Martin Ruby
Encyclopedia
Martin Owen Ruby was an offensive tackle and defensive tackle for the New York Yankees
and the Brooklyn Dodgers
in the All-America Football Conference
, New York Yanks
of the National Football League
, and the Saskatchewan Roughriders
of the Canadian Football League
. He resided in Waco, Texas
while he was a professional player.
, where he was a left tackle who wore #74. His first year as a varsity
player was 1940. He weighed 255 pounds. and 6'4". Ruby was named the outstanding lineman in the Southwest Conference in 1941. That year he led the Aggies to their second straight Cotton Bowl Classic appearance. against Fordham University
. In 1942 Texas A&M played the University of Alabama
in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
Ruby played left tackle for the South All-Stars who defeated the North, 24-7, in the North-South football game, on December 30, 1944. He was named captain of the Gray squad for the Blue-Gray Football Classic
in December 1945. Ruby was selected as the captain
of the College All-Stars for the 1946 College All-Star Game
. The All-Stars played the Los Angeles Rams
at Soldier Field
, in August. Ruby placed second to Elroy Hirsch
of the University of Wisconsin–Madison
in voting for the most valuable player in the game. The All-Stars defeated the Rams 16-0.
. He attained the rank of captain, was awarded a Presidential Citation,
and two battle stars
.
In December 1944 Ruby was a tackle for the Randolph Field Ramblers, the best service team in Texas
during World War II
. They played the Second Air Force Superbombers of Colorado Springs in the Treasury Bond Bowl, at the Polo Grounds
. He also played for the Hawaiian Flyers in 1945. World War II gave Ruby a third chance to play in the Cotton Bowl Classic, and an opportunity to defeat the
University of Texas, which Texas A&M had not beaten since 1939. The Randolph Field Ramblers played the Texas Longhorns in the
Cotton Bowl Classic
.
in the annual draft of college football players, in Chicago, Illinois, on December 22, 1941. He played his first professional game for the Brooklyn Dodgers against the Cleveland Browns
. The Browns won 26-7 at Cleveland Stadium
on October 6, 1946. Ruby helped account for the Dodgers' only score by recovering a Cliff Lewis fumble on the Browns' 6-yard-line, in the 3rd Quarter. Ruby recovered an Andy Dudish fumble early in the 1st Quarter during a November loss to the Buffalo Bisons
. Ruby was named to the 1946 All-Pro second team picked by the Associated Press
, on December 12. He was chosen, along with Bruiser Kinard, as one of two outstanding tackles named to the 1946 United Press
All-America Conference All-Star Team.
Ruby signed a three-year contract with Dodgers' general manager, Freddie Fitzsimmons
, in March 1947. He had surgery for floating cartilage in his right knee at
St. Vincent's Hospital
, in December 1948. The Dodgers and New York Yankees merged in January 1949, reducing the AAFC to seven teams. The Yankee-Dodger aggregation played its home games in Yankee Stadium
. Ruby scored a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills (AAFC)
in September 1949. In a Brooklyn-New York 17-14 win, Frank Perantoni batted down a pass thrown by George Ratterman
, at Civic Stadium
. Ruby caught the ball and ran four yards into the end zone.
the AAFC Yankees.
In October 1950 Ruby sacked Quarterback Frankie Albert
of the San Francisco 49ers
for a safety near halftime of a game at Yankee Stadium
. New York won the game, 29-24, in a come from behind victory. Ruby jarred the ball from Tobin Rote
of the Green Bay Packers
during an October 20 contest in New York. The ball was recovered for a 1st Quarter touchdown by Jack Russell of the Yanks.
.
