The Legendary Exploits of Doug Atkins: Must Reading for young Vol Fans

#51
#51
ChuckNorris said:
"It was not just on the field that Atkins cut a giant swath. He rumbled around training camps--armed and accompanied by his pit bull Rebel--through bars, and over anyone who got in his way.

Atkins would arrive at training camp each summer packing two .44-caliber Magnums, several derringers and a shotgun. Sometimes, when the Saints trained in San Diego, he fired his shotgun at destroyers cruising off the coast, claiming that coach George Allen was spying on the team from the ships.

He once silenced some noisy rookies in the room above him by firing a gun into the overhang outside their window.

"I needed my sleep," Atkins said. "I was old. I came in at curfew and needed to rest up. They wanted to keep that music playing so I just quieted them down."

Atkins was no fan of rock 'n' roll. His first day in the Saints locker room, he turned off a player's radio that was tuned to a top 40 station.

"He said, 'We're going to listen to American music here because we're all Americans,"' Ariail remembered. "Then he put on a Johnny Cash song and everybody listened to country and western the rest of the years. There weren't any complaints."


Rebel was Atkins' constant companion, jogging with him and sleeping in his locker during practice. He even went with Atkins to a little French Quarter bar.

"Doug would sit on one stool and Rebel would sit on another and they would get drunk together," Ariail said.

Even after Atkins decided he was tired of looking at his picture on the wall of the bar and shot it down, he and Rebel were welcome.

"He liked to drink, but I never saw it bother him," said Joe Impastato, who was his regular waiter at a French Quarter restaurant where Atkins dined after Saints games. "I'd ice down a quart of gin for his martinis and about a half-dozen bottles of beer, then he'd have a few Grand Marniers and walk out of there perfectly straight.""

Wildman Remembered : Although Doug Atkins Was Not Exactly a Saint, He's Soon To Be in New Orleans' Hall of Fame - latimes
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WOW! Now I definitely believe what he told me lol. I posted before reading the thread.
 
#52
#52
In that classic voice from those old NFL Films, this narrator’s analogy perfectly captures the unstoppable force of nature that was Doug Atkins: “Doug Atkins was like a storm rolling over a Kansas farmhouse. He came from all directions and all there was to do was to tie down what you could and hope he didn’t take the roof” (1:18 mark of Top Ten Pass Rushers: Doug Atkins - NFL Videos).
 
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#53
#53
I have never met Doug in person, would love to have had that chance. Every time I get a TN jersey I don't think twice on the number I have em use 91. I am a big guy, so I always get a custom jersey. Wish they sold his jersey with name so he could get some percentage maybe. I graduated HS in 91 so I obviously never saw him play at TN, but I remember hearing his legend since I was a kid. Most pro athletes are a world apart from me, but there's a man I would gladly have drank a beer with and a shot of rye any damn day or night of the week.
 
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#63
#63
Jxn Vol said:
I shook his hand at a baseball game in Humboldt several years ago. My father educated me on early Vol heroes so I knew about him. It is one of those experiences that I will always remember. He was very friendly and gracious.
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I met him at a Humboldt football game many years ago when my dad was officiating HS football. A mountain of a man, but as friendly as he was big.

I read this great story about him regarding his annual golf tournament. He hadn't played very much golf and was getting ready to tee off in the inaugural event and, unbeknownst to him, some of his buddies had replaced his golf ball with an trick one. He took a big swing and the ball blew up. He turned around with his eyes as big as silver dollars and said, "Damn, I hit it too hard!"
 
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#64
#64
great stuff....there is a good reason Doug Atkins is one of the very few guys on the side of Neyland Stadium

I remember meeting him when I was ~12 years old. He came to my dad's place of work (trucking company) that summer to ship stuff. I remember being in awe at the size of that guy

hate to be that guy, but Doug Atkins is the one guy that Paul Bain bows to...:D
 
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#66
#66
Backwards K said:
Can't confirm it thru Google but I heard that Atkins 1963 NFL Championship ring was the largest sized ring made for that purpose until Refrigerator Perry's Super Bowl ring in 1985.
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I don't know how big The Fridge's ring was, but I can tell you about Atkins' ring. I had the pleasure of meeting Doug a couple of times, and went to a U.T. game with him, my brother, and a common friend of Doug and myself. This was probably in the early 80's. I tried that ring on my hand after seeing how big his hands were. I just wore a size 9 at the time (I think). I was able to put 2 of my fingers in it up to the last knuckle. He said it was a size 17.

