Geno Atkins
Eight-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle who anchored the Bengals' line from 2010 onward.
Gene Reynard Atkins Jr. (born March 28, 1988) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, and was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL draft. Atkins was selected as a first-team All-Pro two times and is also an eight-time Pro Bowler.
- Position
- Defensive Tackle
- Team
- Cincinnati Bengals (2009–2018)
- Draft Status
- First Round, 3rd Overall Pick (2009)
- Honors
- 4× Pro Bowl Selection
- Legacy
- Bengals All-Time Leading Sack Leader for a Defensive Tackle
- Status
- Retired
Lore & Background
Atkins was born in Pembroke Pines, Florida, and attended St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, helping his high school football team to be the Class 5A runners-up in both 2004 and 2005. He was named Florida Class 5A Defensive Player of the Year as a senior. In college at Georgia, he played as a true freshman and later became the first defensive tackle to lead the team in tackles in a game since 1995. He was named First-team All-SEC in 2007. In the NFL, he was drafted in the fourth round (120th overall) in 2010 and signed a four-year contract. He earned his first Pro Bowl as an alternate in 2011 and later signed a five-year, $53.32 million contract in 2013.
In Their Own Story
The air inside Paul Brown Stadium was thick with humidity and anticipation on a crisp October evening. The opposing quarterback dropped back, looking for an open receiver downfield, but his eyes locked onto the man in the middle of the pocket. Geno Atkins burst through the offensive line's interior with terrifying speed, his jersey number 90 flashing under the stadium lights. With a powerful shove that sent two blockers stumbling backward, he collapsed the pocket, forcing a hurried throw that sailed harmlessly into the stands. The crowd erupted as Atkins stood tall, chest heaving, a silent testament to the relentless pressure he had applied all night.
Reader's Guide
Atkins played defensive tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals from 2010 through at least the 2020 season. He was known for his quickness and motor, recording 12.5 sacks in 2012 and earning first-team All-Pro honors that year. He was an eight-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro. His rookie season included 16 combined tackles and 3 sacks. He was released on March 19, 2021.
Did You Know?
- Atkins was the 12th defensive tackle selected in the 2010 NFL draft.
- He led the Bengals with 7.5 sacks in 2011, tying for the most sacks by a defensive tackle that season.
- In high school, he also excelled in track and field, tying for 1st place in the shot put at the 2006 FHSAA 3A-4A Outdoor State Finals with a throw of 18.01 meters.
- Atkins once asked Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan for an autograph before sacking him in the Sugar Bowl.
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