NFF National Scholar-Athletes

Robert Zatechka

  • School
    Nebraska
  • Induction
    1994

One can't do it any better than Robert Zatechka, from a perfect 4.0 GPA in the classroom to captaining the 1994 Cornhuskers to an undefeated national championship season.

A standout four-year starter at offensive tackle, Zatechka anchored a Nebraska offensive line for four years that produced an overall record of 42-6-1 from 1991-94.

Majoring in biological science with a minor in chemistry, Zatechka could be found on the Dean's List every semester and was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society as well as the Golden Key National Honor Society. He was named a four-time Academic All-Big Eight Conference honoree, a Chancellor's Scholar, captain of the Anson Mount Scholar-Athlete Team, an ESPN student-athlete, a two-time First Team GTE Academic All-American, a 1994 NCAA Top Eight Award selection and the 1994-95 Big Eight Male Athlete of the Year.

The Lansing, Mich., native signed with the New York Giants in 1995 and played in 47 games for the franchise from 1995-97. He played in all but one game for the 1995 Giants under legendary coach Dan Reeves, helping New York make the transformation to a 10-5-1 playoff team in 1997, his final season before embarking full-time on his medical career.

From 2004-08, he continued his medical training and residency with emphasis on anesthesiology at the University of Nebraska-Omaha campus. He currently serves as a physician at Nebraska Orthopaedic Hospital.