EX-SEMO STAR RUBIO SURVIVES 49ERS FINAL CUTS

Summary:

Noseguard included on San Francisco's 53-man roster.

Sunday marked the deadline for all National Football League teams to make their final cuts and reach the 53-player limit for the season opener.

And former Southeast Missouri State University standout Angel Rubio was able to survive the San Francisco 49ers' final cutdown.

While squads can still do some roster shuffling prior to the start of the campaign -- primarily by signing players who were cut by other teams Sunday -- Rubio has for now secured a roster spot with the 49ers, who open the season Sunday at home against the New York Jets.

A 6-foot-3, 295-pound noseguard, Rubio was selected by Pittsburgh in the seventh round of this year's NFL draft. The 49ers, who had shown plenty of interest in Rubio prior to the draft, acquired him from the Steelers just last week.

Rubio, who completed his eligibility at Southeast last season, was named the 1997 Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year and he also earned NCAA Division I-AA All-American honors.

Rubio is a native of Modesto, Calif., which is not far from San Francisco.