Rubles Looks to Capitalize on Final Games
Nov. 5, 2010
Senior cornerback Calvin Rubles only has a few games left in his Kansas football career.
The 6-3, 205 pound defensive back has been around the block in his playing days. Out of high school, Rubles attended Tyler Junior College in Texas. At Tyler, he earned an all-conference first team selection as a sophomore. Rubles will be the first to tell you that Division I football is on a whole other level from junior college football.
“You have to be more focused, especially from play-to-play. The attention to detail is so much more important. The work-load that I have here is far more than junior college,” Rubles said. “As far as the athletes go, you see a lot of junior college players at the Division-1 level so in that aspect it isn’t a whole lot different. It’s a big transition and a lot of guys can’t make it.”
The KU football team is going through a transitional phase right now and it is important that the players and coaches remain positive. Rubles has been on undefeated teams and teams that have had disappointing seasons.
“You just have to come out and continue to play hard in practice and in games. I’ve been on teams that have been through rough stretches and you just have to keep on running and take it one game at a time,” Rubles said.
Last season Rubles saw action in seven games. This season the senior has played in six of the first eight games at cornerback. After missing games consecutive against Baylor and Kansas State this year, Rubles made his first career start at corner against the Texas A&M Aggies. He finished the game with five tackles.
“It was pretty good and I enjoyed the experience. Now I just have to come out and try and build on it,” Rubles said.
Rubles, at 6-foot-3, said he hasn’t played any other position besides cornerback and free safety. In his words he can play ‘a little bit of everything’. He says he would like to try his luck at wide receiver. He has the size and speed to be utilized on the offensive side of the ball. He says his size and speed are his two greatest assets.
“I’ve been trying to tell the coaches to put me in as a goal-line receiver. They can just throw it up to me and I’ll go get it,” Rubles said.
Rubles is also known for his talents on the basketball court. He was recruited out of high school by Division I schools to play basketball and football. He was an all-state basketball player in the state of Texas as a senior in high school. He said he’s not sure why he didn’t choose basketball, but he credits his high school football coach and brother for choosing football over basketball.
It has been a long road to where Rubles is today. In his two years at KU he has had two different head coaches in Mark Mangino last season and now Turner Gill this season. No matter your athletic ability, a change in coaching philosophy will effect the way you perform.
The Jayhawk football team is nearing the end of its first season under Gill, but for the seniors this might be the last chance they get to play competitive football.
“I just have to come out and get better every day, so I can enhance my chances of playing at the next level,” Rubles said.
Weston Pletcher is a senior from Rosalia, Kan. He is majoring in journalism.
