Safety/Punter,
Buffalo Bills
Age: 27 (Nov.
19)
4th
season in pro football, 2nd in AFL & with Bills
College: Auburn
Height: 6’1” Weight: 195
Prelude:
A star on
Auburn’s 1957 national championship team, Atkins was chosen by the San Francisco
49ers in the fifth round of the ’58 NFL draft. He saw some action as a punter
and in the defensive backfield in two seasons with the 49ers before moving to
Buffalo of the new AFL in 1960, where he averaged 39.0 yards on a
league-leading 89 punts and intercepted five passes while starting at
cornerback. He was also used as a placekicker and was successful on 6 of 13
field goal attempts. Atkins was shifted to safety in 1961 as personnel was
juggled in the defensive backfield.
1961 Season Summary
Appeared in
all 14 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Interceptions
– 10 [1]
Most
interceptions, game – 2 vs. NY Titans 9/17, vs. Dallas 10/15, at Dallas 11/12,
at Denver 11/19
Int. return
yards – 158 [2]
Most int.
return yards, game – 52 (on 2 int.) at Dallas 11/12
Int. TDs – 0
Punting
Punts – 85 [1]
Most punts,
game – 9 vs. Boston 9/23, at Denver 11/19
Yards – 3783
[1]
Average – 44.5
[1]
Best average,
game – 54.6 (on 5 punts) at Boston 10/22
Punts blocked
– 1
Longest punt
– 70 yards
Kicking
Field goals –
2 [11]
Most field
goals, game - 1 at Dallas 11/12, at Denver 11/19
Field goal
attempts – 6 [11]
Most field
goal attempts, game – 4 at Denver 11/19
Field goal
percentage – 33.3
PATs – 29 [4]
PAT attempts
– 31 [4]
Longest field
goal – 39 yards at Denver 11/19
Rushing
Attempts – 2
Yards – 87
Average gain
– 43.5
TDs – 1
Punt Returns
Returns – 2
Yards – 30
Average per
return – 15.0
TDs – 0
Longest
return – 15 yards
Scoring
TDs – 1
Field Goals –
2
PATs – 29
Points – 41
[20]
Awards &
Honors:
1st
team All-AFL: UPI, Sporting News, NY Daily News
2nd
team All-AFL: League
AFL All-Star
Game
Bills went 6-8
to finish fourth in the AFL Eastern Division.
Aftermath:
Seeking an
upgrade at quarterback, the Bills traded Atkins to the New York Titans for
veteran QB Al Dorow prior to the 1962 season. He intercepted four passes and was
leading the league with a 44.0 punting average when he went down with a knee
injury at midseason. Atkins saw little action with the Jets and Buffalo in ’63
and, after a three-game stint with Denver in 1964 his career came to an end. Overall,
he intercepted 20 passes (19 of them in the AFL) and averaged 41.6 yards on 221
punts. Atkins went on to become head coach at Troy State and guided the school
to the NAIA national championship in 1968. He was a 2005 inductee into the
Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were consensus
first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the
following statistical categories:
Rushing:
Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing: Yards,
Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving:
Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs,
Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose:
Total Yards
Defense:
Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff
Returns: Average
Punt Returns:
Average
Punting:
Average
*Leagues
include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL
(1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)
**NFC/AFC
since 1970
