Rob Houghtlin (January 4, 1965) is a former kicker for the
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 coll ...
's football team from 1985 to 1987. He made four game-winning field goals in his career, the most memorable of which led
Iowa
Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...
to a victory over
Michigan
Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
in 1985.
Early life
Rob Houghtlin attended
New Trier High School
New Trier High School (, also known as New Trier Township High School or NTHS) is a public high school, public four-year high school, with its main campus for sophomores through seniors located in Winnetka, Illinois, United States, and a campus in ...
in Winnetka, Illinois. He played for one season at
Miami University
Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public research university in Oxford, Ohio. The university was founded in 1809, making it the second-oldest university in Ohio (behind Ohio University, founded in 1804) and the 1 ...
before transferring to the
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 coll ...
, walking on as a sophomore before the 1985 season.
Houghtlin success with dramatic, game-winning kicks began at an early age. With less than a minute to play, his Winnetka Chiefs 8th grade football team marched 92 yard to tie Antioch in the Northern Illinois championship. Forgoing the traditional one point run, Winnetka chose to kick for two points; Houghtlin nailed the game-winner as time expired.
By 1982, his senior year in high school, Houghtlin was considered one of the best kickers in the state of Illinois. Facing fierce rival Evanston High School in the state quarterfinals, Houghtlin kicked a 50-yard field goal with 3 seconds left to end Evanston's playoff run. In addition to kicking, he also played defensive back throughout his high school career.
College career
On October 19, 1985, the Iowa Hawkeyes were ranked #1 in the nation, while the Michigan Wolverines were ranked #2. Michigan came to Iowa City for a rare matchup of the top two teams in the nation. Iowa trailed, 10–9, with two seconds to play in the game. Houghtlin kicked a 29-yard field goal from the right hash mark as time expired to give Iowa a 12–10 win. Later that season, he made a 25-yard field goal as time ran out to beat Purdue, 27–24. Houghtlin was an all-
Big Ten
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
selection after his sophomore season.
As a junior in 1986, he missed a 52-yard field goal at the end of a 27–27 tie game against
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minne ...
; however, a Minnesota penalty gave Houghtlin another opportunity, and he made a 37-yard field goal as time expired to defeat the Gophers, 30–27. Iowa's final game that year was the 1986
Holiday Bowl
The Holiday Bowl is a post-season NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game that has been played in San Diego since 1978. San Diego County Credit Union has been the game's title sponsor since 2017, and the bowl has b ...
against
San Diego State
San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...
, where Iowa trailed, 38–36, with four seconds remaining.
Chuck Hartlieb
Charles Gregory Hartlieb (born March 12, 1966) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes from 1984 to 1988 and started at that position from 1987 to 1988. He was a high school standout at Marian ...
caught a high snap, and Houghtlin booted a 41-yard field goal as time expired to give Iowa a 39–38 victory. Houghtlin was again an all-Big Ten selection as a senior in 1987, eventually leaving Iowa as the school's all-time leader in field goals and points.
Professional career
Houghtlin was not drafted by the NFL, but in 1988 was invited to training camp with both the
Atlanta Falcons and
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
; he did not make the final roster for either club. The following spring, he signed with the
Chicago Bruisers
The Chicago Bruisers were a professional arena football team based in Rosemont, Illinois. They were founded in 1987 as a charter member of the Arena Football League (AFL). They played their home games at Rosemont Horizon.
History Founding (1987) ...
of the
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...
. There would be no thrilling, last-second kicks for Houghtlin with the Bruisers; in fact, he missed all twelve attempts in the 1989 regular season, still an AFL record for most field goal attempts without success. (Houghtlin did kick one field goal in four attempts in what would be his last pro game, a 43-10 playoff loss to the
Detroit Drive
The Massachusetts Marauders were a professional arena football team that was based in Worcester, Massachusetts. They were a member of the Arena Football League (AFL) from 1988 to 1994. The team was established in Detroit in 1988, as the Detroit D ...
.)
That same year, Iowa fans selected an all-time
University of Iowa football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football program represents the University of Iowa in college football. The Hawkeyes compete in the West division of the Big Ten Conference. Iowa joined the Conference (then known as the Western Conference or Big Nine) in 1899 ...
team during the 100th anniversary celebration of Iowa football, with Houghtlin as the team's kicker.
Iowa All-Time team
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Houghtlin, Rob
Iowa Hawkeyes football players
1965 births
Living people
Chicago Bruisers players