What Does “ATH” Stand for in Football?

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In football terminology, ATH stands for athlete. Players who are eligible for recruitment are listed by position, name and school. If a football player does not have a strong position specialty or can play a wide range of positions, he is listed as ATH.

A player listed as ATH is more versatile because he can be groomed to specialize in a position of the coach’s choosing; thanks to his athleticism, he is able to play one of several different positions on the field. The Seattle Seahawks’ outstanding cornerback, Richard Sherman, played wide receiver, punt returner and defensive back in high school; therefore, he was listed as ATH during recruitment to Stanford.