Gene Atkins

{{Short description|American football player (born 1964)}}

{{About|the former safety|his son, the former defensive tackle|Geno Atkins}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Gene Atkins

| number = 28

| position = Safety

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1964|11|22}}

| birth_place = Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 11

| weight_lb = 201

| high_school = James S. Rickards
(Tallahassee, Florida)

| college = Florida A&M

| draftyear = 1987

| draftround = 7

| draftpick = 179

| pastteams =

• New Orleans Saints ({{NFL Year|1987|1993}})
• Miami Dolphins ({{NFL Year|1994|1996}})

| highlights =

• PFWA All-Rookie Team (1987)

| statlabel1 = Interceptions

| statvalue1 = 25

| statlabel2 = Interception return yards

| statvalue2 = 348

| statlabel3 = Sacks

| statvalue3 = 8.0

| pfr = A/AtkiGe20

}}

Gene Reynard Atkins (born November 22, 1964) is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins from 1987 to 1996. He was selected by the Saints in the seventh round of the 1987 NFL draft with the 179th overall pick.{{Cite web |title=1987 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1987/draft.htm |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} He played previously for Florida A&M and James S. Rickards High School, both in Tallahassee.{{Cite web |title=Gene Atkins Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/A/AtkiGe20.htm |access-date=2025-02-01 |website=Pro Football Reference |language=en}}

{{NFL predraft

| height ft = 5

| height in = 11 1/4

| weight = 191

| dash = 4.58

| ten split = 1.57

| twenty split = 2.59

| shuttle = 4.55

| vertical = 31.0

| broad ft = 10

| broad in = 0

| bench = 14

| arm span = 29 3/4

| hand span = 9

}}

He is the father of Geno Atkins, former NFL defensive tackle. He was featured on HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel in a story about former football players who are suffering from head injuries that happened during their playing time. In the story, it was said that Atkins is suffering from the early stages of dementia. He was featured in the movie Head Games, which was released in 2012.{{Cite web |last=Greene |first=Dan |date=2012-10-08 |title=Trauma Induced |url=https://www.si.com/vault/2012/10/08/106241751/trauma-induced |access-date=2017-01-29 |publisher=Sports Illustrated}}