 Atkins in 1963 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 29, 20, 2, 28 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: |
Punter Safety | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born: | November 19, 1934 Millport, Alabama, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Died: | November 5, 1991 (aged 56) El Paso, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 196 lb (89 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | Millport | ||||||||||||||
| College: | Auburn | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1958 / Round: 5 / Pick: 59 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| As a player: | |||||||||||||||
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| As a coach: | |||||||||||||||
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| As an administrator: | |||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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| Career AFL/NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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| Head coaching record | |||||||||||||||
| Career: | 44–16–2 (.726) | ||||||||||||||
| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||||||||||||
William Ellis Atkins (November 19, 1934 – November 5, 1991) [2] was an American football professional safety and punter who played for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL), and in the American Football League (AFL) for the Buffalo Bills, the New York Titans / Jets, and the Denver Broncos. He was an AFL All-Star in 1961. He played college football at Auburn.
Head coaching career
On January 8, 1966, Atkins was named the head coach of the Troy State Trojans football team. In 1968, he coached Troy State to an NAIA National Championship and was named the NAIA Coach of the Year. Atkins finished at Troy State with a 44–16–2 record before leaving in 1971. He is the second-most winningest coach in Troy history, only behind Larry Blakeney.
Personal life
Atkins' son, author William Ellis "Ace" Atkins Jr., also played football at Auburn and was member of the 1993 undefeated team. [3] [4]
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troy State Trojans ( Alabama Collegiate Conference) (1966–1969) | |||||||||
| 1966 | Troy State | 5–5 | 1–2 | ||||||
| 1967 | Troy State | 8–2 | 3–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1968 | Troy State | 11–1 | 3–0 | 1st | W NAIA Championship | ||||
| 1969 | Troy State | 8–1–1 | 3–0 | 1st | |||||
| Troy State Trojans ( Mid-South Athletic Conference / Gulf South Conference) (1970–1971) | |||||||||
| 1970 | Troy State | 6–4–1 | 3–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 1971 | Troy State | 6–3 | 5–1 | T–1st | |||||
| Troy State: | 44–16–2 | 18–5 | |||||||
| Total: | 44–16–2 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
See also
References
- ^ "Billy Atkins, Paige Atkins". Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 6, 2009.
- ^ "Billy Atkins". The Pro Football Archives. Archived from the original on June 6, 2014. Retrieved October 6, 2009.
- ^ Shearer, Jeff (September 20, 2020). "On the cover: From sacks to books, Auburn's Ace Atkins stands tall". Auburn Tigers. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
- ^ Edgemon, Erin (January 13, 2019). "Alabama native, bestselling author Ace Atkins to be honored". AL.com. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference
- Billy Atkins at Find a Grave
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- 1934 births
- 1991 deaths
- American football safeties
- American football punters
- Auburn Tigers football players
- Buffalo Bills players
- Denver Broncos (AFL) players
- New York Titans (AFL) players
- New York Jets players
- San Francisco 49ers players
- Troy Trojans athletic directors
- Troy Trojans football coaches
- American Football League All-Star players
- People from Lamar County, Alabama
- Coaches of American football from Alabama
- Players of American football from Alabama
- American football defensive back, 1930s birth stubs
- College football coaches first appointed in the 1980s stubs