Faces In The Crowd: Rob Peters
July 24, 2007 | Football
July 24, 2007
By Wes Skipwith, Texas Tech Athletic Media Relations
For two seasons, 1998-1999, Rob Peters quarterbacked the Texas Tech offense to two winning records and one bowl berth. Now, Peters continues calling the shots as the founder and CEO of his own investment firm.
Peters took the field for Tech from 1996-1999, playing nine different positions before winning the starting job at quarterback in 1998. That year he led the Red Raiders to a 7-5 record and an Independence Bowl birth while passing for 1,269 yards and nine touchdowns. His senior year, Peters passed for 1,437 yards and nine touchdowns as Tech finished 6-5. For his on the field efforts, Peters was awarded the Dell Morgan Memorial Courage Award twice, 1998 and 1999.
Peters said his greatest memory on the field was the home game against Texas his junior year. The Longhorns were ranked No. 18 in the country and their running back, Ricky Williams, was on his way to the Heisman Trophy. Peters finished the game with a career high 322 passing yards and two touchdowns while running for a third. But his greatest moment came with under two minutes remaining in the game and the score tied 35-35. Peters accounted for every play in the Red Raiders 82-yard game-winning drive including the three-yard touchdown run which put Tech on top 42-35.
"That was probably the best game I ever played," Peters said. "UT was on a roll and the game was at home so it was a really great memory. Plus the fact that it was Texas makes it even better."
The Katy, Texas, native also flourished in the classroom, earning All Big 12 Academic first team honors all four years. In 1996-97, he was one of two Red Raiders to finish both semesters with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average. He graduated in 2000 with bachelor's and master's degree in accounting. Peters said keeping track of both school and football was not that difficult; all he had to do was keep his priorities strait.
"I played sports forever so I learned how to manage my time," Peters said. "Wanting to do good in school was always important to me. There were times that were harder than others but I was lucky to have great professors. If you take it all seriously and work at it, it's not that big of a deal."
Despite all the games and awards Peters won during his tenure at Tech, he said what he will remember most is the relationships he made while there.
"One of the reasons I went out to Tech and Lubbock was because of the people," Peters said. "The friends that I made and the people I met and still stay in touch with today; that's the most enduring thing I remember."
One of the relationships Peters formed while at Tech was the one with his future wife Shannon. The two met at a bar in Lubbock the summer before their senior year. They married in 2000.
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The couple moved to Dallas where Peters went to work for an investment firm until 2005. Then he worked for a hedge fund for one year before leaving that job to start his own investment company.
At the beginning of 2007, Peters and another Tech graduate founded Palogic Investment Firm. He said his firm is going great and he enjoys being his own boss.
"It's been going as well as we could have hoped and were having a lot of fun," Peters said. "It's kind of a risky and scary proposition going out on your own but it has certainly been an enjoyable experience."
In July of 2003, Peters and his wife became parents after the birth of there first child, Grant. As recently as last April, the couple welcomed their second son, Charlie. Peters said with the arrival of his two boys, his priorities have taken a huge turn but there is nothing that gives him more joy then being with his family.
"My life pretty much revolves around work, diapers, and formula," Peters said. "Getting married is not a big deal but when you have kids, that changes things. It's really fun to go home. My oldest son is three now, and he is really developing a personality. He has always got interesting things to say and do when I get home. Just watching both of them grow up is the most fun thing for me right now."
Peters said he still follows Tech football closely and he is planning to go to a few games this season. He was the last quarterback of the Spike Dykes coaching era so he never experienced the pass-happy offense under current Tech coach Mike Leach but he does enjoy watching the team play.
"They have gotten even better than we were then." Peters said. "The offense they run now is a quarterback's dream and a heck of a lot of fun to watch. I think that it has been good for Lubbock and for Tech and I hope they continue to have the same amount of success that they have enjoyed the last few years."
Despite missing out on the Tech's "Air Raid' offense, Peters said he wouldn't change a thing about experience at Tech. He misses the playing and finds himself reminiscing about past gridiron glories.
"My experience there as far as football goes, couldn't have been any better," Peters said. "I loved it. Spike was a great coach and a great person. As you get older you start finding yourself telling the good old days stories. I'm happy with the way things worked out. I made some great memories and moved on to another stage of my life."