Published: October 10, 2006 12:41 am            

Tubbs in Hog Heaven

AUBURN — His college football career has taken several unforeseen turns, but Cullman High School graduate Zac Tubbs is thrilled to still be playing for the Arkansas Razorbacks. Injuries sidelined the 2002 Cullman graduate for most of the 2004 and 2005 seasons, but now that he’s back as a fifth-year senior, Tubbs said beating both Alabama and Auburn is one of the highlights of his entire playing career.

"There is nothing like sweeping the teams you grew up watching on TV," Tubbs said Saturday after he and the Razorbacks shocked the country by easily beating No. 2 Auburn 27-10. "(Offensive line) Coach (Mike) Markuson told me that I am going out as the champion of my home state in my senior year, and that's a pretty good feeling."

Markuson said he was very impressed with how Tubbs has been playing since returning to the field.

"It is unbelievable how great he has done this season after not playing for a year-and-a-half," Markuson said. "He came out a little rusty in spring practice, but he committed himself to getting better, and he worked very hard at doing that in practice and in the weight room.

"He has a flat stomach now, and he lost a lot of weight, and that is helping him become a much better player."

Tubbs said the experience of playing Southeastern Conference football has been all it was hyped up to be.

"It's an incredible feeling, especially on days like today," Tubbs said. "We come in here with 87,000 Auburn fans and it's so loud. It's pretty much 70 of us and the coaches against most everybody else in the stadium, and we came out on top today."

Tubbs has had a roller coaster ride since he moved to Fayetteville, Ark., and began playing for the Razorbacks.

He appeared in every game of the 2002 season as a true freshman on the Razorbacks' offensive line and was a key reserve in the 2003 season. He earned his first start for Arkansas against Missouri in the Independence Bowl, and things were looking up for him going into his junior year at the collegiate level.

Things took a downward turn in 2004 when Tubbs suffered a broken ankle after he started the first five games of the season.

Things got worse when he developed a blood clot in his leg that moved to his lungs causing him to be on breathing support and stay in the hospital for an extended stay.

As soon as he was able, he was back into rehabilitation and was hoping to get back for his senior season in 2005. However, a high ankle sprain caused him to miss the entire season except for the game at Southern California.

Because of the small amount of time he saw on the field, he was able to take a medical redshirt and have one more season with Arkansas, and he is making the most of it so far. He is one of the key blockers helping Arkansas to its record to 4-1 overall and 3-0 in SEC play.

Tubbs said he tries to view the sprain not as a setback, but as something that helped him be at 100 percent when he returned to playing.

"I think that the sprain might have been a blessing in disguise," Tubbs said. "After I sprained my other ankle, Coach (Houston) Nutt and I talked about it and decided it would be best to take the redshirt and come back next year."

Tubbs said nothing is definite, but he hopes to continue playing after his college days are done.

        

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