Tag: Geno Atkins

Georgia football great Geno Atkins donates to help feed Cincinnati children

Georgia football great and Cincinnati Bengals star Geno Atkins donated to help feed local children amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Former Georgia defensive tackle Geno Atkins, an eight time pro-bowler with the Cincinnati Bengals, is doing his part to help out his local community amid the COVID-19 crisis.

According to Joe Danneman of FOX19, Atkins and his wife Kristen donated $100,000 to Freestore Foodbank. The donation will help to feed kids and families in the tri-state area.

From Danneman:

The gift will help provide up to 300,000 meals and will go directly to feeding families in southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana.

Atkins has been one of the league’s most consistent players since being drafted out of Georgia in 2010.

The son of former Saints and Dolphins safety Gene Atkins, Geno married his college sweetheart Kristen in 2016 in Buckhead.

More on the donation:

“We were sitting at home and saw a report on the local news about the increased demand at foodbanks due to the pandemic,” said Geno and Kristen in a statement. “The story tugged at our hearts imagining hard working people are now also worrying about what their families are going to eat.

We knew we had to help our local community. We have always supported Freestore Foodbank through various, and we know it’d be the most immediate and impactful first step to helping those in need during this unprecedented time.”

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Eagles CB Darius Slay calls Fletcher Cox the best “all-around” DT in the NFL

Darius Slay calls Fletcher Cox the best all-around DT in the NFL

Darius Slay and Fletcher Cox were recruited to Mississippi State together, but after the cornerback was forced to attend a junior college after high school, they only officially played one season together as teammates.

That SEC bond is still strong and Cox played a huge role in getting Slay from Detroit to the Philadelphia Eagles via trade.

Cox has already started to indoctrinate Slay on the Eagles culture and recently during an Instagram live session, Slay called Cox the best “all-around” defensive tackle in football.

Slay called Cox one of the best run-stopping and one of the best pass-rushing defensive tackles in the NFL.

A 2018 All-Pro, Cox is still a game wrecker and despite battling injuries last season, he still landed his fifth-straight Pro Bowl appearances.

Slay called Aaron Donald the best pass-rushing defensive tackle in the NFL, while he labeled his former Lions teammate, Damon ‘Snacks’ Harrison the best-run stopper in the NFL.

Geno Atkins’ Hall of Fame resume boosted with All-Decade team nod

Geno Atkins just received a massive honor.

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Geno Atkins could easily end up being Hall of Famer No. 2 for the Cincinnati Bengals, joining Anthony Munoz in Canton.

This idea was already a prominent one before this week given Atkins’ incredible career pace. But Monday, Atkins found himself listed on the NFL’s official 2010s All-Decade Team.

And as The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. noted, this is a big deal for the long-term resume: “I hear All-Decade teams referenced a lot in discussions of older HOF candidates.”

The running resume? A fourth-round pick in 2010, Atkins has made eight Pro Bowls, two first team All-Pro selections and has 75.5 sacks. He was already named the 12th best defensive tackle in history by Gil Brandt in 2017. He’s currently 81st all-time in sacks and counting and in a slapfight with Carlos Dunlap for the franchise record. He has 100 career tackles for loss and 171 quarterback hits — and those are just the quantifiable stats, never mind his non-statistical impact on an entire unit and game.

At this pace, it won’t take long for Atkins to make the hall once he retires. That said, he could still play for a long, long time, as the new coaching staff’s plan is to reduce his role, making him even more effective when he’s on the field.

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Georgia Bulldog great makes NFL’s all-decade team

The NFL announced their all-decade team for the 2010s decade. One former Georgia Bulldog made the team.

The NFL announced their all-decade team for the 2010s decade. Tom Brady, Joe Thomas, Marshal Yanda, J.J. Watt, Aaron Donald, Von Miller, Justin Tucker, and Adrian Peterson headline the team as unanimous all-decade selections.

Former Georgia Bulldogs defensive tackle Geno Atkins is the only Dawg to make the team. Atkins has been a standout for the Bengals throughout the decade. Other potential UGA candidates for the team included: Todd Gurley, Champ Bailey, Justin Houston (89.5 sacks in the decade), A.J. Green, Thomas Davis, David Andrews, and more.

Here’s the offensive and defensive selections for the 2010s all-decade team:

Do you think any Georgia Bulldogs got snubbed? It’s hard to argue with a lot of the selections, especially the unanimous ones. D’Andre Swift has been compared to one of the all-decade selections ahead of the NFL Draft.

Interestingly, there are all outside linebackers on the team rush the passer (Thomas Davis would fit the bill as an OLB who didn’t play in a 3-4 defense). Speaking of outside linebackers, Justin Houston recorded 28 sacks more than Khalil Mack during the 2010s decade, but Houston failed to make the team.

There are only four receivers on the team, while there’s four offensive guards and four tackles, so the receivers position is a little bit light. Would A.J. Green have been the fifth receiver on the team?

The honor is well-deserved for Geno Atkins, who recorded 75.5 sacks and 383 tackles over the decade. Atkins is an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and is a role-model for modern NFL defensive tackles.

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Bengals want a reduced role for a more productive Geno Atkins in 2020

The Bengals have a plan to change some things up for the defensive line.

