View source for Martin Ruby

{{Short description|American football player (1922–2002)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox CFL biography
| name = 
| image = MarvinRuby1950Bowman.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = 
| birth_date = June 9, 1922
| birth_place = [[Lubbock, Texas]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2002|1|3|1922|6|9}}
| death_place = [[Salmon Arm, British Columbia]], Canada
| team = 
| number = 47
| status = 
| position1 = [[Offensive tackle]], [[Defensive tackle]]
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 4
| weight_lb = 249
| college = [[Texas A&M University|Texas A&M]]
| NFLDraftedYear = 1942
| NFLDraftedRound = 5
| NFLDraftedPick = 40<br/>(By the [[Chicago Bears]])
| NFLDraftedTeam = 
| playing_years1 = 1946–1948
| playing_team1 = [[Brooklyn Dodgers (AAFC)|Brooklyn Dodgers]] 
| playing_years2 = 1949
| playing_team2 = [[New York Yankees (AAFC)|New York Yankees]]
| playing_years3 = 1950
| playing_team3 = [[New York Yanks]]
| playing_years4 = 1951–1957
| playing_team4 = [[Saskatchewan Roughriders]]
| career_highlights = 
* [[College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS|National champion]] ([[1939 Texas A&M Aggies football team|1939]])
* First-team All-[[Southwest Conference|SWC]] ([[1941 All-Southwest Conference football team|1941]])
| CFLWestAllStar = 1951, 1953, 1954, 1956
| DatabaseFootball = RUBYMAR01
| CFHOF = martin-ruby
| CFHOFYear = 1974
}}

'''Martin Owen Ruby''' (June 9, 1922 – January 3, 2002) was an [[offensive tackle]] and [[defensive tackle]] for the [[New York Yankees (AAFC)|New York Yankees]] and the [[Brooklyn Dodgers (AAFC)|Brooklyn Dodgers]] in the [[All-America Football Conference]] (AAFC), [[New York Yanks]] of the [[National Football League]] (NFL),<ref name=teams>''Will Coach At Tulsa'', ''[[Winnipeg Free Press]]'', January 21, 1955, Page 23.</ref> and the [[Saskatchewan Roughriders]] of the [[Western Interprovincial Football Union]] (WIFU). He lived in [[Waco, Texas]], while he was a professional player.<ref name=dodgers>''Football Dodgers Sign Ruby'', ''[[New York Times]]'', March 23, 1947, Page S9.</ref>

==College career==

He attended [[Texas A&M University]], where he was a left tackle who wore #74.<ref>''N.Y.I. Banks on Deceptive Attack To Offset Aggies' Power'', ''New York Times'', October 11, 1941, Page 13.</ref> His first year as a [[Varsity team|varsity]] player was 1940.<ref name=aggies>''Cotton Bowl Like Home To Martin Ruby'', ''[[Washington Post]]'', December 27, 1943, Page 8.</ref> He weighed 255 pounds.<ref name=teams/> and 6'4".<ref name=dodgers/> 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<ref name=eleven/> against [[Fordham University]]. In 1942 Texas A&M played the [[University of Alabama]] in the Cotton Bowl Classic.<ref name=aggies/>

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.<ref>''South's All-Stars Top North By 24-7'', ''New York Times'', December 31, 1944, Page S1.</ref> He was named captain of the Gray squad for the [[Blue–Gray Football Classic]] in December 1945.<ref>''Gray Eleven Names Ruby'', ''New York Times'', December 28, 1945, Page 22.</ref> Ruby was selected as the [[Captain (sports)|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.<ref>''Ruby Heads College Stars'', ''New York Times'', August 19, 1946, Page 31.</ref> 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.<ref>''Hirsch Is Honored For All-Star Play'', ''New York Times'', August 25, 1946, Page 88.</ref>

==Military service==

He was sworn into the service at halftime of the 1942 Cotton Bowl Classic.<ref name=aggies/> Ruby spent four and a half years in the [[United States Army Air Forces|Army Air Force]]. He attained the rank of [[Captain (United States)|captain]], was awarded a [[Presidential Unit Citation (United States)|Presidential Citation]],
and two [[Service star|battle stars]].<ref name=eleven/>

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, Colorado|Colorado Springs]] in the Treasury Bond Bowl, at the [[Polo Grounds]].<ref>''Randolph Field Eleven Arrives For Bond Bowl Game Saturday'', ''New York Times'', December 14, 1944, Page 27.</ref> He also played for the Hawaiian Flyers in 1945.<ref name=eleven/> 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 [[1943 Texas Longhorns football team|Texas Longhorns]] in the
[[1944 Cotton Bowl Classic|Cotton Bowl Classic]].<ref name=aggies/>

