An Arkansas Throwback: Steve Atwater

Roaming the free safety position for the Broncos in the 90s, Steve Atwater was no stranger to success. During his illustrious NFL career, Atwater racked up eight pro-bowls and 2 super bowls. He was recently inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2021 after a long overdue wait. While Atwater is known for his time in the NFL, his college days were just as prodigious.

Steve Atwater at Arkansas:

Coming into Arkansas in 1985, Atwater signed on to play QB for the Hogs. However, Arkansas head coach Ken Hatfield told Atwater that a move to safety would be in his best interests. While in the NFL he played closer to the line of scrimmage, this wasn’t always the case at Arkansas. With the Razorbacks, Atwater displayed ball-hawking instincts, setting the school record for interceptions.

But he also displayed some of the skills he would be known for in the NFL. Atwater could snuff out the run game against the option teams the Hogs played against. He also had some big hits against receivers to force incompletions. For his efforts, Atwater was named a three times to the all-SWC team and a two-time All American. After his senior year in 1988, he was picked in the first round by the Denver Broncos in 1989.