RUBIO ON OUTLAWS' ROSTER

The XFL that makes its debut Saturday will feature at least a small piece of local flavor.

Former Southeast Missouri State University All-American Angel Rubio is a defensive tackle for the Las Vegas Outlaws, who play the New York/New Jersey Hitmen in one of Saturday's season openers for the new professional football league.

Rubio, a 6-foot-2, 310-pounder, was a three-year all-Ohio Valley Conference selection for the Indians, earning NCAA Division I-AA All-American honors in 1997, when he was also named the OVC Defensive Player of the Year.

Rubio was taken by Pittsburgh in the seventh round of the 1998 National Football League draft. He spent the 1998 and 1999 seasons with several NFL teams, primarily on practice squads, as he saw very little game action.

After being waived by Arizona prior to the 2000 season, Rubio was drafted by the Outlaws as the XFL's No. 181 overall pick.