt) would I still travel? See answer to #3

5. Are you recruiting any other  LS for this year? They may or may not be honest with you on this one. Odds are they will take two preferred walk-ons and let you battle for the spot. Why not? It would be like having two hot, girls who are paying for the date fight to see who gets you. Win, win.

6. Will the program assist in my application & enrollment? This should be a definite YES! If it is not, they most likely aren’t too into you.

7. Housing? Food? Parking? What will it cost my parents? Any differences between for walk-ons from scholarship players? A scholarship player shouldn’t have to pay a thing while the preferred walk-on will have to cover it all. What you are essentially asking in this question is, as a preferred walk-on, would you be able to pay to eat with the team at training table, live with the team in the same dorms and get the same parking as the athletes on full scholarship.

8. How soon can I be on scholarship when I earn starting job? (Best & worst case scenarios) Best, right away and this is why you will start to hear the term “NON-RECRUITED WALK-ON.” If you hear this, it means they want to be able to put on scholarship ASAP once you start (think within days) while if you are a “RECRUITED WALK-ON” you will most likely have to wait until next quarter, semester or school year. Usually, if you start the whole season, you get it right after and if you are coming in after the starter graduates in the fall, they will usually run you through the gauntlet in Spring Ball to see if you can handle the pressure and deserve it.

9. When do u need me to decide/commit? When I decide, what are the next steps in the process? This should be your basic stuff….stop taking trips to schools, be proud of your commitment, get ready to start working hard (they will usually send you workout plan)

10. When are spring practices? Can I come watch one? If they say no, they don’t like you…AT ALL.

11. When will summer school start (summer workouts). Do you want me then? You want them to say yes and you should definitely go. It will show you are dedicated and determined. 

Hope this helps and feel free to comment below if you have any other questions.

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12th Annual Spring Event Info

The 12th Annual National Snapping Spring Event in Las Vegas, NV run by Rubio Long Snapping is a little over a month away.  While many Long Snappers are taking this time of year off, those that seriously want to play in college and know what it takes are working harder and smarter than ever.  Those dedicated Long Snappers will be in Las Vegas on May 10-11, 2014 ready to impress and gain the most valuable national exposure in the nation.

Here is some useful information for those attending and those that are still considering attending…

  • It is open to all. This NOT an invite only camp. This camp offers a great experience to kickers, punters, and long snappers of all levels.  Expect a wide range of talent from beginners to the best of the best from around the world in the Classes of 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, Junior Colleges and 4-Year Transfer Students.  The best of the best, The “Event Elite”, selected from the Spring Event will be invited to attend the “TOP 12″ and “Event Elite” Camp in June. To attend, just email Rubio@RubioLongSnapping.com
  • Event Date: May 10-11, 2014
  • Arrive Friday May 9th.  The earlier that you arrive, the more well rested you will be for the weekend.
  • Plan on being at camp until 5PM Sunday May 11th.  There is no way of knowing if you will make the Finals Round Sunday until you and all other participants have completed the initial round of charting Sunday morning.  Whether you make the Finals Round or not, you should plan on staying on watching the Finals Round.  Get the full experience from the camp!
  • Friday Small Group Sessions (3:00 – 4:00 & 4:00 – 5:00) are OPTIONAL.  These were designed to knock some rust off, get rid of jet lag legs, and gain confidence heading into Saturday.  If you can make it, I highly recommend you attend. To register, just email Rubio@RubioLongSnapping.com.
  • Location: Las Vegas Outdoor Soccer 1400 N. Rampart Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89128
  • There is no bleacher seating.  Bring chairs or buy some cheap chairs if you would like to sit while you watch.

Why May? May is also known as “Evaluation Period” for college coaches.  This is a very HOT time for recruiting for all classes.  May offers maximum exposure.  Chris Sailer and myself will be handing 100′s of calls after this event.  Recruiting Boards will be set based on results and our evaluations.  Want to be offered a scholarship at those college camps this summer?  Attending this camp is how they will know about you!