One of Ruby's opponents, Edmonton Eskimos
quarterback Jackie Parker
, was a rookie out of the University of Tennessee
. He reflected about his fear of Ruby in a 1972 Winnipeg Free Press
article. Parker's coach, Pop Ivy
, instructed his staff to study film in hopes of finding a weakness in Ruby's game. The coaches found a tendency in the way Ruby positioned his left foot when he lined up in a three point stance. When he intended to come straight ahead the tackle placed his left foot forward. When he wanted to cut left he positioned his left foot back. One of Parker's teammates, Johnny Bright
, did not think the advance scouting of Ruby helped the Eskimos very much. After getting smashed for a loss by Ruby, Bright grumbled in the huddle, I guess we gotta learn to live with him.
Ruby was ejected from a September 1951 game with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
for slugging Dick Pinkston near the end of the first half.
Ruby was selected as one of six Roughriders named to the 1956 Canadian Press
Western Interprovincial Football Union All-StarTeam. Players were chosen by football writers and coaches in the league cities. Ruby and a teammate, defensive back Larry Isbell, barely missed taking an ill-fated Vancouver to Montreal Trans Canada Airlines plane which experienced engine failure above Hope, British Columbia
, on December 10, 1956. They had tickets on the following flight to Montreal after passing on the earlier flight.
The missing plane's pilot turned back at Princeton, British Columbia
while facing snow and ice. The Trans Canada airliner, carrying 62 people, went down in the Chilliwack Mountain region of British Columbia. Ruby had just finished playing in the Western Interprovincial Union All-Star Game..
He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
in 1974.
. He had coached earlier at Baylor University
and Texas A&M University.
New York Yankees (AAFC)
The New York Yankees were a professional American football team that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. The team played in Yankee Stadium in the Bronx and often played in front of sold-out crowds . They were owned by Dan Topping, who brought many of his Brooklyn...
and the Brooklyn Dodgers
Brooklyn Dodgers (AAFC)
The Brooklyn Dodgers was an American Football team that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1948. The team is unrelated to the Brooklyn Dodgers that played in the National Football League from 1930 to 1943...
in the All-America Football Conference
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
, New York Yanks
New York Yanks
The New York Yanks American football team played in the National Football League under that name in the 1950 and 1951 seasons. In 1949, Boston Yanks owner Ted Collins had requested the NFL to fold his Boston team and give him a new one in New York City...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, and the Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. He resided in Waco, Texas
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
while he was a professional player.
Texas A&M defensive tackle
He attended Texas A&M UniversityTexas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
, where he was a left tackle who wore #74. His first year as a varsity
Varsity team
In the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...
player was 1940. He weighed 255 pounds. and 6'4". Ruby was named the outstanding lineman in the Southwest Conference in 1941. That year he led the Aggies to their second straight Cotton Bowl Classic appearance. against Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
. In 1942 Texas A&M played the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
Ruby played left tackle for the South All-Stars who defeated the North, 24-7, in the North-South football game, on December 30, 1944. He was named captain of the Gray squad for the Blue-Gray Football Classic
Blue-Gray Football Classic
The Blue–Gray Football Classic was an annual American college football all-star game held in Alabama usually on Christmas Day. It was begun in 1939 and held annually through 2001 at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama. The game was not contested in 2002 and was subsequently revived in 2003 in...
in December 1945. Ruby was selected as the captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
of the College All-Stars for the 1946 College All-Star Game
College All-Star Game
The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played annually from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year...
. The All-Stars played the Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
at Soldier Field
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
, in August. Ruby placed second to Elroy Hirsch
Elroy Hirsch
Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch was an American football running back and receiver for the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Rockets, nicknamed for his unusual running style.-Early life:...
of the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
in voting for the most valuable player in the game. The All-Stars defeated the Rams 16-0.
Military service
He was sworn into the service at halftime of the 1942 Cotton Bowl Classic. Ruby spent four and a half years in the Army Air ForceUnited States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
. He attained the rank of captain, was awarded a Presidential Citation,
and two battle stars
Service star
A service star, also referred to as a battle star, campaign star, or engagement star, is an attachment to a United States military decoration which denotes participation in military campaigns or multiple bestowals of the same award. Service stars are typically issued for campaign medals, service...
