Atkins has earned recognition as one of the NFL’s elite DTs ... His status hit the top following 2012 season with first-team selection to prestigious Associated Press All-Pro team, covering both AFC and NFC ... Selected to a second straight Pro Bowl for his ’12 performance, and was voted a starter for the first time ... Named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for performance in Dec. 23 win at Pittsburgh ... A fourth-round steal from 2010 draft ... Led all NFL interior linemen in 2012 in sacks (12.5, which was third most in franchise history), with only one other player as high as 8.0 ... Tied for NFL lead for sacks by interior linemen in 2011, with 7.5.
CAREER TRANSACTIONS: Selected by Bengals in fourth round of 2010 NFL Draft (120th overall) ... Signed with Bengals on 7-17-10.
PRO BOWL PARTICIPATION: Selected to and played in two games ... Voted as a starter for 2012 season (game at Honolulu) and had one tackle ... Two tackles (one for a loss in 2011 season (game at Honolulu).
2012 GENERAL: Tied for team lead in forced fumbles (four) ... His team-leading 12.5 sacks were 4.5 ahead of next-best NFL interior lineman (Detroit’s Ndamukong Suh at 8.0) ... Set Bengals record for sacks by an interior lineman, easily topping Dan Wilkinson’s 8.0 from 1996 ... Ranked tied for sixth among all NFL players in sacks, highest individual rank in Bengals history, topping ninth by Eddie Edwards (13.0) in 1983 ... Also led Bengals in coaches’ compilation of tackles-for-loss (15) and QB pressures (35) ... One of 10 Bengals to start all 16 games ... His 68 tackles ranked third on line ... One of only six unanimous selections to midseason All-Pro team by Pro Football Weekly ... Has not missed a game in his three Bengals seasons.
AFC’S BEST: Atkins was named by NFL as AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in Cincinnati’s playoff-clinching win Dec. 23 at Pittsburgh ... Sacked Ben Roethlisberger twice for 17 yards, forced a fumble, and led line in tackles (eight).
2012 GAME-BY-GAME: Logged two sacks of Joe Flacco for 15 yards Sept. 10 at Baltimore ... His four tackles Sept. 23 at Washington included key 15-yard sack of Robert Griffin III with 0:29 remaining, with Redskins down seven and on Bengals 19-yard line ... Two sacks of Blaine Gabbert on Sept. 30 at Jacksonville ... Nine-yard sack of Ryan Tannehill on Oct. 7 vs. Miami ... On Oct. 16 at Cleveland, deflected a pass that was intercepted by DE Michael Johnson ... Eight-yard sack of Ben Roethlisberger on Oct. 21 vs. Pittsburgh ... On Nov. 11 vs. N.Y. Giants, had team-high six QB pressures and forced an Eli Manning fumble (Giants recovered) ... In run of four plays in first quarter Nov. 18 at Kansas City, forced fumbles by Matt Cassel (Chiefs recovered) and Peyton Hillis (Bengals recovered) ... On Nov. 25 vs. Oakland, had seven-yard sack of Carson Palmer on Raiders opening pass attempt, and had a team-high six QB pressures ... Shared sack of Philip Rivers on Dec. 2 at San Diego, and had team-high five QB pressures ... Seven-yard sack of Tony Romo on Dec. 9 vs. Dallas, and had team-high six additional QB pressures ... Two tackles and a QB pressure in Wild Card playoff 1-5-13 at Houston.
PREVIOUS SEASONS: 2010—Fourth-round draftee played his way into regular D-line rotation early in training camp ... Went on to play in every game, with one start, and led team in coaches’ compilation of QB pressures (19) ... Had 20 tackles, and was second on team in sacks (3.0) ... Combined with Michael Johnson to sack Joe Flacco for four-yard loss in win Sept. 19 vs. Baltimore, helping stall Baltimore's last comeback bid ... Three tackles and two QB pressures Nov. 14 at Indianapolis, including shared sack of Peyton Manning ... Three QB pressures in first pro start, Dec. 12 at Pittsburgh.
2011—Played in every game, with 15 starts, and started Wild Card playoff at Houston ... His 7.5 sacks tied DT Tommy Kelly of Oakland for NFL lead among interior linemen ... First interior lineman to lead Bengals in sacks since 1996 (Dan Wilkinson with 6.5) ... His 68 tackles ranked second on line and eighth on team, and he also had two passes defensed, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, including 10-yard fumble return for a TD ... Second on team in QB pressures (22) ... Tied for team lead in combined fumbles forced/recovered (four) ... On Oct. 9 at Jacksonville, scored his first TD at any level of football after recovering a fumble from QB Blaine Gabbert on Jacksonville’s final play and returning it 10 yards for the score ... Had a 10-yard sack of Ben Roethlisberger on Nov. 13 vs. Pittsburgh ... On Nov. 27 vs. Cleveland, had a seven-yard sack of Colt McCoy and a QB pressure that helped lead to an INT ... On Dec. 11 vs. Houston, had a forced fumble against T.J. Yates that Bengals recovered, and recovered an Arian Foster fumble, only to fumble it back to Texans during his return ... Had five tackles with a sack in the team’s Wild Card playoff 1-7-12 at Houston.
COLLEGE: Played four seasons (2006-09) at Georgia ... Named team’s defensive MVP as a senior ... Played in team’s last 45 games of his career ... Totaled 50 games and 23 starts ... Helped Bulldogs post 38-14 record, including 4-0 in bowl games ... Totaled 120 tackles with 11 sacks.
PERSONAL: Hometown is Pembroke Pines, Fla. ... Attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School, where he was named Florida Class 5-A Defensive Player of the Year as a senior ... Father, Gene Atkins, had 10-year NFL career at S with New Orleans and Miami ... Housing major at Georgia ... First name is pronounced “JEE-no.”