  • The 12th Annual National Snapping Spring Event gives you a chance to make the “Event Elite”.  There is NO set number of specialists that will be selected.  The number selected is based on the number of participants that can compete at that VERY HIGHEST LEVEL.  They will be selected to join the “TOP 12″ at the most prestigious Invite Only Camp in the world…The TOP 12 & EVENT ELITE CAMP.
  • Think you are good enough to make the “Event Elite” well now is the chance to prove it.
  • It is no surprise that from the 12th Annual National Snapping Event in January that the “TOP 12″ are already getting major attention and full scholarship offers.  Who will be next?
  • The Spring Event in NOT an Invite Only Camp.
  • Come prepared to enjoy your experience.  Do NOT put to much pressure on yourself.  Come with open eyes and ears.  Learn from your instructors and your peers.  Look around and take it all in.  Watch other groups.  Watch the college and pro demo.  Attend the Meetings.  There are so many things to learn and that you can and will benefit from if you take advantage.  Leave the camp with goals and a motivation to work harder than ever!

SCHEDULE

  • Saturday – Instructional Day.  You will get plenty of reps.  Pace yourself.  There will be a lot of live snapping. Your group numbers will be emailed to you about a week prior to camp.
  • Sunday – Competition Day.  You will be charted.  You will be filmed. You will be tested. You will be timed.  Your competition start time will be assigned to you at Check-In Saturday.
  • Saturday Meetings are the the Group Rate Hotel – JW Marriott.  I highly advise that participants and their parents attend.  Get there early and enjoy. To book your hotel room.  CLICK HERE

WHY

  • What makes Rubio Long Snapping the best in the business?  1st National Camp Ever for Long Snappers.
  • Chris Rubio is physically at EVERY camp associated with Rubio Long Snapping.
  • Chris Rubio is the ONLY one that handles the evaluations and rankings for the Long Snappers.  Same holds true for Chris Sailer with the kickers and punters with Chris Sailer Kicking.
  • Talk to any college coach in America or any Long Snapper that has been to multiple camps and will see that Rubio Long Snapping is the place to be for the best possible instruction and exposure.  Our advertising is word of mouth.  Come see for yourself!  See you in May!

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Working Hard is Stupid….

…if you aren’t working smart as well.

You will never get better if you simply are trying to outwork your opponent with your body. You need to outwork them with your body, as well as your brains.

If you are doing the wrong thing over and over while busting your butt, you will NEVER get better.

You will get worse. Considerably worse.

You will get frustrated because you aren’t improving and then there is often no recovery. No fix. You will spiral out of control. You try to work harder and harder but just end up getting worse and worse.

Sadly, I have seen it countless times with athletes. (Just one more snap turns into fifty more bad snaps and you just made your form go to the dumps)

More often than not, I have to fix an athlete that has been overworked. They had a “coach” who thought they knew what they were doing and just ended up hurting the athletes body, mind, chances & future. (Doing anything over and over and over shows no thought process and will not benefit you….cough, cough: just snapping non-stop at a camp)

The athlete should have been working smarter. Not counting the reps but making the reps count.

If you are going to just work hard, I feel sorry for you because you are going to have a very, very long road ahead of you in life.

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We Can Do More to Support Our Young Athletes

Here is an article that I had published in the Lewiston Tribune on June 5, 2013 that I thought everyone might like to check out. Enjoy!

 

Imagine an extremely large city. A city bustling with restaurants, entertainment and sporting events. This city has hundreds of high schools, countless students, tons of possibilities. People are everywhere and there is always something to do.

Throughout the year, the city’s population continuously huddles and rallies to support its local teams and, in correlation, the student bodies.

The cheering just depends on the season. In the fall, it’s football. In the winter, it’s wrestling and basketball. In the spring, it’s baseball, softball, track and golf. Even one of the colleges in the city has a festival of sorts for a spring time sport. The massive metropolis embraces it all.

The restaurants in the city work together to support the young athletes. To increase attendance at the games, the restaurants in proximity to the school playing offer discounts if a customer brings in a ticket stub from the game they just attended.