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Geno Atkins remains a core piece for the Cincinnati Bengals.

But the Bengals coaching staff would like to see less of Atkins as he gets older — and more impact when he’s on the field.

Atkins saw 76 percent of the team’s snaps last year — the highest mark of his career. Compared to the 2018 season, he production dipped in hurries (16 to 10), pressures (35 to 20) and sacks (10 to 4.5).

The Bengals have a plan to fix it.

“I’ve been around guys getting older and by the end of the year they’re just worn down. We have to be smarter with Geno’s rotation,” defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said, per Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “We were hamstrung a little bit with depth, but we’ll get him a few less reps. I think you’ll see a better Geno this next year.”

Translation: Defensive line could be a bigger emphasis this offseason than some might guess.

While the Bengals have Ryan Glasgow and Renell Wren to play all over the place, they’ve been unreliable so far from an attendance standpoint. Anarumo will also keep working in more 3-4 and otherwise multiple looks, which will take Atkins off the field.

Atkins, going on the age of 32, was always going to lose a step. But managed well, it might not be so noticeable when he’s on the field.

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Geno Atkins in rare company with his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl

Geno Atkins went to the Pro Bowl yet again.

Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins continues to surge on a Hall of Fame pace.

No overstatement there. One of the NFL’s most disruptive interior defenders this side of Aaron Donald just took part in his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl, which as ESPN’s Field Yates noted, places him alongside rare names like Luke Kuechly, Julio Jones, Von Miller and Donald himself.

All Atkins has done over the course of his career since joining the Bengals via the fourth round in 2010 is earn eight Pro Bowl nods, two first-team All-Pro nods and 75.5 sacks alongside 171 quarterback hits.

In 2019, after a slow start, Atkins bulldozed his way to 10 hurries, 25 pressures and 4.5 sacks.

Here’s where Atkins ranks among the most consecutive Pro Bowl nods lately:

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Geno Atkins again named finalist for Alan Page Community Award

Geno Atkins is again making a big impact in the community.

On a team littered with players who work hard away from the field to make a difference in communities, Geno Atkins stands tall.

The Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman is now a finalist for the Alan Page Community Award alongside Brandon Carr, Brandon Copeland, Demario Davis and Bobby Wagner, the NFLPA announced.

Atkins’ work away from the field is extensive, with one of his notable recent achievements being the Week 15 NFLPA Community MVP thanks to his “Atkins Week of Giving.”

Atkins’ NFL peers vote on the outcome of the award, which will get announced during the Super Bowl. He was a finalist last year too, though former teammate and current Los Angeles Rams tackle Andrew Whitworth won the top prize.

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Demario Davis named a finalist for NFLPA’s Alan Page Community Award

New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis was named one of five finalists for the NFLPA Alan Page Community Award, along with Bobby Wagner

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New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis was named a first-team All-Pro, and now he could add another honor to his trophy case. Davis was named one of five finalists for the NFL Players Association’s Alan Page Community Award for his efforts off the field, embracing the New Orleans community and working to enact positive change with his neighbors. The award’s winner will receive a $100,000 donation to a charity of their choosing.

Davis rose to prominence in the wake of a controversial NFL uniform violation fine. The league initially fined him for wearing a headband labeled “Man of God” during an early-season game, which he overturned in appeals. Davis then sold similar headbands in a fund-raiser for a Mississippi hospital, reporting more than $120,000 in donations. He also met with students and faculty at a New Orleans-area elementary school who had supported him during the appeals process.

The winner of this NFLPA award will be named during Super Bowl LIV. Here all five finalists:

  • Geno Atkins, Cincinnati Bengals
  • Brandon Carr, Baltimore Ravens
  • Brandon Copeland, New York Jets
  • Demario Davis, New Orleans Saints
  • Bobby Wagner, Seattle Seahawks

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Three former Dawgs make NFL Pro Bowl

Three former UGA football players made the NFL pro Bowl.

On Tuesday, the NFL’s Pro Bowl teams were announced for the NFC and AFC.

Three former Georgia Bulldogs made the cut. Running back Nick Chubb, who currently plays for the Cleveland Browns and leads the league in rushing the season, received his first Pro Bowl bid.

Defensive tackle Geno Atkins of the Cincinatti Bengals also received a Pro Bowl selection, while Chiefs rookie wide receiver Mecole Hardman also earned the honor as a punt and kick returner.

All in all, it was a successful day for these former Dawgs as they are proving their worth at the next level.

NFL Pro Bowl: Geno Atkins is lone Bengals player, others named alternates

Geno Atkins will rep the Bengals at the Pro Bowl.

Geno Atkins is going back to the Pro Bowl.

The NFL announced the star Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle was elected to the 2020 Pro Bowl.

Atkins is in the middle of a down season with just 4.5 sacks so far, but his colleagues and those around the league know better than to leave him out of the fray. He’s the team’s lone selection and the Bengals have now sent someone in nine consecutive seasons.

Elsewhere, Joe Mixon was named a fifth alternate. Returner Brandon Wilson, is a second alternate.

We had earlier outlined the case for Mixon and Wilson to earn Pro Bowl nods. They’ll do so if enough players in front of them on the ballot opt out of the event.

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