.
In December 1944 Ruby was a tackle for the Randolph Field Ramblers, the best service team in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. They played the Second Air Force Superbombers of Colorado Springs in the Treasury Bond Bowl, at the Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
. He also played for the Hawaiian Flyers in 1945. World War II gave Ruby a third chance to play in the Cotton Bowl Classic, and an opportunity to defeat the
University of Texas, which Texas A&M had not beaten since 1939. The Randolph Field Ramblers played the Texas Longhorns in the
Cotton Bowl Classic
1944 Cotton Bowl Classic
The 1944 Cotton Bowl Classic was a postseason college football bowl game between the fourteenth ranked Texas Longhorns and the Randolph Field Ramblers, a military institution squad from San Antonio, TX. Randolph boasted many former college football stars, including Tulsa's Glenn Dobbs and Texas...
.
All-America Football Conference career
Ruby was selected by the Chicago BearsChicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the annual draft of college football players, in Chicago, Illinois, on December 22, 1941. He played his first professional game for the Brooklyn Dodgers against the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The Browns won 26-7 at Cleveland Stadium
Cleveland Stadium
Cleveland Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in Cleveland, Ohio. In its final years, the stadium seated 74,438, for baseball and 81,000, for football. It was one of the early multi-purpose stadiums, built to accommodate both baseball and football...
on October 6, 1946. Ruby helped account for the Dodgers' only score by recovering a Cliff Lewis fumble on the Browns' 6-yard-line, in the 3rd Quarter. Ruby recovered an Andy Dudish fumble early in the 1st Quarter during a November loss to the Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
. Ruby was named to the 1946 All-Pro second team picked by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, on December 12. He was chosen, along with Bruiser Kinard, as one of two outstanding tackles named to the 1946 United Press
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
All-America Conference All-Star Team.
Ruby signed a three-year contract with Dodgers' general manager, Freddie Fitzsimmons
Freddie Fitzsimmons
Frederick Landis Fitzsimmons , nicknamed "Fat Freddie," was an American right-handed pitcher, manager and coach in Major League Baseball who played from 1925 to 1943 with the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers...
, in March 1947. He had surgery for floating cartilage in his right knee at
St. Vincent's Hospital
Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Center
Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers ' was a healthcare system, anchored by its flagship hospital, St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan, locally referred to as "St. Vincent's". St. Vincent's was founded in 1849 and closed in 2010...
, in December 1948. The Dodgers and New York Yankees merged in January 1949, reducing the AAFC to seven teams. The Yankee-Dodger aggregation played its home games in Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
. Ruby scored a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills (AAFC)
Buffalo Bills (AAFC)
The Buffalo Bills was an American Football team, based in Buffalo, NY, that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. During its first season in 1946, the team was known as the Buffalo Bisons...
in September 1949. In a Brooklyn-New York 17-14 win, Frank Perantoni batted down a pass thrown by George Ratterman
George Ratterman
George William Ratterman was an American Football player in the All-America Football Conference and the National Football League.-Early life:...
, at Civic Stadium
Civic Stadium
Civic Stadium may refer to:* Civic Stadium in Eugene, OregonOther places formerly called Civic Stadium:* Oshawa Civic Auditorium in Oshawa, Ontario* Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton, Ontario* Jeld-Wen Field in Portland, Oregon...
. Ruby caught the ball and ran four yards into the end zone.
NFL tackle
The AAFC folded following the 1949 season. The Browns, 49ers, and Colts moved into the NFL for the 1950 season. The remainder of the AAFC players were taken by the NFL via draft. The New York Bulldogs changed their name to the New York Yanks. Ruby signed with the Yanks in 1950 as one of the players the team received fromthe AAFC Yankees.
