MinerAlert
MinerAlert
May 2026
By Tanya Torres ’19, ’21
Ruben Munoz ’12 may have started his football career at UTEP as a walk-on, but it didn’t stop him from achieving his goals as a student-athlete. The Eastwood High School graduate arrived on campus as a hometown kid with something to prove. He knew nothing was set in stone, only the belief, instilled in him by his parents, to always strive to be better. At 6 feet and 275 pounds, he became a reliable presence on the defensive line, earned academic honors and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
“Many people don’t understand what student-athletes go through on a daily basis,” Munoz said. “Having to get up early in the mornings for practice and still having to do schoolwork. It made me realize that you can do anything in life if you set your mind to it.”
That early morning grind became the foundation of who Munoz would become. Even a decade later, those long practices and the pressure to keep up his grades shaped a routine that he still practices today. What started out as a challenge for a walk-on turned into a mindset built brick by brick with consistency, discipline and the belief that hard work eventually pays off.
Before Munoz graduated, he imagined himself becoming a coach. It felt like the natural path, a way to stay close to the game that had shaped him. Like many athletes, the idea of stepping away from football didn’t feel right. But as he explored different opportunities, he began to see a wider range of possibilities. His brother was already working in law enforcement, and that exposure sparked an interest of his own. Once he began taking criminal justice courses, he realized that law enforcement offered more stability and long-term opportunities than coaching, especially once he started thinking about supporting a family.
“I never thought I’d end up in law enforcement,” Munoz said. “But once I started learning about it, I realized it was something I could build a future with.”
Once the UTEP alumnus committed to law enforcement, he found himself drawn to the structure and purpose the work demanded. It was a tough career, one that required a lot from its officers, but Munoz felt he was the right match for it. He carried the same discipline he had on and off the football field into the academy, into training and eventually into his career. Not long after finishing his last season of football, he was hired as a customs officer.
From there, he continued to push himself, using that same mentality to advance his career. He attended polygraph school, became a polygraph examiner and later a special agent focused on catching child predators. It was a different kind of pressure than game day, but it was one he embraced.
“I got the same adrenaline going after bad people. Going after criminals is my game day now,” he said.
Adjusting to a future after football was not easy for Munoz. The alumnus had played from age 6 until 22. His world revolved around practices and game days on Saturdays. When that rhythm disappeared, he had to learn how to redefine what purpose and pressure looked like. Federal service filled that space, but the transition itself was still one of the biggest challenges he faced.
“The biggest adjustment for me was not being able to play on Saturdays, which was everything you look forward to, right? You work out all week, prepare all year and that’s for your big game. Saturdays came and I wasn’t going to be able to play. It’s kind of like you’re retired from something,” Munoz said.
Losing that weekly rhythm forced a new reality, one where he had to start from a new foundation. It was the first time he had to figure out who he was without football at the center. He overcame this new challenge and found his footing in a new environment. The UTEP alumnus built a new sense of purpose through his career, yet football never fully left his life. He found a way to stay connected to the game through a charity law-enforcement league, the Orange County Lawman. He also coaches his son’s youth football team, one of the many ways the UTEP alumnus continues to give back to the community.
Helping young football players and athletes at all levels has become one of the most meaningful parts of his life. Munoz knows what it feels like to be in their shoes: chasing a dream, balancing school and sports and wondering what comes next. He uses his own journey to guide the next generation in hopes of helping them find a career and a life after being a student-athlete.
“It’s really hard to adjust, but there is always a way to give back, whether it’s giving back to sports or giving back to the community. It’s hard but there is life after football, and you can still find it playing football or giving back somehow,” Munoz said.
Being a football player may have ended for Munoz, but his sense of purpose did not. The UTEP alumnus found ways to give back not only by catching bad guys, but by coaching his son’s youth team, playing on a charity law enforcement team and returning to UTEP to speak with athletes about their futures. The dream for many athletes is to go pro before or after college, but the odds aren't high and it doesn’t always happen. It doesn’t mean it’s the end of their futures, but it’s a crossroads that many student-athletes don’t know how to navigate on their own. Munoz faced that obstacle and came out on the other side, and he feels a responsibility to help others do the same. For Munoz, stepping away from football wasn’t the end of the journey, it was the beginning of a new one.