Doug used come in my bar being his daughter in law worked for me . He let me put his Superbowl ring on and I could've put 3 fingers inside that ring . Great man very humbled . Rip Doug !
His 1963 NFL Championship ring? There was someone else that had a huge ring like that too. I think it was Gino Marchetti's Hall of Fame ring. Another huge player from that era.
i saw doug atkins at the old bill myer stadium baseball game in knoxville tn in 1985 he was their on quarter beer night promotion i went down to get a few and met him he was truly a good man he handed me those beers and it looked like an 8 oz v8 juice can of juice lol
Atkins at the time was considered the strongest man in the world...and there wasn't one player in the league who wasn't scared of him, including butkus..he admitted it Doug Atkins was the Paul Bunyan of professional football but more legend than myth
These guys were tough as concrete. The interior lines back in the day were as close to hand to hand combat in a trench you could get. For every time he chased some poor QB down, there were chop blocks and crack backs that would maim a mortal human, not to say the wayward fist or elbow or poke in the eye. Doug was a cornerstone to those great Bear defenses. Had the offense been more productive they may have given Lombardi more of a pain in the ass in the 60’s.
Doug Atkins was a man among boys. If I held a draft of Chicago Bears defensive players I would take Doug #2 right after Butkus. I actually got to see him practice and got an autograph as a kid growing up in Niles, IL. The Bears practiced at Notre Dame High School in the 60s where the McCaskey's went to school. I would go over after school and watch them practice. This included watching Butkus, Sayers and Da' Coach. Great memories few can match. Go Bears! RIP Doug!
The stories on Halas were classics. If Halas kept the money I sure hope he paid the taxes on it. Then again I'm not a tax expert by any means. The taxes on that money were already paid once. Would he have been required to claim it?
I had the pleasure of meeting Doug Atkins, I purchased a ford from Earl Leggett, when he was selling cars. Doug came to visit him. Earl knew that I was a fan of his, and called me, to come meet him.
I used to see him in seafood restaurant Bozo's in New Orleans when he was with the Saints. He also worked for Orkin Pest Control when he quit football. His knees gave him trouble
WIsh i could find some film of him at the Tennessee Volunteers. Deffinately one my my favorite Tennessee Vols of all time. Doug is the Man, and THE Vol!
As a member of the Saints where he finished his career,his "hobby"after games was to cruise chef hwy looking for bars with motorcycles parked outside. When he found one,Atkins would go inside and start a fight. Atkins vs six was considered a fair fight by local law enforcement at the time :)
17 years in the league and he had to work regular jobs after. Holy crap imagine that now?? I know guys go broke but they for sure earn enough to live a good life in a couple of years.
Dan Deirdorf recounts Atkins lifting fellow Cardinal teammate Ernie McMillen over his head and slamming him to the turf in St. Louis after McMillen clipped him. Ernie, who was an all-pro, was out of action for the rest of the game.A great player with as many funny stories as Art Donovan.
1984 bill meyer stadium Knoxville tn 25 cent beer night Knoxville smokies at one of the games he was a beer distributor in Knoxville and was at the game serving beers went down to get a few beers when he gave them to me looked like he was holding a 4 oz v-8 can
A man among boy's in the rough and tumble 1950's-60's NFL. This guy terrorized QB's so long that the NFL owes it to him to get off their duff's,get out the gamelog's,and count this man's sacks once and for all.
I understand that this great player just needed to make a living and obviously there's nothing wrong with hard honest work but for all that he gave to the game and the road that he paved so that these fkn overpaid prima Donna's can live their lavish lives today in the NFL there's no way that this man should be driving a beer truck
Instead of screwing around with all those beer delivery jobs, he should be a DL coach to score some decent coin. Great player, more highlights would be appreciated.
265 must have been his early days; he his listed closer to 290. Deacon Jones is listed around 275. Both were All 60s Decade Team as DE and naturally bigger than most of today's roidheads. 00s All Decade DE Team averaged 265-270.
Doug used come in my bar being his daughter in law worked for me . He let me put his Superbowl ring on and I could've put 3 fingers inside that ring . Great man very humbled . Rip Doug !
His 1963 NFL Championship ring? There was someone else that had a huge ring like that too. I think it was Gino Marchetti's Hall of Fame ring.
Another huge player from that era.
Love hearing him talk about Hallas
I met Doug Atkins briefly back in the 1980s.
i saw doug atkins at the old bill myer stadium baseball game in knoxville tn in 1985 he was their on quarter beer night promotion i went down to get a few and met him he was truly a good man he handed me those beers and it looked like an 8 oz v8 juice can of juice lol
Doug is the greatest defensive end to ever play the game, if they kept track of quarterback sacks back in his day he would hold the record.
Reggie White and Michael Strahan are better 👍
In their Prime Years, I'll take Deacon Jones and Doug Atkins over Reggie White and Michael Strahan any day of the week and twice on Sundays.
