Bob Atha

Bob Atha
Profile
Position	Kicker
Personal information
Born	September 22, 1960; Marietta, Ohio, U.S.
Died	March 31, 2026 (aged 65); Worthington, Ohio, U.S.
Listed height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Listed weight	180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
High school	Thomas Worthington
College	Ohio State (1978–1981)
NFL draft	1982: 12th round, 317th overall pick
Career history
	St. Louis Cardinals (1982); Los Angeles Express (1983); Miami Dolphins (1983)*;
	* Offseason and/or practice squad member only

Robert Atha (September 22, 1960 – March 31, 2026) was an American football placekicker, punter and quarterback who played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Biography

From 1978 to 1980, Atha played for the Buckeyes as a backup to the quarterback Art Schlichter and the placekicker Vlade Janakievski. In 1981, Atha earned the starting position as placekicker. He continued as a backup quarterback behind Mike Tomczak. Atha led the team in scoring that year with 88 points: 13 field goals, 43 PATs and one touchdown. He earned the key to Worthington, Ohio, for his achievements. After his years of Ohio football, he got drafted to the NFL's St. Louis Cardinals.

During an October 24, 1981, game in Ohio Stadium, Atha made five field goals to set an Ohio State school and stadium record.^[1]^[2] The record has not been surpassed but it has been tied by Mike Nugent (at North Carolina State on September 19, 2004) and Josh Huston (vs. 2005 Texas Longhorns football team on September 17, 2005, in Ohio Stadium). It was most recently tied on September 11, 2010, by Devin Barclay versus the University of Miami.

Atha was married to Carol Atha and had a daughter named Lauren Atha Skinner, and two sons, Hunter and Tanner Atha. He was the owner of Houghton Investments, an oilfield production company in Ohio.^[1] Atha died from cancer at his home in Worthington, Ohio, on March 31, 2026, at the age of 65.^[3]

References

1 2 "Texas vs Ohio State (Sep 10, 2005)". MackBrownTexasFootball. Archived from the original on December 28, 2006. Retrieved July 30, 2006.
- Russo, Ralph. "No. 2 Texas 25, No. 4 Ohio State 22". Associated Press. Archived from the original on August 13, 2006. Retrieved December 14, 2006.
↑ "Ohio State Defeated by Texas, 25-22 – Huston ties Buckeye and Ohio Stadium record with five made field goals". Ohio State University. September 11, 2006. Archived from the original on May 11, 2006. Retrieved March 12, 2007.
↑ Former Ohio State kicker, punter and QB Bob Atha dies at 65

[OSU-1] 1 2 "Texas vs Ohio State (Sep 10, 2005)". MackBrownTexasFootball. Archived from the original on December 28, 2006. Retrieved July 30, 2006.
- Russo, Ralph. "No. 2 Texas 25, No. 4 Ohio State 22". Associated Press. Archived from the original on August 13, 2006. Retrieved December 14, 2006.

[Defeated_25-22-2] "Ohio State Defeated by Texas, 25-22 – Huston ties Buckeye and Ohio Stadium record with five made field goals". Ohio State University. September 11, 2006. Archived from the original on May 11, 2006. Retrieved March 12, 2007.

[3] Former Ohio State kicker, punter and QB Bob Atha dies at 65

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