Bob Tata got to know George Welsh as well as any Naval Academy graduate who ever played for the legendary head coach.
Tata has the unique distinction of having worked as a graduate assistant under Welsh twice – at Navy during the 1979 season and again at Virginia during the 1987 campaign. That is a real rarity, especially for a former placekicker.
Tata, a two-year starting kicker at Navy during the Welsh era, was one of five 1979 graduates that remained in Annapolis as graduate assistants. He was joined by 1978 captains Phil McConkey and Nick Mygas along with starting quarterback Bob Leszczynski and defensive back Herb Wilson.