Rutgers-Newark Athletics

 By Jim Hague

Shariff Stubbs arrived at Rutgers-Newark a little over a year ago with a solid reputation as a track and field standout.

Stubbs already had reached All-America status during his days as a sprinter at Union Catholic High School, so it was expected that Stubbs would do more of the same right away for the Scarlet Raiders and head coach Juan Edney, who is still in the process of building an entire track and field program at Rutgers-Newark.

“He needed to just get adjusted to college life, to school, to track,” Edney said. “It wasn’t easy for him at first.”

There were a series of injuries and illnesses that kept Stubbs from performing the way he was accustomed to.

“When kids get hurt, they tend to get a little gun shy,” Edney said. “It just set him back a little.”

“It was very frustrating at first,” Stubbs said. “Coming out of high school and being successful in high school, I came into college with high expectations. When I wasn’t able to perform to my fullest capacity, it really upset me and hurt me in many ways.”

So Stubbs made sure that he came back as a sophomore ready to handle anything and everything.

“I hit the weight room more than I hit the training room,” Stubbs said. “I made sure that I was going to be healthy. I think what I went through helped me to mature a lot, especially with my track career.”

Edney knew that Stubbs would come back with a vengeance.

“He’s a very respectful, hard-working kid,” Edney said. “He’s very focused and disciplined. He’s always willing to do the little things.”
Like taking a leadership role, which is very rare for a sophomore.

“He’s a leader in drills and warm-ups,” Edney said. “Sometimes, he asks me if we can try different drills that he’s learned. He’s always there trying to make himself better and the team better.”

Stubbs doesn’t mind taking the leadership reins.

“I guess I’ve always been a leader,” Stubbs said. “Even as a freshman in high school, I was always an organizer. Some of the older guys know me and know that I have a lot of track experience, so it was okay to lead. They know my background. When I give advice, they tend to listen.”

Stubbs is also back to competing for the Scarlet Raiders.

“Indoor track season has been a progression for me,” Stubbs said. “I’m still trying to get back into the swing of things. I’m running faster than I did last year and I’m stronger than I was in high school, so those are good things. I’m better conditioned now. I’m still getting back in shape, but I think I’m going to be fine.”

Edney believes that Stubbs is a rising star.

“I think he’s capable of placing among the top five in the conference (the New Jersey Athletic Conference),” Edney said. “He has that capability, but he still has a lot to learn. The upside is tremendous. He has tremendous thighs and is learning to use them more.”

“It’s definitely a tangible goal,” Stubbs said of placing among the league’s elite. “No question, it can be done. I’ve run against the fastest runners before. I was just so mad at myself for missing most of my freshman year. But I can do it.”

Edney likes Stubbs’ mental approach as well.

“He wasn’t understanding what he had to do before,” Edney said. “Now, he has that understanding and that’s going to help him out a lot. It’s all starting to register for him. Once he gets started, he’s ready to go. It was just a matter of time.”

Stubbs has not officially declared a major yet at R-N. He’s leaning towards criminal justice, with the hope of being a police or corrections officer.
“I might strive to become a lawyer,” Stubbs said. “I don’t know for sure yet, but it’s a possibility.”

Needless to say, things are going well these days for Shariff Stubbs.

“Definitely, things are better,” Stubbs said. “My grades are better, my schooling is better and track is better. Everything is fine.”