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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.

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
  • Los Angeles Rams (1971)*
  • New England Patriots (1971–1976)
  • Green Bay Packers (1977)
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
  • AFC All-Rookie (UPI) - 1971
  • New England Patriots All-1970s Team
Career NFL statistics
Games played:86
Games started:66
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

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. Vataha caught 178 receptions for 3,055 yards. He also had 23 touchdown receptions while with the Patriots.[13] He was waived by the Patriots before the start of the 1977 season and signed with the Green Bay Packers.[14] He ended his career with the Green Bay Packers in 1977.[15]

Vataha, along with Stanley Morgan, was one of two wide receivers named to the New England Patriots 1970’s All-Decade Team.[16]


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][17][18]

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. "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. Hyldburg, Bob (2020). Relive Patriots History. Hyldburg Publishing. p. 383. ISBN 9780996992121.
  14. "Heisman winners axed in final NFL cutdown". Chillicothe Gazette. September 15, 1977. p. 17. Retrieved 2022-10-18 – via newspapers.com.
  15. Kupper, Mike (September 23, 1977). "New Packer Vataha plays ball off the wall". Milwaukee Journal. p. 19.
  16. "Patriots All-Decade Teams | The Patriots Hall of Fame". www.patriotshalloffame.com. 2020-04-20. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
  17. Wertheim, L. Jon (February 21, 2000). "Marriage broker Randy Vataha will help you buy a team or sell it". Sports Illustrated. (Scorecard). p. 30.
  18. "Randy Vataha – Official New England Patriots Biography". New England Patriots website. Archived from the original on 2006-04-28. Retrieved 2007-03-19.




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