Ahtyba Rubin

Ahtyba Rubin (born July 25, 1986) is an American football nose tackle for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Browns in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Iowa State.

Early years
Born in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Rubin graduated from Escambia High School in Pensacola, Florida in 2004. He then went on to attend Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas. In his freshman year he played defensive line, but was converted into an offense lineman for his sophomore year. Rubin made the adjustment with significant success and earned all-conference and honorable mention All-America honors in 2006.

College career
Regarded as a three-star recruit out of junior college, Rubin was recruited by a number of schools, and eventually picked Iowa State over TCU. He was switched back to defensive line in his junior year, and started the last nine games of the 2006 season. He finished the year with 34 tackles, four tackles for loss and a sack.

During his senior campaign, Rubin played in all of the Cyclones' games, registering 42 tackles (with four for loss) and recording 1.5 sacks.

2008 NFL Draft
Following his impressive senior season at Iowa State, Rubin was regarded as a "productive NFL starter" at nose tackle, and projected a mid-third round pick by Sports Illustrated. Rubin set the bar for defensive Tackles at the 2008 NFL Combine, bench pressing the standard 225lb's 35 times. Only defensive end Vernon Gholston and consensus number 1 pick Jake Long recorded more reps (37).

Cleveland Browns
Rubin was selected in the sixth round (190th overall) by the Cleveland Browns, and was signed on July 22, 2008.

He filled out a backup role for Browns nose tackle Shaun Rogers in 2008 and 2009, until Rogers went down with a lower leg injury in week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Rubin has since become the Browns starting nose tackle. In the 2010 offseason the Browns traded defensive end Corey Williams to the Detroit Lions, moved former starting nose Tackle Shaun Rogers to defensive end and promoted Rubin to starter due to his performance in 2009. 2010 was the best season of Rubin's young career, highlighted by his 87 tackles and an interception against Kansas City's Matt Cassel.