Hall of Fame
Bob Atherton was a sweeper on the Bulldog soccer team from 1985-88 and is the only member of the men's soccer team to be named first-team all-MIAA four consecutive years. Atherton was also a member of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America all-region teams in 1985, 1987 and 1988. He also served as captain for a season. Hailing from Federal Way, Wash., and Decatur High School, he was the team's defensive player of the year in 1985, 1986 and 1987, and team co-MVP in 1987. As a freshman, Atherton was named the team's rookie of the year, helping the 'Dogs shut out four opponents as they posted a 4-10-4 record in a rebuilding year. In his sophomore year, he anchored the defense and helped the team make a marked improvement with five shutouts and a 12-6-2 overall record. It was the most wins by a Truman squad in the seven years of the program. The following season, the team again achieved two Bulldog firsts. With a 14-6-1 overall mark, the team posted the most wins in school history, and a solid defensive unit led shut out a school record 10 opponents. The 1987 campaign is still one of just three double-digit shutout seasons at Truman. During his final season, the Bulldogs went 11-6-3 and held foes to the fewest goals of his four-year tenure, allowing just 23 on the year, along with recording seven shutouts. For his career, Atherton played in 77 games, missing just two contests. He scored three goals and assisted on four others, taking 33 shots over his four years on the Bulldogs' defense. Atherton excelled in the classroom as a two-time academic all-America, the first Bulldog to achieve that distinction. In 1987, he became the first Bulldog to receive academic all-America honors when he was an honorable mention Intercollegiate Soccer Association of America/adidas scholar-athlete selection. He was a first-team ISAA/adidas pick in 1988. Atherton was also a second-team Verizon all-district pick his final year, and a three-time MIAA scholar-athlete.
