In today’s world of college recruiting, schools aren’t shy turning over any stone, they can in search of prospects. In Arizona State’s case those efforts extended overseas, as the Sun Devils found themselves a truly unique player in 6-10 290-pound Berlin, Germany offensive lineman Paul Rubelt who recently graduated from his local high school and is scheduled to arrive at ASU for the spring semester.
ASU Senior Recruiting Assistant Tim Roschmann, Rubelt’s fellow German native, and an ASU alumnus, noticed Rubelt’s performance in various summer camps this summer at Rutgers and Buffalo, which led the lineman to receive offers from those two schools as well as Florida State, Central Florida, UMass and Rutgers.
“Tim said that he would want to create a German pipeline through football,” Rubelt said. “When I researched Arizona State, I saw that it was the best option for me. I heard a lot of good stuff about the football program and the staff. It’s right in the middle of Phoenix, it has great facilities and there are a lot of different (majors) you can study there.
“And Tim works there, so it’s good to have someone in our mother tongue to speak with.”
This has been certainly a two-way street when it comes to taking the proverbial leap of faith since yesterday marked the first time Rubelt has spoken to any ASU coach and he committed during that FaceTime conversation without visiting Tempe beforehand.
“(offensive line coach) Dave Christensen said that I move well for someone my size and that I’m flexible,” Rubelt commented, “and that I stomped on people in my highlight tape.”
https://www.hudl.com/video/2/343801/5c7ef90f8cd3e8091c645d7b
The lineman and German native who doesn’t have any American family ties, does have an aunt that at the time used to work for an organization that sends German kids to study aboard in the U.S. Therefore, Rubelt did spend one year at Hiawatha High School near Rockford, Ill. in 2016-17. That was the first season Rubelt had ever played tackle football. His love for the sport though started at a much younger age.
“My mom hooked me up with a coach when I was around 12, 13 years old,” Rubelt recalled. “So, I’ve been playing six total years now. Three of them I was playing flag football and the last three years I’ve played 9-man tackle football. We barely have an 18- man roster and you need to have more than 20 players to be eligible for 11-man tackle football.”
Even though Rubelt grew up in a nation that has such a rich and successful soccer history, he chose to partake in other sports such as swimming which he did for seven years, and yes, he did play some basketball later in his teenage years.
Nonetheless, he always gravitated to a sport that was immensely more poplar thousands of miles away and on another continent. His size which is unusual even for the sport of football, with all of its physical requirements, was never a deterrent to pursue a path less traveled by German athletes, to say the least.
“I’ve always have been taller than other kids,” Rubelt stated. “Before my year abroad I used to be chubby and slow. Then I played football and basketball and I became faster, quicker and stronger, and it’s been fun working out and become stronger and better.
“I love collision and the spirit about football. Even though I’m from a soccer nation, It’s the greatest sport in the world, not only in the USA. I love watching the NFL, and the Chicago Bears.”
For obvious reasons, playing most of his football career in Germany, Paul Rubelt feels very confident in his current set of football skills. Yet, he’s fully cognizant that while he has the desired offensive tackle physical frame the Sun Devils are seeking to add in the 2020 class, that he also has a long, if not challenging developmental road ahead of him, albeit a a journey he’s eager to begin when he arrives in Tempe in January 2020.
“It’s really is a big step,” Rubelt admitted, “and it’s like going from 0 to 100 in 1 second. But I’m super excited and I’m willing to do everything I can to play football in the states. I can’t wait to get there to work out with all the other players, and I can’t wait to learn more about the game of football.
“It’s just amazing.”
Join us on our premium message board, the Devils’ Huddle, to discuss this article and other ASU football and recruiting topics. Not a member yet? Sign up today here and join your fellow Sun Devil fans!
