August 5, 2014

Highlighted Year: Billy Atkins, 1961

Safety/Punter, Buffalo Bills



Age: 27 (Nov. 19)
4th season in pro football, 2nd in AFL & with Bills
College: Auburn
Height: 6’1”   Weight: 195

Prelude:
A star on Auburn’s 1957 national championship team, Atkins was chosen by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round of the ’58 NFL draft. He saw some action as a punter and in the defensive backfield in two seasons with the 49ers before moving to Buffalo of the new AFL in 1960, where he averaged 39.0 yards on a league-leading 89 punts and intercepted five passes while starting at cornerback. He was also used as a placekicker and was successful on 6 of 13 field goal attempts. Atkins was shifted to safety in 1961 as personnel was juggled in the defensive backfield.

1961 Season Summary
Appeared in all 14 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Interceptions – 10 [1]
Most interceptions, game – 2 vs. NY Titans 9/17, vs. Dallas 10/15, at Dallas 11/12, at Denver 11/19
Int. return yards – 158 [2]
Most int. return yards, game – 52 (on 2 int.) at Dallas 11/12
Int. TDs – 0

Punting
Punts – 85 [1]
Most punts, game – 9 vs. Boston 9/23, at Denver 11/19
Yards – 3783 [1]
Average – 44.5 [1]
Best average, game – 54.6 (on 5 punts) at Boston 10/22
Punts blocked – 1
Longest punt – 70 yards

Kicking
Field goals – 2 [11]
Most field goals, game - 1 at Dallas 11/12, at Denver 11/19
Field goal attempts – 6 [11]
Most field goal attempts, game – 4 at Denver 11/19
Field goal percentage – 33.3
PATs – 29 [4]
PAT attempts – 31 [4]
Longest field goal – 39 yards at Denver 11/19

Rushing
Attempts – 2
Yards – 87
Average gain – 43.5
TDs – 1

Punt Returns
Returns – 2
Yards – 30
Average per return – 15.0
TDs – 0
Longest return – 15 yards

Scoring
TDs – 1
Field Goals – 2
PATs – 29
Points – 41 [20]

Awards & Honors:
1st team All-AFL: UPI, Sporting News, NY Daily News
2nd team All-AFL: League
AFL All-Star Game

Bills went 6-8 to finish fourth in the AFL Eastern Division.  

Aftermath:
Seeking an upgrade at quarterback, the Bills traded Atkins to the New York Titans for veteran QB Al Dorow prior to the 1962 season. He intercepted four passes and was leading the league with a 44.0 punting average when he went down with a knee injury at midseason. Atkins saw little action with the Jets and Buffalo in ’63 and, after a three-game stint with Denver in 1964 his career came to an end. Overall, he intercepted 20 passes (19 of them in the AFL) and averaged 41.6 yards on 221 punts. Atkins went on to become head coach at Troy State and guided the school to the NAIA national championship in 1968. He was a 2005 inductee into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.

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Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose: Total Yards
Defense: Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff Returns: Average
Punt Returns: Average
Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970