Randy Vataha

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Randy Vataha
No. 18
Position:Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1948-12-04) December 4, 1948 (age 73)
Santa Monica, California
Height:5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight:176 lb (80 kg)
Career information
High school:Rancho Alamitos
(Garden Grove, California)
College:Stanford, Golden West JC
NFL Draft:1971 / Round: 17 / Pick: 418
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
  • AFC All-Rookie (UPI) - 1971
Career NFL statistics
Games played:86
Games started:66
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Randel Edward Vataha, (born December 4, 1948) is a former American football player, a wide receiver for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL), the first six with the New England Patriots.

Early years[]

Born in Santa Monica, California, Vataha lettered in four sports at Rancho Alamitos High School in Garden Grove; he was a quarterback in football and graduated in 1967.[1]

College career[]

Vataha made the transition to wide receiver at Golden West Junior College in Huntington Beach,[1] then transferred up the coast to Stanford of the Pacific-8 Conference in 1969 under head coach John Ralston and became one of quarterback Jim Plunkett's favorite receiving targets. As seniors in 1970, they connected on a 96-yard touchdown pass,[2][3][4] a Stanford record which stood until 1999 (by a 98-yard pass from Joe Borchard to Troy Walters).[5]

At the end of that season, Vataha scored the last touchdown in Stanford's 27–17 upset of #2 Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, a ten-yard pass from Plunkett with eight minutes remaining;[6][7][8][9][10] both are members of the Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame. Plunkett won the Heisman Trophy and was the first pick of the 1971 NFL Draft; Stanford climbed to eighth in the final AP poll with a 9–3 record.[11]

Vataha was nicknamed "Rabbit" for his moves on the field and worked one summer at Disneyland in costume as one of the Seven Dwarfs (Bashful).[12]

NFL career[]

Vataha was selected in the 17th round of that NFL draft (418th overall) by the Los Angeles Rams. Released in training camp, he was signed as a free agent by the New England Patriots, where he was reunited with Plunkett. He was named to UPI's AFC all-rookie team in 1971 and played six seasons with the Patriots; he ended his career with the Green Bay Packers in 1977.[13]

After football[]

After retiring from football, Vataha was a founding member of the United States Football League (USFL) in 1983, owning 50% of the Boston Breakers. He is now the president of Game Plan LLC, a company that specializes in the buying and selling of professional sports teams.[1][14][15]

Currently, he is a recurring customer at the Sudbury, Massachusetts post office where he is much liked by the postal workers and other customers.

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "Randy Vataha: President, Game Plan LLC" (PDF). (St. Louis, Missouri): Washington University. (Olin Business School). Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  2. ^ Missildine, Harry (October 18, 1970). "Passin' Jim Plunkett sets yardage mark, leads Stanford rout". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 1, sports.
  3. ^ Vogt, Tom (October 18, 1970). "Stanford bombs Cougars 63-13". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 13.
  4. ^ "Indians rout WSU, 63-16". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. October 18, 1970. p. 4B.
  5. ^ "Stanford Football History Individual Records" (PDF). Stanford Football Media Guide. 2006. p. 140. Retrieved 2007-03-07.
  6. ^ Turran, Kenneth (January 2, 1971). "Stanford jars Buckeyes, 27-17". Milwaukee Sentinel. (Washington Post). p. 1, part 2.
  7. ^ Sons, Ray (January 2, 1971). "Stanford upsets Ohio State in Rose Bowl, 27-17". Youngstown Vindicator. (Ohio). (Chicago Daily News Service). p. 11.
  8. ^ "Stanford shakes up Buckeyes". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. January 2, 1971. p. 6.
  9. ^ "Stanford upsets Buckeyes, 27-17". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. January 2, 1971. p. 1B.
  10. ^ Jenkins, Dan (January 11, 1971). "The one-day season". Sports Illustrated. p. 10.
  11. ^ Thomas, Ben (January 5, 1971). "Nebraska wins the vote as nation's best college club". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. p. 3B.
  12. ^ Reid, Ron (September 29, 1975). "Pats' Rabbit who turned tiger". Sports Illustrated. p. 56.
  13. ^ Kupper, Mike (September 23, 1977). "New Packer Vataha plays ball off the wall". Milwaukee Journal. p. 19.
  14. ^ Wertheim, L. Jon (February 21, 2000). "Marriage broker Randy Vataha will help you buy a team or sell it". Sports Illustrated. (Scorecard). p. 30.
  15. ^ "Randy Vataha – Official New England Patriots Biography". New England Patriots website. Archived from the original on 2006-04-28. Retrieved 2007-03-19.

External links[]

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