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Audio Interview -- Player Spotlight (01.29.10) -- LISTEN

Senior Bowl Riser: The former Bulldog played like a man possessed. He badly beat promising guard Mike Iupati on a few plays by outwrestling him and even forcing the Idaho product to hold him on one play. Atkins worked hard today and even employed on occasional spin move while rushing the passer, as he did on his sack of Sean Canfield.

SCOUT'S TAKE

Pros: Atkins is as physical as they come. He is very fast and agile for his position, which makes it tough for defenders to get their hands on him and keep him on the other side of the line of scrimmage.

Cons: He doesn’t possess typical size for a defensive tackle, but he makes up for it with his hustle and brute strength. He recorded 34 tackles, 7.5 for loss, one fumble recovery, and one pass breakup in 2008. It was a somewhat down year for him considering he had 41 tackles, 14.5 for loss, and 7.5 sacks in 2007. Look for him to bounce back and regain his true form in 2009.

Skinny: Atkins is a lot smaller than Terrence Cody of Alabama, but he makes up for that lack of size with speed and quickness. He is a Tampa Two type of defensive tackle—a good athlete with the ability to make plays up and down the line of scrimmage.

Stock: Atkins has a good motor and fires off the ball with the ability to penetrate and wreak havoc in the backfield. He is a hard worker and shows the ability to shed blocks. I think this will be a good season, one that will see him move up teams’ draft boards and wind up being a late first-round selection in 2010.

NEWS

10.19.09 - Georgia senior defensive tackle Geno Atkins has been named the Southeastern Conference Defensive Lineman of the Week, according to a league announcement on Monday.  Atkins, a 6-1, 290-pound native of Pembroke Pines, Fla., matched his career high with eight tackles, including one tackle for a loss of 6 yards, during Georgia’s 34-10 road win over Vanderbilt.  Atkins, who leads the team with 17 quarterback pressures, came off the bench for the Bulldogs to tie for second in tackles versus the Commodores.  Atkins anchored a defensive front that held Vanderbilt under 300 yards of total offense and shut the Commodores out during the first and fourth quarters.  This is Atkins’ first weekly conference award since the 2007 season.

04.30.09 - Geno Atkins, a starting defensive tackle on the football team and a shot-putter on the track and field team, is the Bulldogs’ lone throwback to the days when multi-sport athletes were not nearly so rare. “We don’t demand too much of his time, but he’s made the gains you’d expect from a full-time shot-putter,” said Don Babbitt, Georgia’s assistant track and field coach, who works with the team’s throwers. “The returns have been excellent from the limited time.”

02.11.09 - "Geno was going to stay, period. Geno really never got too interested, he might have been interested, but his mother said, ‘You know what, you’re staying.’" - Georgia Head Coach Mark Richt On College Football Insiders Coaches Corner - All Access Football Radio

12/29/08 - Atkins had a strong 2007 campaign that helped garner him attention and rank him among the better underclassmen available in the 2009 draft. He tallied 15 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks for the Bulldogs last year. This season, Atkins hasn't put up the same type of numbers as he has 6.5 tackles for loss and has yet to record a sack. Atkins has said he has more to learn and will definitely come back for his senior season in the hope of winning a national championship.

11/20/08 -According to a report in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia junior DT Geno Atkins has announced that he will remain with the Bulldogs for his senior season. The 6-1, 290-pound Atkins had been considered a potential first-day pick for the upcoming draft, although he isn't overly big. Meanwhile, both of Georgia's other star underclassmen - junior QB Matthew Stafford and red shirt sophomore RB Knowshon Moreno - are saying that they will wait until after the current season before deciding on their upcoming pro plans. Same for Florida junior QB Tim Tebow who is also saying that he will wait until after the season to make a decision.

VITALS

Honor Roll: In 2008 he earned SEC Academic Honor Roll distinction and was named third-team All-SEC by Phil Steele. He garnered All-SEC first-team honors from the Associated Press in 2007.

High School: Atkins attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Florida where he earned first-team 5A All-State, 5A Defensive Player of the Year, and first-team All-County honors. He led his team with 49 tackles which included 18.5 for loss and 7.5 sacks. He also added four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He played mostly linebacker as a junior.

Personal: Atkins is majoring in housing.

Bio