Robert Pratt (born May 25, 1951 in

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

) is a former

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

. He graduated from St. Christopher’s School in 1970 where he garnered All Prep League honors.

College career

Robert Pratt earned a scholarship to the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

where he played for Head Coach

Bill Dooley William Gerald Dooley (May 19, 1934 – August 9, 2016) was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1967–1977), Virginia Polytechni ...

. He was a three-year starter at left tackle and was an All American and All ACC selection. His team won two ACC Championships in 1971 and 1972. The 1972 team achieved the school's first 11-1 season culminating in a Sun Bowl victory against

Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...

Professional career

In the 1974 NFL draft, Robert Pratt was selected in the third round by the

Baltimore Colts The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team that played in Baltimore from its founding in 1953 to 1984. The team now plays in Indianapolis, as the Indianapolis Colts. The team was named for Baltimore's history of horse breed ...

. He started at left guard from 1975 to 1981, playing in 105 consecutive games. He helped his team win three straight

AFC East The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). There are currently four teams that reside in the d ...

Division Titles (1975–77). He was a key protector of NFL MVP and Pro Bowl quarterback

Bert Jones Bertram Hays Jones (born September 7, 1951) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Colts and Los Angeles Rams. At Ruston High School in Ruston, Louisiana, he was given the ...

. In 1982, Pratt was traded to the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...

where he helped the franchise get into the playoffs in 1983 and 1984, the first such appearances in the franchise's history. He started in the AFC title game after the 1983 season. In 1983, he was voted by the organization as the Lineman of the Year. After a twelve-year career, he retired in 1986.

After Football

Robert Pratt lives in Richmond, Virginia. He is the chairman and CEO of Mid-Atlantic Golf, Inc., the owner of Sycamore Creek Golf Course in

Manakin-Sabot, Virginia Manakin-Sabot, consisting of the villages of Manakin and Sabot, is an unincorporated community in Goochland County, Virginia, United States. It is located northwest of Richmond in the Piedmont and is part of the Greater Richmond region. History ...

. He was inducted into the

Virginia Sports Hall of Fame The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame honors athletes, coaches, administrators, journalists and other contributors to athletics. Many of the more than 350 inductees since 1972 were born in Virginia or enjoyed success in college, professional, amateur or ...

in 2013.

External links

Sycamore Creek Golf Course
1951 births Living people Players of American football from Richmond, Virginia American football offensive linemen St. Christopher's School (Richmond, Virginia) alumni North Carolina Tar Heels football players Baltimore Colts players Seattle Seahawks players {{offensive-lineman-1950s-stub