29 October 2023
Saturday’s postgame interview session with Jordan and Tyler Nubin included heartfelt moments and some revealing ribbing between the Gophers teammates and brothers from St. Charles, Ill.
Jordan Nubin came off the bench to rush 40 times for 204 yards and two touchdowns in Minnesota’s 27-12 win over Michigan State, while Tyler, an all-Big Ten safety, reveled in his little brother’s big day while chipping in five tackles of his own.
“I’m so proud of kid right here,” Tyler said. “It’s been a long time coming, man. All he does is grind. All he does is work. And you see that. You see the fruition of his hard work.”
Jordan, a former walk-on defensive back, clearly looks up to his big bro.
“Every single day, being able to see him in a facility,” Jordan said of Tyler. “He’s just a great mentor, a great brother. He’s a great person to everybody, not just me. So it’s just amazing. Being able to share this moment with him.”
“You mean that, bro?” Tyler asked with a hint of sarcasm.
“Of course,” Jordan replied.
The Nubins are roommates in the team hotel the night before games, and Tyler, big on pregame proclamations, said he called it on Friday night. Jordan was going to get a shot against the Spartans, with three U running backs out injured.
“I told him what was gonna happen,” Tyler shared. “I told him he was going to have like 200 yards and we was gonna get interviewed at the end of the game.”
Jordan just nodded.
The Nubins’ parents were athletes at Eastern Michigan, where mother Sherese was on the track and field team and father Rodney played football.
But it was clear under the brothers’ pleasantries that there is a healthy level of competitiveness between them. They are two years apart in school.
First question in the news conference: “Who is the best athlete in the Nubin house?”
“Right here,” Tyler said.
Later, they were asked about backyard football games as kids in Illinois.
“No comment,” Tyler said.
“There are a lot of fights,” Jordan acknowledged.
Then they were presented with a current-day scenario: Would Jordan be able to run over Tyler on the field?
“I don’t know,” Jordan answered. “I’m not going to say too much.”
The brothers play against each other in the Madden video game, but even Jordan was willing to conceded to Tyler on that one.
“Rough sledding,” Jordan said of those outcomes.
Tyler just smiled; he was doing that a lot on Saturday.
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