Thought this was a good read. Hopefully Rubin gets the national recognition he deserves this season.
http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2013/08/without_fanfare_cleveland_brow.htmlWithout fanfare, Cleveland Browns' Ahtyba Rubin keeps motoring, leading by example
By:Tom Reed
The Plain Dealer
BEREA, Ohio – On a rare humid day at Browns training camp, Ahtyba Rubin trotted to the sidelines with the rest of the first-team defense, dropped his helmet and ran two wind sprints across the width of an adjacent practice field.
Nobody joined him. Hardly anyone took notice of the 6--2, 330-pound defensive lineman grinding under the late afternoon sun.
“Just trying to keep my conditioning level up,” Rubin said matter-of-factly.
Before he became one of the hardest-working athletes on the Cleveland sports scene – think Anderson Varejao minus the long hair and longer injury report – Rubin was taught a valuable lesson from his high school coaches in Pensacola, Fla.: Leadership is what you do when nobody else is watching.
Or, in the Browns’ case, only the diehards when you’re sitting 3-10 in December.
He's one of the most, if not the most, underrated defensive linemen in the NFL.
Rubin’s five-year pro career has been marked by double-digit losing seasons and a relentless drive to rise above the Berea dysfunction. He’s led all NFL interior defensive linemen in tackles since 2010 with 209 and has won the respect of every coaching staff for which he’s played.
Put Rubin’s motor and maturity into Gerard Warren’s frame and you would have had a perennial Pro Bowler.
Rookie edge rusher Barkevious Mingo told reporters on Sunday that assistants want “everybody to play more like Rube.” He is the Jack Russell terrier whose master must occasionally hide the tennis ball for fear the old dog might run himself to death.
“He’s one of the most, if not the most, underrated defensive linemen in the NFL,” linebacker D’Qwell Jackson said. “I’ve been around him from Day 1 here and he’s had the same commitment. He’s an extremely good player who simply hasn’t had the notoriety throughout the league.
“He’s the player you want to model your game after – the way he prepares, the way he practices. I try to emulate him and it’s hard to do.”
If one play illustrates Rubin’s effort, it occurred in San Francisco two seasons ago. Naturally, it came in a loss. Not surprisingly, it came at the end of a big play for the offense.
Niners running back Frank Gore skirted the left side of the line and ran for 26 yards. Jackson picks up the story from Browns film study:
“Out of corner of the screen you see Rube running all the way across the field to make the tackle. He ran more than 30 yards and he popped right up like it was nothing.”
Two years ago, Rubin was an integral part of a top-10 defense that gained little acclaim because the only offense came from Phil Dawson’s toe. Last year was a difficult one for Rubin, who was hampered by groin and calf injuries and saw his streak of consecutive games snapped at 55.
He is healthy again and ready to accept a new challenge – playing defensive end in Ray Horton’s 3-4, multi-front scheme alongside Phil Taylor and Desmond Bryant. He’s also worked as a nose guard and tackle in his time with the Browns.
“I’m just happy to be on the team,” said Rubin, who earned a three-year, $27 million contract extension in 2011. “They kept me around for this long. I’ll just keep getting my coaching in and be in the film room and see how it goes on Sundays.”
The Browns are building a good defensive line rotation, buttressed by the young depth Billy Winn, John Hughes and Ishmaa’ily Kitchen provide. Winn and Hughes raved last season about the example Rubin sets. It’s not just about hustle and technique, but little things such as never carrying a cell phone into team meetings.
His quiet leadership and steady production often go unnoticed around the league because of the Browns’ record and his obscurity as an interior defender who doesn’t compile sacks. A year ago, Bleacher Report listed Rubin as the “most overpaid player” on the Browns.
“That’s because people don’t know who he is,” Jackson said. “If we take care of our business this year I will make it my mission to make sure people know who Ahtyba Rubin is.”
The unassuming big man doesn’t require a promoter or a Twitter account. He just needs lots of people inside the organization’s headquarters to catch up to his commitment level.
It’s going to take more than a couple of wind sprints.
