University of Vermont Athletics

Robert Bateman 1976 - Football

Bob Bateman had the dual distinct of being UVM's last quarterback and perhaps the school's best, joining a dignified lot of Hall of Fame signal callers including Ralph Kehoe, Bob Deacon and Earl Olson as an inductee in 1986.

Bateman's statistics in 1974, UVM's final football campaign, earned him virtually every honor available including All-Yankee Conference, All-ECAC, All-New England, and All-America. That season, Bateman tackled three season records previously held by Olson: Most yards passing (1,869); touchdown passes thrown (16); and total offense (2,011 yards), to cement his standing in UVM annuals. Also that year, he was intercepted just eight times in 286 pass attempts, and he had one four-game stretch without being intercepted.

When UVM made the decision to drop football, Bateman had many college suitors. He settled on Brown, his father's alma mater. The reputation he carved at Vermont preceded him in Providence, and before the 1975 season Bateman was a Playboy preseason All-America. As the Bruins' architect he led the team to a 6-2-1 record and second place in the Ivy League. The 6-6 Bateman was an Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America that year.

The Cincinnati Bengals selected him in the seventh round of the National Football League draft. He played professionally for two seasons with the Bengals, the New England Patriots, and the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League.

When Vermont upset Massachusetts, 25-15, in 1974, Bateman was awarded the Golden Helmet Award by the Boston football writer's, symbolic of Division 1 Player of the Week. He was the Vermont Athlete of the Month in October, as chosen by the Vermont Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association, and he was the VSSA's runner-up, to fellow UVM Hall of Famer Tim O'Connell for 1974-75 Vermont State Athlete of the Year. His career collegiate status included 326 passes completions, 28 touchdown passes, and 4,249 passing yards.