During the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers threw just about everyone a curveball. They drafted Notre Dame DL Gabriel Rubio, a name not many people knew at that point. Unfortunately for Rubio, his college career was marred by injuries.
However, when Rubio was healthy, he was just the kind of defensive lineman the Steelers love. But who exactly is Gabriel Rubio? Here are five things to know about the Steelers’ new defensive lineman.
His Father Was Drafted By The Steelers And Played In Multiple Professional Football Leagues
Not many people had much information ready to go about Gabriel Rubio when the Steelers turned the draft card in. However, one thing became known quickly: The Steelers drafted his father, Angel, in the seventh round of the 1998 NFL Draft. Angel Rubio never appeared in a game for the Steelers and was traded to the San Francisco 49ers before the season began. He later signed with the Cincinnati Bengals, spent time on the 49ers’ practice squad, and then played the only two games of his NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals in 1999.
However, Angel Rubio’s career in pro football wasn’t over. He joined the XFL’s Las Vegas Outlaws, and in 2001, he made first-team All-XFL. He then spent six years in the Arena Football League before retiring from football.
He Learned Perseverance From His Father
Gabriel Rubio battled through injuries throughout his high school and Notre Dame career. However, he never let those injuries stop him. He continued to battle back each and every time. Now, he’s an NFL draft pick. How did he develop that mentality to fight through the injuries? That came from his father, too.
“It’s been embodied into me because where we’re from,” said Rubio in an interview with Irish Sports Daily. “We don’t like quitting. Quitting is like a cardinal sin basically in our house. You always have to persevere, no matter what. Whether you want to quit, you don’t feel like it, you always have to do it just [to] see the outcome of your labor. His perseverance has definitely been a big thing. He’s battled through injuries, concussions, all of the above. He broke his femur in two places, I think.”
No wonder Rubio keeps coming back for more. It also doesn’t hurt that Angel Rubio has been with Gabriel every step of the way along his football journey.
“I’ve coached my son since he first played contact football,” Angel Rubio said in an interview with the Ceres Courier. “I didn’t really want to coach. I wanted to just watch. But I quickly realized that I could teach him and his teammates more than anyone else could.”
He Wants To Continue A Family Tradition After Football
According to Rubio’s Notre Dame bio, he wanted to major in fire science. That may seem like an atypical choice, and it isn’t one that I’ve seen a whole lot. However, it makes a lot more sense when you understand the Rubios.
After Angel Rubio retired from football, he became a firefighter and is currently a captain in Wentzville, MO. He isn’t the first Rubio to do that, either. Angel’s father was a firefighter, too. And Gabriel wants to continue the tradition of firefighters when he retires from playing football, just like his father.
“When I see the things that he does, every time that he goes on duty and things, I just want to emulate him and be like him,” Rubio said in an interview with the Sports Stars of Tomorrow YouTube channel. “Saving people, helping the community, all the good things because, in hindsight, that’s basically what it’s all about.”
His Mother Is A Baker (And So Is He, At Least A Little)
Angel Rubio isn’t the only parent who influenced Gabriel. His mother was a high-level volleyball player in college. Now, she’s the owner and operator of Grandma’s Cookies in St. Charles, MO, a suburb of St. Louis. Her grandmother started the bakery, and it’s been a family affair ever since.
“The best cookies, by far, in St Louis,” Rubio said in his Notre Dame Signing Day vlog. He even showed a little footage of himself helping out by turning trays of cookies in the oven.
According to a feature story on OurEsquina.com, Rubio and his three siblings have all spent time working in Grandma’s Cookies. Perhaps if football and firefighting don’t work out, he’ll have a career as a baker. Or at least his family will enjoy amazing cookies.
Got The Nickname Barbarian At Notre Dame
Everyone loves a great nickname in sports. Rubio has one, too. During his time at Notre Dame, Rubio wore an old-school facemask with a bar running down the middle of it. His defensive line coach, Al Washington, thought the bar and Rubio’s style of play suited the name “Barbarian” perfectly.
“He got the nickname based off of my middle-bar facemask,” said Rubio in that interview with Irish Sports Daily. “He was like, ‘Man, you must be a rough and tough dude if you’re rocking that thing. Not many people rock that anymore.’ He was just ecstatic that someone was keeping that old culture alive.”
Yeah, Gabriel Rubio is a Steelers defensive lineman, through and through.
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