==Professional career==
[[File:Martin Ruby 1947.jpg|thumb|left|Ruby, circa 1947]]
===All-America Football Conference===
Ruby was selected by the [[Chicago Bears]] in the annual draft of college football players, in [[Chicago]], on December 22, 1941.<ref>''Players Drafted By Pro Elevens'', ''New York Times'', December 23, 1941, Page 29.</ref> 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.<ref>''Cleveland Downs Dodgers, 26–7, For Fifth All-America Triumph'', ''New York Times'', October 7, 1946, Page 26.</ref> Ruby recovered an Andy Dudish fumble early in the 1st Quarter during a November loss to the [[Buffalo Bisons]].<ref>''Dobbs' Touchdown Passes Offset By Bisons' Attack In 17-14 Game'', ''New York Times'', November 11, 1946, Page 46.</ref> Ruby was named to the 1946 All-Pro second-team picked by the [[Associated Press]], on December 12.<ref>''Seven NFL Players On All-Pro Eleven'', December 13, 1946, Page 32.</ref> He was chosen, along with [[Bruiser Kinard]], as one of two outstanding tackles named to the 1946 [[United Press International|United Press]] All-America Conference All-Star Team.<ref>''Rookies Dominate All-Star Eleven'', ''New York Times'', December 16, 1946, Page 32.</ref>

Ruby signed a three-year contract with Dodgers' general manager, [[Freddie Fitzsimmons]], in March 1947.<ref name=dodgers/> He had surgery for floating cartilage in his right knee at [[Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Center|St. Vincent's Hospital]], in December 1948.<ref>''Ruby in Hospital'', ''New York Times'', December 8, 1948, Page 46.</ref> 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]].<ref>''Football Yankees and Dodgers Merge and Will Play Home Games at Stadium'', ''New York Times'', January 22, 1949, Page 17.</ref> 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 [[War Memorial Stadium (Buffalo)|Civic Stadium]]. Ruby caught the ball and ran four yards into the end zone.<ref>''Football Yankees Topple Buffalo On H. Johnson's Field Goal, 17-14'', ''New York Times'', September 12, 1949, Page 28.</ref>

===National Football League===

The AAFC folded following the 1949 season. The Browns, 49ers, and Colts moved into the [[National Football League|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.<ref>''NFL Franchise History'', http://www.football.com, Page 2.</ref> Ruby signed with the Yanks in 1950 as one of the players the team received from the AAFC Yankees.<ref name=eleven>''Yank Eleven Signs Ruby'', ''New York Times'', June 25, 1950, Page 136.</ref>

In October 1950 Ruby sacked Quarterback [[Frankie Albert]] of the [[San Francisco 49ers]] for a [[safety (American football score)|safety]] near halftime of a game at [[Yankee Stadium]]. New York won the game, 29–24, in a come from behind victory.<ref>''Yanks' Last-Quarter Rally Overcomes Forty-Niners'', ''New York Times'', October 13, 1950, Page 42.</ref> 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.<ref>''Football Yanks Beat Packers At Stadium for Fourth League Victory in Row'', ''New York Times'', October 20, 1950,
Page 36.</ref>

===Western Interprovincial Football Union===

In July 1951 Yanks' owner, Ted Collins, initiated legal action against Ruby and guard George Brown. Both had signed contracts to play in Canada.<ref>''Sports Briefs'', ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', July 20, 1951, Page C4.</ref>

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.''<ref>''Untitled'', ''[[Winnipeg Free Press]]'', November 25, 1972, Page 133.</ref>

Ruby was ejected from a September 1951 game with the [[Winnipeg Blue Bombers]] for slugging Dick Pinkston near the end of the first half.<ref>''[[Jack Jacobs]] Led Bombers Blast Riders'', ''Winnipeg Free Press'', September 4, 1951, Page 16.</ref>

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.<ref>''Bombers Dominate Offensive Team'', ''Winnipeg Free Press'', November 9, 1956, Page 35.</ref> Ruby and a teammate, defensive back Larry Isbell, barely missed taking an [[Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 810|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 East–West All-Star Game.<ref name=plane>''Isbell, Ruby Missed Plane'', ''[[Waco Tribune-Herald|Waco News-Tribune]]'', December 11, 1956, Page 1.</ref>

He was inducted into the [[Canadian Football Hall of Fame]] in 1974.

==Coach==

In January 1965, Ruby was named head line coach by the [[University of Tulsa]]. He had coached earlier at [[Baylor University]] and Texas A&M University.<ref name=teams/>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{commonscatinline}}

{{1939 Texas A&M Aggies football navbox}}
{{Bears1942DraftPicks}}
{{Saskatchewan Roughriders}}
{{Canadian Football Hall of Fame members}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruby, Martin}}
[[Category:1922 births]]
[[Category:2002 deaths]]
[[Category:American football offensive tackles]]
[[Category:American football defensive tackles]]
[[Category:Players of Canadian football from Texas]]
[[Category:Canadian football defensive linemen]]
[[Category:Canadian football offensive linemen]]
[[Category:Baylor Bears football coaches]]
[[Category:Brooklyn Dodgers (AAFC) players]]
[[Category:New York Yankees (AAFC) players]]
[[Category:New York Yanks players]]
[[Category:Randolph Field Ramblers football players]]
[[Category:Saskatchewan Roughriders players]]
[[Category:Texas A&M Aggies football coaches]]
[[Category:Texas A&M Aggies football players]]
[[Category:Tulsa Golden Hurricane football coaches]]
[[Category:Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces officers]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Lubbock, Texas]]
[[Category:American emigrants to Canada]]
[[Category:Waco High School alumni]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Texas]]