In October 1950 Ruby sacked Quarterback Frankie Albert
Frankie Albert
Frank Cullen "Frankie" Albert was an American football player. He played as a quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League...
of the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
for a safety near halftime of a game at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
. New York won the game, 29-24, in a come from behind victory. Ruby jarred the ball from Tobin Rote
Tobin Rote
Tobin Cornelius Rote was an American college and professional football player who played quarterback for the NFL's Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts, and the American Football League's San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos.-Early life:Rote...
of the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
during an October 20 contest in New York. The ball was recovered for a 1st Quarter touchdown by Jack Russell of the Yanks.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
In July 1951 Yanks' owner, Ted Collins, initiated legal action against Ruby and guard George Brown. Both had signed contracts to play in CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
One of Ruby's opponents, Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
quarterback Jackie Parker
Jackie Parker
John Dickerson "Jackie" Parker was an American football player who became an All-American in college football and an outstanding professional football player in the Canadian Football League at the running back, quarterback, defensive back, and kicker positions. He is primarily known for his play...
, was a rookie out of the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
. He reflected about his fear of Ruby in a 1972 Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg Free Press
The Winnipeg Free Press is a daily broadsheet newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Founded in 1872, as the Manitoba Free Press, it is the oldest newspaper in western Canada. It is the newspaper with the largest readership in the province....
article. Parker's coach, Pop Ivy
Pop Ivy
Frank "Pop" Ivy was a football player and coach who holds the unique distinction of being the only person ever to serve as a head coach in the National Football League, the American Football League and the Western Interprovincial Football Union.A native of Skiatook, Oklahoma, Ivy was part Native...
, instructed his staff to study film in hopes of finding a weakness in Ruby's game. The coaches found a tendency in the way Ruby positioned his left foot when he lined up in a three point stance. When he intended to come straight ahead the tackle placed his left foot forward. When he wanted to cut left he positioned his left foot back. One of Parker's teammates, Johnny Bright
Johnny Bright
Johnny D. Bright was a professional Canadian football player in the Canadian Football League. He played college football at Drake University...
, did not think the advance scouting of Ruby helped the Eskimos very much. After getting smashed for a loss by Ruby, Bright grumbled in the huddle, I guess we gotta learn to live with him.
Ruby was ejected from a September 1951 game with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
for slugging Dick Pinkston near the end of the first half.
Ruby was selected as one of six Roughriders named to the 1956 Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Canadian Press Enterprises Inc. is the entity which "will take over the operations of the Canadian Press" according to a November 26, 2010 article in the Toronto Star...
Western Interprovincial Football Union All-StarTeam. Players were chosen by football writers and coaches in the league cities. Ruby and a teammate, defensive back Larry Isbell, barely missed taking an ill-fated Vancouver to Montreal Trans Canada Airlines plane which experienced engine failure above Hope, British Columbia
Hope, British Columbia
Hope is a district municipality located at the confluence of the Fraser and Coquihalla rivers in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Hope is at the eastern end of both the Fraser Valley and the Lower Mainland region, and is at the southern end of the Fraser Canyon...
, on December 10, 1956. They had tickets on the following flight to Montreal after passing on the earlier flight.
The missing plane's pilot turned back at Princeton, British Columbia
Princeton, British Columbia
Princeton is a small town in the Similkameen region of southern British Columbia, Canada. It lies just east of the Cascade Mountains, which continue south into Washington, Oregon and California. The Tulameen and Similkameen Rivers converge here...
while facing snow and ice. The Trans Canada airliner, carrying 62 people, went down in the Chilliwack Mountain region of British Columbia. Ruby had just finished playing in the Western Interprovincial Union All-Star Game..
He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
Canadian Football Hall of Fame
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is an open to the public institution. It includes displays about the Canadian Football League, Canadian university football and Canadian...
in 1974.
Coach
In January 1965 Ruby was named head line coach by the University of TulsaUniversity of Tulsa
The University of Tulsa is a private university awarding bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. It is currently ranked 75th among doctoral degree granting universities in the nation by US News and World Report and is listed as one of the "Best 366 Colleges" by...
. He had coached earlier at Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
and Texas A&M University.