Ruby Michaels never let her size or gender stop her from playing football.

The St. Bede senior started playing flag football in the third ground and went into youth tackle in the eighth grade. She then played four years for the Bruins throughout high school.

The 5-foot-1 dynamo will continue her football career on the flag football team at Benedictine University in Lisle next year. It is a spring sport at Benedictine.

“After the St. Bede season, I knew I wasn’t ready to give up football. I looked into a lot of schools with flag football and I kind of settled on Benedictine because I love the school,” she said. “My dad (Tony) went there and my cousins went there. I emailed the coach and set up a visit and the rest kind of fell in line.

“I’m super ready. There’s still a lot to prepare for getting back to the field of the game but I’m very, very willing to do whatever to get where I need to be.”

Flag football is a 7-on-7 game, Michaels explained, with receivers, backs, a quarterback and a center on offense and one rusher and coverage defenders on defense.

Michaels will play center for Benedictine and is excited with the new center eligibility rule.

“I mean I can catch, so,” she said with a laugh.

Michaels, who plans to study sports and exercise science with a focus on athletic training, will join a young Benedictine squad now in its second year.

Michaels said playing St. Bede football has her well prepared to play at the next level.

“It gave me that hard-working aspect and that if you want something, you have to prove yourself and you have to earn it,” she said. “It gave me that aspect of team work and resilience. Overall, it’s really prepared me.”

St. Bede coach Jack Brady is not surprised to see Michaels continuing her football career.

“Ruby has always had a relentless mentality and is very dedicated and has passion for the game,” he said. “I have no doubt that she will be an asset to the team at Benedictine.”