Geno Atkins

Gene Reynard Atkins Jr. (born March 28, 1988) is a former American professional football defensive tackle who played in the NFL. He played college football at Georgia and was picked by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round of the 2010 draft. He earned two first-team All-Pro selections and made eight Pro Bowl appearances.

Atkins was born in Pembroke Pines, Florida. He attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, where his team finished as Class 5A runners-up in 2004 and 2005. As a junior in 2004, he recorded 70 tackles (12 for loss), one interception, and four fumble recoveries. In his senior season in 2005, he had 117 tackles, 7.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.

That year, he was named first-team all-county by the Sun-Sentinel and Miami Herald, first-team Class 5A in Florida, and Florida Class 5A Defensive Player of the Year. Rivals.com rated him the 24th-best defensive end nationally, and Scout.com ranked him 41st. In track and field, he was a top state performer in throwing events. He posted a personal record of 48.35 meters in the discus at the 2006 FHSAA 3A Region 4, finishing second. At the 2006 FHSAA 3A-4A Outdoor State Finals, he tied for first in the shot put with a throw of 18.01 meters.

Atkins enrolled at the University of Georgia and played for coach Mark Richt from 2006 to 2009. As a true freshman, he appeared in 11 games, recording nine tackles and 0.5 sacks. In 2007, he played significant snaps as a backup behind Kade Weston and Jeff Owens. On September 21, Owens noted Atkins’s impact, saying he was leading the defensive line in tackles for loss.

By September 29, despite being a backup, Atkins ranked fourth in the SEC with six tackles for loss and one sack. On October 6, he was named starter over Weston, and in his second start he led the team in tackles against Vanderbilt—the first defensive tackle to do so since Jason Ferguson in 1995 and the first defensive lineman since David Pollack in 2003. After a five-tackle game against Kentucky, he was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week for November 17.

Following his sophomore season, Atkins was named First-team All-SEC, the only Georgia player besides running back Knowshon Moreno to earn that honor. Before the Sugar Bowl, during a press conference for Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan, Atkins asked for an autograph and took a photo with Brennan. Fellow defensive lineman Marcus Howard joked that Atkins acted like a groupie. Despite getting the autograph, Atkins sacked Brennan in the fourth quarter, forcing him out of the game.

Two games into the 2008 season, Atkins had eight tackles and nine quarterback hurries. After Georgia sacked Heisman winner Tim Tebow six times, Atkins said they rattled Tebow and the offense, adding that even great quarterbacks flinch under pressure. On November 14 against Auburn, he came in on offense as the lead blocker for Matthew Stafford on a quarterback sneak. In the Capital One Bowl on January 2, 2009, against Michigan State, he had one tackle and two hurries.

In 2009, Rivals.com ranked him No. 5 on its preseason defensive tackle power ranking, and he was named to the Outland Trophy watch list. Over his final three seasons, he totaled 33 sacks, including 15 as a sophomore and 10.5 as a senior.

The Cincinnati Bengals selected Atkins in the fourth round (120th overall) of the 2010 NFL draft, making him the 12th defensive tackle taken. On July 16, 2010, he signed a four-year, $3.20 million contract with a $472,450 signing bonus. In training camp, he competed with Jonathan Fanene and Pat Sims for the backup defensive tackle role. Head coach Marvin Lewis listed him fourth on the depth chart to start the season, behind Domata Peko, Tank Johnson, and Pat Sims.

He made his regular-season debut in a 38–24 loss to the New England Patriots. The next week, he recorded one assisted tackle and his first career sack, sharing it with Michael Johnson in a 15–10 win over the Baltimore Ravens, sacking Joe Flacco for a four-yard loss. On November 14, 2010, he had a season-high three combined tackles and half a sack in a 23–17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. In Week 14, he earned his first career start in a 23–7 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The following week, he collected two combined tackles and his first solo sack on Colt McCoy in a 19–17 win over the Cleveland Browns. He finished his rookie season with 16 combined tackles (ten solo), three sacks, and a pass deflection in 16 games and one start.

In 2011, Atkins competed with Tank Johnson for the starting defensive tackle job after Pat Sims missed training camp and most of the preseason with a knee injury. Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer named Atkins and Domata Peko the starters.