I agree with your observation concerning Al's stature as a war leader. With respect to toughness, that's a very fine line and I'm not sure that I would go that far. "Doug had a way of making people apprehensive," said Warren Ariail, the Saints' trainer in 1968-69. "He was so big and so strong and when he wanted to do something he did it.
Johnny Unitas told me one time Doug was the only player he was afraid of. Dick Butkus said the same thing. Now if you can imagine Dick Butkus being afraid of someone, you get an idea of how Doug affected people."
Bill Curry (Colts center, 1967-72) on playing Doug Atkins:
"This guy is not a regular human being. If we don't irritate him, he will not kill any of us today. So, don't you dare mess with him."
As Marvin West relates in his book, Tales of the Tennessee Vols, Atkins was once ejected from a game at Tennessee. When he refused to leave the field, the referee walked to the sideline and told Neyland that Tennessee would have to forfeit the game if the coach didn't get Atkins off the field. Neyland's response was, "YOU ejected him. YOU get him off the field!"
According to this story from Marvin West, Johnny Unitas wasn't exaggerating about throwing would-be blockers at the quarterback: "If Bofah, being a North Carolina man, had researched Atkins' magic moment as a Tennessee Volunteer, he would have gained understanding. It happened the first of November, 1952, Tar Heels at Shields-Watkins Field. Their fullback, leading a sweep, came at Doug with a cross-body block.
Atkins caught this full-grown man with his hands and forearms and threw him, like a log, at the tailback. It was an awesome show of force."
The Legendary Exploits of Doug Atkins: Must Reading for young Vol Fans