<sod>Douglas Leon Atkins was born May 8, 1930, in Humboldt, Tennessee.<ref>{{Cite news|title = Doug Atkins, intimidating Hall of Fame defensive end, dies at 85|url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/doug-atkins-intimidating-hall-of-fame-defensive-end-dies-at-85/2015/12/30/b19ed750-af32-11e5-b711-1998289ffcea_story.html|newspaper = The Washington Post|date = 2015-12-30|access-date = 2016-01-05|issn = 0190-8286|language = en-US|first = Matt|last = Schudel}}</ref> He attended [[Humboldt High School (Tennessee)|Humboldt High School]] and played for the school's [[basketball]] team, which won the state championship in 1949 with an undefeated record.<ref name=jackson/> He enrolled at the [[University of Tennessee]] to play for the [[Tennessee Volunteers]] of the [[Southeastern Conference]] (SEC) on a basketball [[scholarship]], but once [[American football]] [[head coach]] [[Bob Neyland]] saw his combination of size and agility, he was [[Recruiting (college athletics)|recruited]] for the football team.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/12/30/doug-atkins-intimidating-hall-of-fame-pass-rusher-dies-at-85/|title=Doug Atkins, intimidating Hall of Fame pass rusher, dies at 85 - ProFootballTalk|publisher=|accessdate=December 31, 2015}}</ref> Atkins played on the [[1951 Tennessee Volunteers football team]] that won the national championship.<ref name=jackson>{{cite web|url=http://www.jacksonsun.com/story/news/local/2015/12/30/ut-humboldt-football-legend-doug-atkins-dies/78108080/|title=UT, Humboldt football legend Doug Atkins dies|date=December 30, 2015|work=The Jackson Sun|accessdate=December 31, 2015}}</ref> He earned [[All-America]] honors in 1952. Atkins is one of the few players in Tennessee history to have his number retired.  He was considered one of the, if not the, most dominant defensive players in SEC history. Atkins was the only unanimous selection to the SEC All Quarter-Century team and was selected as the overall SEC "Player of the Quarter-Century" for the years 1950 to 1975.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wbir.com/sports/college/vols/vol-legend-doug-atkins-dies-at-85/9561418|title=Vol legend Doug Atkins dies at 85|author=TEGNA|work=WBIR|accessdate=December 31, 2015}}</ref><eod>
<sod>Douglas Leon Atkins was born May 8, 1930, in Humboldt, Tennessee.<ref>{{Cite news|title = Doug Atkins, intimidating Hall of Fame defensive end, dies at 85|url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/doug-atkins-intimidating-hall-of-fame-defensive-end-dies-at-85/2015/12/30/b19ed750-af32-11e5-b711-1998289ffcea_story.html|newspaper = The Washington Post|date = 2015-12-30|access-date = 2016-01-05|issn = 0190-8286|language = en-US|first = Matt|last = Schudel}}</ref> He attended [[Humboldt High School (Tennessee)|Humboldt High School]] and played for the school's [[basketball]] team, which won the state championship in 1949 with an undefeated record.<ref name=jackson/> He enrolled at the [[University of Tennessee]] to play for the [[Tennessee Volunteers]] of the [[Southeastern Conference]] (SEC) on a basketball [[scholarship]], but once [[American football]] [[head coach]] [[Bob Neyland]] saw his combination of size and agility, he was [[Recruiting (college athletics)|recruited]] for the football team.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/12/30/doug-atkins-intimidating-hall-of-fame-pass-rusher-dies-at-85/|title=Doug Atkins, intimidating Hall of Fame pass rusher, dies at 85 - ProFootballTalk|publisher=|accessdate=December 31, 2015}}</ref> Atkins played on the [[1951 Tennessee Volunteers football team]] that won the national championship.<ref name=jackson>{{cite web|url=http://www.jacksonsun.com/story/news/local/2015/12/30/ut-humboldt-football-legend-doug-atkins-dies/78108080/|title=UT, Humboldt football legend Doug Atkins dies|date=December 30, 2015|work=The Jackson Sun|accessdate=December 31, 2015}}</ref> He earned [[All-America]] honors in 1952. Atkins is one of the few players in Tennessee history to have his number retired.  He was considered one of the, if not the, most dominant defensive players in SEC history. Atkins was the only unanimous selection to the SEC All Quarter-Century teamins-dies-at-==Amateur career==<eod>