During the week of the game, the restaurant may even have highlights from the previous game playing on its waiting room TV. This is simple to do since the nearby high school’s media class supplies the tape to the restaurants. They work together for one common goal.

Not to be outdone, the school’s events offer a discount to anyone who shows a receipt from the collaborating restaurant(s) from the day of the game. They work together for one common goal.

Games, no matter the sport, become events for each and every family in the large city.

Everyone is working together to build spirit and pride in the youth. They, the adults, know that the next generation will be better off with support from all generations and, in turn, it will trickle down to even the younger generations. The more the adults show the students they are behind them, the more the students want to give the adults something to support. It is one big, fantastic cycle.

Schools support the restaurants, the restaurants support the schools. Even the local high school coaches go down to help out or just be seen at the elementary and junior high practices. The youngest kids love this and so do the parents. It shows the coaches truly care and it only takes a couple of minutes of their day.

Everyone is helping one another in this immense city. As hard as it is, they all work together.

Now, imagine the city is smaller … much smaller.

Instead of hundreds of high schools, thousands and thousands of students and countless restaurants, there are just a handful of high schools, a mere couple of thousand students and a spattering of restaurants.

Imagine a community like ours. With a much smaller number of schools, students and businesses, it would be much easier for everyone to work together to put overflowing pride back into the community, the schools and, most importantly, the children.

But you don’t even have to imagine. This is happening in communities all across the country.

Why aren’t we doing it here?

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Key Questions to Ask a College Coach

I have been getting a lot of emails, texts and calls about what to say to a college coach once you get a hold of them or they of you.  Some pretty basic questions to ask, but, I have to warn you, you might not like the “answers.”

Question you should ask but WON’T get a straight answer:

Player – Coach, are you recruiting anyone else at my position?

This is a great question but more likely than not, the coach will lie to you and say no one else. And, they have no reason to tell you. Think about it, would you be completely honest with a girl if you asked her to prom and she asked if there was anyone else you were considering asking? Didn’t think so.

Questions you should ask and NEED to get a straight answer: 

Player – Coach, if I am preferred walk-on, when exactly will I report to camp, does this include my admission to school and when exactly when will I be put on scholarship?

Major questions to ask and you definitely need to find out the answers. You want to be brought in asap and if you aren’t, you need to find out why. Most likely they have another guy they didn’t tell you about and this could be an issue moving forward. Next, you want to make sure it is very clear when you will be put on scholarship. Is it going to be right after your first start? Is it going to be a semester after your first start? Is it going to be when the senior graduates? Is it going to be one year after you start? Use the word exactly and find out the specifics with the coach. Don’t let them fluff an answer.

Question you want to ask but SHOULDN’T EVEN BOTHER expecting a straight answer:
Player – Coach, will you be there all four/five years I am in school?

The coach will answer YES but there is no way he is being completely honest with you. If something better coaching wise comes up, they are gone (and they should be…this is their job and their livelihood). Remember, never, ever choose a college based on the coach.

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Can My Social Media Profiles Affect the Recruiting Process?

In this day and age of Social Media with almost all high school students on Facebook, Twitter, etc. college football coaches are no exception. So, what does this mean for potential recruits? It means you must always be aware of what your public facing social profiles look like. Just like in the corporate world during the hiring process, college football coaches are combing the major Social Networks to see what they can find out about a potential recruit. They are doing their due-diligence in order to make the best possible choice of student athletes for their particular University.

Social Networks in many cases are the perfect venue to showcase your talents on the field, but in some cases can be the most damaging off the field.  Players should represent themselves online as they would offline to avoid any potential issues with college coaches following them on the various Social sites.

A common place to create a problem or controversy is the way you “comment” on your peers leaving comments on your Social profiles. Always, think before you reply back to ensure you are not leaving yourself open to negative feedback,  potential controversy or negative press. Photos are no exception either. Often coaches scroll through potential recruits Photo streams to see if they can find any “red flags” during the recruiting process. Always be careful with regards to the photos you post on your Social profiles.

Bottom line is coaches are watching and players need to be conscious of this. The online term for this is Reputation Management. Make sure when you are “googled” you are represented the way you want to be!

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