Where Are They Now? Rubio Long Snapper Bobby Shepard

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The next installment of “Where Are They Now?” takes us to Northern California to catch up with former Fresno State Rubio Long Snapper Bobby Shepard!

What is your current occupation? I am a firefighter.

Where do you live? I live in Lodi, California.

Married? Kids? Single, with a three year old chocolate lab.

What is your fondest memory of your time playing college football? Both creating lifelong bonds with teammates and getting to travel the country and play in incredible stadiums. I played for a head coach that didn’t back down from any team. I was able to play in the Rose Bowl (and beat Rubio’s Bruins!), play at Camp Randall stadium, play at Nebraska, and at Candlestick Park to name a few.

If you could give ONE bit of advice to the current Rubio Long Snappers, what would it be? Work your butt off. Not only as an athlete, but even more so as a student. You can only wear pads for so long. There is so much more to your life than football. Also, have fun. It truly will be the quickest four or five years of your life. Enjoy it.

If you could give ONE bit of advice to the current Rubio Long Snapping PARENTS, what would it be? Support your son. My parents only missed two games in my entire playing career. Having them there every step of the way was incredibly rewarding. They were there for the game winning field goals and the rough losses. To this day it is something we always talk about. Very few kids get the opportunity to be a college athlete, soak it in with them.

12308534_10153718196912305_7028083895285253500_nWhen was the last time you snapped a ball and for what reason? I didn’t snap a football for probably two years after attending NFL free agent camps and try outs. Then probably a month ago some fellow firefighters wanted to see if I could still snap, and how fast it was.

If you could go back and play football in college again, would you go to the same school or a different one? Why? I would absolutely do it all over again and be a Fresno State Bulldog in a heart beat! Only one school wanted me to walk on for them. I am forever in debt to Coach Hill for letting me walk on. I am also beyond thankful to Coach John Baxter (USC) and Coach Pete Alamar (Stanford) for working with me. Also the city of Fresno truly cares about their Bulldogs and Fresno State as a whole. Their passion at games was unmatched.

Any regrets during college? Something you wish you had done or maybe hadn’t? My first few years in college, I didn’t really enjoy myself. My life was all football and school. While I loved that I was devoted to my sport and education, I didn’t really get to experience all that college had to offer until later in my career.

What tremendous thing have you been a part of or experienced since you graduated? Since I graduated in 2011, I was able to attend Graduate School while playing my Senior season. I earned my Master’s degree in Sport Psychology. Obviously, my job is incredible to me! As cliché as it sounds, I love being the person that gets respond to help people when they are injured or having problems in their life.

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Why Not Just Have a Lineman Do It?

Rarely, and I mean RARELY, do I get fired up about something but the above question seriously upsets me. The more that Rubio Long Snapping grows and the more that Rubio Long Snappers get picked up for college, the more you will hear/read/see people that think they know what they are talking about in regards to football and Long Snappers.

These “experts” might be on Twitter, Facebook and blogs all over the country spraying their “wisdom” to anyone that will swallow it. 99.9% of the time it is REALLY, REALLY ignorant.

For instance, I saw something today on Twitter where someone was disgusted because their team had offered a Long Snapper a scholarship (given, it was a Rubio Long Snapper) and they simply couldn’t figure out why the coaches didn’t just make a lineman do it.

Here is the answer that you can feel free to cut and paste for the rest of your Long Snapping loving life….

Asking a lineman to become a Long Snapper is like asking a ’70s Cadillac El Dorado to drive like a 2015 Ferrari. They are two completely different types of machines meant to do two completely different things….kinda like a lineman and a Long Snapper.

End of discussion. Drops mic. I’m outta here!

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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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ASK RUBIO – Comfort after overeating, my days as a teacher, snapping Damon?!?!?

Dear Rubio….

the holiday season is upon us, and there will  be an abundance of eating. Do you recommend a recliner or a couch after the second helping?
-SoonToBeStuffedLSD

SoonToBeStuffedLSD…

Personally, I have to go with couch. If one really does some damage at the table, a chair (recliner or not) won’t suffice. I like to have the option of leaning right into a full lay to a pass out and a couch is the only thing that can make that happen!
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Dear Rubio…

When did you decide you wanted to be a history school teacher?  After almost 6 years of teaching history was it a difficult decision to stop teaching school?
-East Coast Hair

East Coast Hair…
When I was in the 3rd grade, I knew I would be a teacher. I have many family members that are teachers so it was very familiar to me. I loved teaching (majority of teaching time was with 6th graders) because to me, it was a lot like telling stories. As long as I could get the kids to remember the stories (the history), I would be doing my job. There is a lot about this aspect of my life in the movie RUBIO.

It was VERY hard to leave teaching. VERY, VERY hard. I went from a “sure thing” in teaching to “I really hope this works out” in Long Snapping. I think it worked out well:)
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Dear Rubio…

“Have you ever long snapped Damon Dale Rubio into bed?”
-The Wookie Parent

Wookie Parent…
One simply does not snap Damon. He snaps them. Usually, he is what I would describe as the Tasmanian Devil hopped up on a gallon of Red Bull as we approach bed time. Jolie and I try to get him down and close the door before he starts spinning out of control and takes us out. On that note, if I was to snap Damon, it would be a pearl:)
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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.

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