Atkins at the time was considered the strongest man in the world...and there wasn't one player in the league who wasn't scared of him, including butkus..he admitted it
Doug Atkins was the Paul Bunyan of professional football but more legend than myth
Doug Atkins could play in any era
These guys were tough as concrete. The interior lines back in the day were as close to hand to hand combat in a trench you could get. For every time he chased some poor QB down, there were chop blocks and crack backs that would maim a mortal human, not to say the wayward fist or elbow or poke in the eye.
Doug was a cornerstone to those great Bear defenses. Had the offense been more productive they may have given Lombardi more of a pain in the ass in the 60’s.
Doug Atkins was a man among boys. If I held a draft of Chicago Bears defensive players I would take Doug #2 right after Butkus. I actually got to see him practice and got an autograph as a kid growing up in Niles, IL. The Bears practiced at Notre Dame High School in the 60s where the McCaskey's went to school. I would go over after school and watch them practice. This included watching Butkus, Sayers and Da' Coach. Great memories few can match. Go Bears! RIP Doug!
Dick Butkus was scared of Doug Atkins..I would take Doug Atkins first, last and everything in between
The stories on Halas were classics.
If Halas kept the money I sure hope he paid the taxes on it.
Then again I'm not a tax expert by any means. The taxes on that money were already paid once. Would he have been required to claim it?
I had the pleasure of meeting Doug Atkins, I purchased a ford from Earl Leggett, when he was selling cars. Doug came to visit him. Earl knew that I was a fan of his, and called me, to come meet him.
I met Doug Atkins back in the 1980s. A friend of mine introduced me to him.
What was he like?
I used to see him in seafood restaurant Bozo's in New Orleans when he was with the Saints. He also worked for Orkin Pest Control when he quit football. His knees gave him trouble
WIsh i could find some film of him at the Tennessee Volunteers. Deffinately one my my favorite Tennessee Vols of all time. Doug is the Man, and THE Vol!
my favorite football player, thanks for posting!!
ole jack makes me think of the true link fence commercials
Back, back, hey-hey a home run!
He'll always be a Saint to me
Jack Brickhouse... he's the Cubs announcer who retired in 1981, and Harry Caray would take over for him starting in '82.
RIP both.
As a member of the Saints where he finished his career,his "hobby"after games was to cruise chef hwy looking for bars with motorcycles parked outside. When he found one,Atkins would go inside and start a fight. Atkins vs six was considered a fair fight by local law enforcement at the time :)
17 years in the league and he had to work regular jobs after. Holy crap imagine that now?? I know guys go broke but they for sure earn enough to live a good life in a couple of years.
Players made JACK in the early days.. nothing zilch
He is right. America's Game should do a feature on the 1963 Bears before the Super Bowl.
I love dat guy
One of the all time NFL beasts and that is saying something. He was even bigger when he played for the Saints, something like 290 pounds.
If bruce smith had 200 sacks, Doug Atkins had 300
Him and Marchetti where the best pre rule changes.
Dan Deirdorf recounts Atkins lifting fellow Cardinal teammate Ernie McMillen over his
head and slamming him to the turf in St. Louis after McMillen clipped him. Ernie, who was an all-pro, was out of action for the rest of the game.A great player with as
many funny stories as Art Donovan.
TENNESSEE MAN !!!
god.. look at the size of his hands... when he lifts the beer package.
1984 bill meyer stadium Knoxville tn 25 cent beer night Knoxville smokies at one of the games he was a beer distributor in Knoxville and was at the game serving beers went down to get a few beers when he gave them to me looked like he was holding a 4 oz v-8 can
A man among boy's in the rough and tumble 1950's-60's NFL. This guy terrorized QB's so long that the NFL owes it to him to get off their duff's,get out the gamelog's,and count this man's sacks once and for all.
RIP
With the shitty offensive linemen they have in today's NFL...Atkins would have a field day!!!
not agaist tony boisili or johnathen ogden
RIP Doug Atkins 🙏
I understand that this great player just needed to make a living and obviously there's nothing wrong with hard honest work but for all that he gave to the game and the road that he paved so that these fkn overpaid prima Donna's can live their lavish lives today in the NFL there's no way that this man should be driving a beer truck
wow this is so cool do you have more bear highlights from the 60's.
thanks soo much for sharing.
Instead of screwing around with all those beer delivery jobs, he should be a DL coach to score some decent coin. Great player, more highlights would be appreciated.
thanks doug..did you ever meet up with a guy named unitas..>??
Yes, he did. And I'll guarantee you that Unitas remembers it more than Doug Atkins does!
265 must have been his early days; he his listed closer to 290.
Deacon Jones is listed around 275.
Both were All 60s Decade Team as DE and naturally bigger than most of today's roidheads.
00s All Decade DE Team averaged 265-270.
Deacon was my favorite growing up followed closely by big Doug.these gentlemen were terrifying to Qbs & 12 yr old boys!