University of Tennessee Athletics
Hall of Famer Doug Atkins Passes Away
December 30, 2015 | Football
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The University of Tennessee lost one of its all-time greats Wednesday, as Hall of Fame defensive end Doug Atkins passed away in Knoxville at the age of 85.
Considered by many to be the greatest defensive end in football history, Douglas Leon Atkins--born May 8, 1930, in Humboldt, Tennessee--helped lead the Volunteers to a national championship under the tutelage of legendary head coach Gen. Robert R. Neyland. Atkins was named an All-American in 1952 and was a two-time All-SEC selection.
"Doug Atkins was one of the best who ever played (at Tennessee)," longtime UTAD administrator Gus Manning said. "He was a real competitor and extremely tough. He was a truly great player, and he was just a good ol' boy."
After wreaking havoc on the gridiron at Tennessee--where he was originally recruited on a basketball scholarship--Atkins went on to play professionally with the Cleveland Browns, signing a contract in 1953. With Atkins rushing the ball carrier, the Browns won the division title in 1953 and the NFL Championship the following year.
Chicago was the next stop, where he spent 12 seasons imbedding his name in the history books as one of the famous Monsters of the Midway. Atkins was a member of the Bears in 1963 NFL Championship team, a year in which he earned the final of his four First Team All-Pro selections. He made eight appearances in the Pro Bowl, including seven straight from 1957-63. He finished his pro career playing three years for the expansion New Orleans Saints from 1967-69.
A member of the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1960s, Atkins was enshrined into the Hall of Fame in 1982. He and Reggie White are the only Tennessee players to ever be voted into both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Both had their numbers formally retired, two of just eight players in program history to be so honored, in 2005.
Atkins was one of the first great exclusively defensive players in professional football and, along with fellow Hall of Famer Gino Marchetti, revolutionized the defensive end position. Atkins was a fierce defender who was known for using his immense size and agility to his advantage. At 6-8, Atkins would often bat passes down at the line of scrimmage and would use his skills as a high-jump champion to leapfrog blockers and get to the quarterback
In recapping Atkins' career for an NFL Films documentary in 1983, legendary announcer Jon Facenda described Atkins as "A storm blowing over a Kansas farm house. He came from all directions. All you could do was to tie down what you could and hope he didn't take the roof."
In his collegiate career, he was considered one of, if not the, most dominant defensive players in SEC history. Atkins was the only unanimous selection to the SEC All Quarter-Century Team and was selected as the overall SEC "Player of the Quarter-Century" for the years 1950 to 1975.
Arrangements are being handled through Shelton-Hunt Funeral Home in Humboldt, Tennessee. An online guest book is available HERE.
Doug Atkins, one of the most devastating pass rushers ever to play, has passed away. More: https://t.co/vNKxHUYySN pic.twitter.com/NLVgwKeha4
-- Pro Football HOF (@ProFootballHOF) December 30, 2015
Doug Atkins, Pro Football Hall of Famer and original Saint, dies at 85 https://t.co/2KbjmV5Z3u pic.twitter.com/tIDQcE3WLp
-- New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 30, 2015
#Bears legend Doug Atkins has passed away at 85.
Our prayers are with the Atkins family.
https://t.co/4IS99qtXcq pic.twitter.com/PrvcpSZn5B
-- Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 30, 2015
Hall of Famer Doug Atkins has passed away at age 85: https://t.co/EWPnjweUcq pic.twitter.com/z2GHoN1YRs
-- NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2015
Godspeed Doug Atkins. Kindest, quietest certified backbreaker in Tennessee football history. #VFL pic.twitter.com/3cSIQeoF6c
-- Ryan McGee (@ESPNMcGee) December 30, 2015
Some perspective on Doug Atkins... https://t.co/N6glFOcWyB
-- Vol Network (@VolNetwork_IMG) December 30, 2015
