Robert Atha was an American football placekicker

Placekicker

Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...

, punter

Punter (football position)

A punter in American or Canadian football is a special teams player who receives the snapped ball directly from the line of scrimmage and then punts the football to the opposing team so as to limit any field position advantage. This generally happens on a fourth down in American football and a...

, and backup quarterback

Quarterback

Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...

 who played college football

College football

College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...

 for the Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State Buckeyes football

The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...

 and NFL football For the Miami Dolphins and played for the Arizona Cardinals.

From 1978 through 1980, Atha played for the Buckeyes as a backup to quarterback Art Schlichter

Art Schlichter

Arthur Ernest Schlichter is a retired college and professional American football quarterback, sometimes known for his compulsive gambling and the legal problems especially gambling that arose from it...

 and a backup to placekicker Vlade Janakievski

Vlade Janakievski

Vlade Janakievski is a former American football placekicker for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was a walk-on player from the soccer team who handled the placekicking duties for the Buckeyes in the 1977-1980 seasons....

. In 1981 Atha earned the starting

Starting lineup

A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...

 position as placekicker. He continued as a backup quarterback behind Mike Tomczak

Mike Tomczak

Michael John "Mike" Tomczak is a former American football player. Tomczak played quarterback for several NFL teams including the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers....

. Atha led the team in scoring that year with 88 points: 13 field goals

Field goal (football)

A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...

, 43 PATs

Extra Point

Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...

, and one touchdown

Touchdown

A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...

. He earnd the key of worthington for his achievements. After his years of Ohio football he got drafted
to the Miami Dolphins.

During an October 24, 1981 game in Ohio Stadium

Ohio Stadium

Ohio Stadium is the home of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team and is located on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. The stadium was added to the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service on March 22, 1974...

, Atha made five field goals to set an Ohio State school and stadium record. The record has never been surpassed but it has been tied by Mike Nugent

Mike Nugent

Mike Nugent is an American football placekicker for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft...

 (at North Carolina State, September 19, 2004) and Josh Huston

Josh Huston

Josh Huston is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2006...

 (vs. 2005 Texas Longhorn football team

2005 Texas Longhorn football team

The 2005 Texas Longhorn football team represented the University of Texas at Austin during the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season, winning the Big 12 Conference championship and the national championship. The team was coached by Mack Brown, led on offense by quarterback Vince Young, and played...

, September 17, 2005 in Ohio Stadium). It was most recently tied on September 11th, 2010 by Devin Barclay versus the University Of Miami

University of Miami

The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...

.

He is married to wife Carol Atha and has a daughter Lauren Atha Skinner, and two sons Hunter and Tanner Atha.