Career Highlights
- Coming out of Stanford in 1971, Randy was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams as a wide receiver in the 17th round but didn’t make it out of preseason on their squad.
- He was picked up as a free agent by the Patriots two weeks before their season opener and joined his former college teammate, Jim Plunkett, then a Patriots rookie himself.
- This first season with the Pats turned out to be Randy’s best statistical year of his career with 51 catches, 871 yards and 9 touchdowns. He played with New England until 1976 and ended his playing days the next year with Green Bay.
- Led club in receptions in 1975, with 46
- Has played 68 of 70 regular season games in five full seasons
- Had more receiving yardage than any other Patriot receiver for last two seasons
- Only player to appear in every Shaefer Stadium regular season game since 1971
- Has scored 23 TDs (138 points) to rank seventh among Patriots’ all-time scorers.
College Highlights
- Randy attended Stanford University on a full academic and athletic scholarship. He majored in political science but always had a knack for business that he later put to use in full force.
- Produced 83 receptions for 1535 yards and 11 touchdowns
- Helped out in big upset win over Ohio State in the 1971 Rose Bowl
Personal
- You could safely say that Randy Vataha was a college/professional athlete who definitely put his education to work for him after his playing days were over.
- He put his business acumen to work and became CEO of Bob Woolf Associates, the high-profile sports and talent management firm known for clients like Larry Bird and Larry King.
- He also became one of the founding members of the United States Football League (“USFL”), the upstart challenge to the NFL in 1983. With the USFL, Randy was 50 percent owner of the Boston Breakers.
- Currently, Randy is President of Game Plan LLC, a firm specializing in the buying and selling of pro sports teams.
- On a side note, Randy also holds the distinction of having won the biggest racquetball purse ever for a tournament championship — $59,000 in 1979.