The only other person I ever met with a hand that big was Big John Tate. Big John was also a friend of the man that went to the football game with us.
 
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#67
#67
Volosaurus rex said:
One of the funniest Doug Atkins stories is courtesy of Sgt Nick Fury (The Legend of Doug Atkins.):

"Which brings me to my favorite Doug Atkins story ... one he told me every year we worked together for his annual golf tourney to help Lupus victims. And, forgive me Doug if I get any of this wrong, but it has been 20 years.

The Chicago Bears always held their training camp near a little town in central Indiana on the campus of St. Joseph's College. It was a dry county, the campus surrounded by cornfields, and miles and miles from any city big enough to find trouble. But knowing the situation he was living in for those 8 weeks a year, Doug ALWAYS came prepared ... with plenty of gin and vermouth and a case of olives. Along with his handy 9 mm that went everywhere with him, especially any stadium that might contain pigeons.

This particular training camp had several malcontents, including Mike Ditka, who was quoted as saying "That tight son-of-a-***** throws nickels around like they were man-hole covers. " Of course, referring to George Halas, owner, head coach, GM and contract negotiator. Which prompted Doug to take a more forward and direct approach to re-negotiating his contract. A couple weeks after training camp opened, Doug and a few teammates were putting a serious dent in the gin stash. And Doug was drinking in proportion to his size. The more they drank, the madder they got over their contracts. The madder they got, the more determined Doug was to do something about it. So with all his friends egging him on, Doug storms out of the dormitory, after curfew, jumps into his car, and heads off to Chicago to have a "face-to-face with that SOB". He navigates through the cornfields, winds his way through the suburbs, and faces the traffic of the Big City to find himself on George Halas' doorstep. Still filled with rage, this behemoth man takes his massive fist and starts beating on Hallas' front door, hard enough to nearly knock it off its hinges. In no time at all, the front door opens, and to Doug's surprise, it wasn't George answering, but his wife.

"Well Doug, what brings you out on such a lovely evening?" she asked. Now Doug was raised as a Southern Gentleman, born in Tennessee, played in Tennessee, and never lost touch with those roots. So as politely as possible, Doug said: "'Scuse me Ms Halas, but may I please see that ... I am sorry for the time ma'am ... Is George here?" Seeing he was extremely angry and at some level beyond tipsy, Mrs. Halas invited Doug in, had him sit down, and then asked: "Why Doug, aren't you supposed to be at training camp?" "Yes ma'am." "And isn't it past curfew?" "Yes ma'am." "And wasn't Coach Halas at training camp with you today?" "Yes, ma'am." "Well then Doug, don't you suppose he's still there?" It was not until that exact moment that Doug realized he'd driven all the way to Chicago, while Hallas was sleeping quietly 3 doors down in the dorm. "Well Doug, I'll get you a raise right now. I won't tell George that you broke curfew, saving you a $250.00 fine. You can go tell your teammates you got a raise, and if you hurry, you can be back in bed before they find you're gone."
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There are so many storis that I don't know where to begin. I will think about some and post later.
 
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#68
#68
He also played a small role as Jebbo in the movie Breakheart Pass.
 
#71
#71
Ah nostalgia...

I bet you our 1950 National Championship team would wipe the floor with Joe Burrows LSU squad!..😏
 
#72
#72
Rickyvol77 said:
We had some here saying Haynesworth was better 🙄 ridiculous
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For thier eras..no.

But in all actuality, yes.

Doug Atkins wouldn't even start on our D-line 2020- How he was at 20 years old I mean He might not even be in the 2 deep.

Sorry not sorry.

But i understand why the majority would want him to be . Whatever.
 
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#74
#74
Have worked with two of Dougs sons, very close friend with one of them, some of the stories I have heard. As a preteen he had access to the locker room, nobody told Doug Atkins no
 
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