One week removed from the biggest singles win of his professional career, Jay Rubin doesn’t sound like someone still riding the emotional high. He sounds like someone already locked back in, focused on the next throw, the next tournament, the next climb.

“I enjoyed the rest of that weekend,” Rubin says, “but now my focus is to become the number one player in the world.”

Rubin’s path to that goal, however, didn’t follow a straight line. It twisted through the alleyways in Chicago, beer-sponsored backyard tournaments, personal setbacks, family loss, a temporary retirement -- and ultimately, a triumphant return.

This is the first installment of One Week Removed, a series that explores what happens not just when greatness is achieved, but how it resonates in the days that follow.

Before we talk about his accomplishment, we must first talk about his start, and rise in the cornhole world. 

Rubin’s cornhole journey began unceremoniously during a Fourth of July party almost 20 years ago. He and a buddy were dominating against all of their friends in a Chicago alley, until two female police officers from the other side of the alley came and hustled them.

“My competitive nature kind of took over there,” Rubin said. “Nobody else really enjoyed playing it besides me and one other guy friend, so we joined a little local league.”

Those local leagues turned into tournaments hosted by radio stations and Coors Light. Over the next few years, Rubin found himself obsessed and determined to climb higher.

The jump from casual competitor to professional contender came with a realization that “cornhole could become a supplemental income that I could bring into the household if I become good enough.” 

But what started as financial motivation quickly turned into passion. Rubin watched local players like the late great Chris Novy, Ryan Windsor, and Isidro Hererra, and studied their mechanics. He took notes, crafted his own style, and when he saw the ACL on ESPN one day, he realized this had the potential to grow into something bigger.

Rubin was a successful pro for multiple years, with a Doubles World Title, a win at Spencer Makenzie’s The Throwdown, and a Pro Shootout championship. However, Rubin then had to take a step away from the game.

The step away wasn’t because of poor performance, but instead issues off the boards: job loss, custody battles, financial stress, and relationship strain. All of it weighed heavily, often silently. 

“I was carrying that stuff with me,” Jay said. “Whether I was consciously thinking about it or not, it just stayed with you. It was always there.”

Rubin was pushed back into cornhole a year later after he lost his job for three months. He played with Cash Chamness at the World Championships just for fun, but from that he began having talks with bag manufacturers again. 

On a Monday Rubin re-interviewed with his company, but was denied the position. By Wednesday he had a contract with AllCornhole in his hands, and on that Friday his company called him back offering his old job again, but at that point it was too late.

“If I get that call 48 hours earlier, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

Fast forward to today, one week removed from his first National Singles win. But it wasn’t just the win that stood out – it was how he did it.

In his first game of the bracket against Alex Lippard, Rubin started the game on an unheard-of 71-in-a-row streak, which included 17 consecutive 4-baggers. It was a performance that reverberated through the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth – and then through the entire cornhole world – quickly.

“I was very aware of it,” he says of the streak. “Typically I don’t like counting how many rounds I’ve gone without missing, but when you keep entering a 12 in the scoreboard and start to see [round] 17, 18, it's hard to not think about it.”

Rubin then went on cruise control, not giving up more than 12 points in a game until the final, which included a 21-8 drubbing of the #1 player in the world, Jamie Graham. Rubin was then able to take down Spencer Fabionar in the bracket final and Tony Smith in the final four semi-final, which set up a match against Texas’ own Austin Waskow in the finals. 

In what has been dubbed by many “the greatest offensive performance ever,” Rubin and Waskow put on a show on the big stage. Rubin started the game with 63/64 bags in the hole, Waskow did not throw a round under a 10 until the very last round of the game, and Rubin missed just eight bags in total, while throwing the other 148 bags in the hole. The game lasted 39 rounds in which Jay Rubin never once attempted an airmail, roll or cut shot. 

“I was in a zone,” Rubin exclaimed. “Only one bag out of the 156 I threw didn’t touch the red zone. All of my other misses were right around the hole. In theory, we’re talking about a possible game where I could have ran 155 out of 156 – like that’s absurd, but that’s how focused I was.” 

Rubin says he was still on the high from winning throughout the past week, especially since he doesn’t usually have time to enjoy the win.

“A lot of times when I’ve won tournaments, I’ve had to turn around and travel almost immediately, so I don’t really have that chance to sit there and celebrate.” 

Rubin received a lot of messages and calls after winning. His mother was the first person he responded to, and there were a few surprises as to who reached out as well.

“When I won my bracket, Logan Chamberlain came across the broadcast court and congratulated me – that one shocked me.” Rubin also received a message from Julian Escamilla from Outta Control Cornhole who wanted to help with travel accommodations, which Jay said surprised him the most.

Jay Rubin is a player who has embraced pressure, but it wasn’t always that way. Early in his career, he says, he dimmed his personality on the court, worried about how his kids might perceive him on TV. Now? He’s his authentic self.

“What I would tell my younger self is: Be who you are, I can explain it later in life down the road, but I would rather be my authentic self. Somebody that's not a facade.”

That mindset is a part of what makes Rubin’s win even better. It wasn’t just a title, it was validation: a message to doubters, proof that walking away wasn’t about ability, and coming back wasn’t just about nostalgia. It was about finishing what he started.

“I didn’t not qualify. I walked away, and now I’m here to remind everyone that I’m one of the best.”

Rubin’s goals for the remainder of the season are clear: Win another Singles Signature, become the #1 player in the world, and help doubles partner Ryan Traiteur break through and get his shining moment of the season.

When asked what he’d say to anyone trying to follow in his footsteps, Rubin doesn’t hesitate.

“Be mentally tough. Skill is only part of it. Everybody at this level has skill, but if you can’t handle pressure- the crowd, the critics, the spotlight- you won’t last.”

One week removed from his biggest win, Jay Rubin isn’t just a champion. He’s a reminder of what it takes to come back, stay focused, and finish strong.