Jack Avery Atkins (born June 11, 1999) is a former American football placekicker. He played college football for LSU from 2018 to 2021,[1] where he served as the Tigers' kickoff specialist.
 Atkins in 2021 | |
| No. 18 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Placekicker |
| Class | Senior |
| Major | Kinesiology |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | June 11, 1999 Auburn, Alabama |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 214 lb (97 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College |
|
| High school | Auburn High School (Auburn, AL) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Early life
editAtkins attended Auburn High School in Auburn, Alabama. Earning three letters in football for positions as safety, kicker and punter, Atkins garnered several accolades that led to his status as one of the top high school kickers in the country. During his junior year in 2016, Atkins earned all-state honors as the team's safety.[2] That year, he was also the X-Factor Athlete, according to the Opelika-Auburn News.[3] In his senior year in 2017, Atkins served as team captain. That year, he helped lead his team to a 10-2 record. Also in 2017, Atkins was a member of the 2017 Alabama Sports Writers Association 7A All-State Team. Other high school accolades include Atkins being named a four-star prospect by Kohl’s Kicking Professional Camps[4] and a two-time Athlete of the Week via The Auburn Villager newspaper (once in 2016[5] and once in 2018[6]).
In addition to football, Atkins also made a name for himself at Auburn High School on the soccer field. Playing center forward, Atkins was a five-time letterman on his high school men's soccer team, setting a school record with 27 goals during his senior season in 2018.[7] Also in 2018, Auburn High School earned a winning spot in the 7A Alabama State Soccer Championship. Atkins' soccer accolades include being named Varsity Soccer MVP in both 2016 and 2019 and Clutch Player of the Year in 2014 and 2015.[1]
College career
editFreshman
editComing off the heels of high school success, Atkins started his true freshman season at LSU in 2018.[8] During this time, Atkins would prove himself to be one of the country's top talents in terms of kickoff specialists.[3] Serving as the starting kicker, Atkins went on to experience a record-setting season. This includes setting LSU’s school record for touchbacks, as well as his own career record with eight touchbacks (out of nine kickoffs) in the 2018 LSU game against Georgia. In total, 71 of Atkins' 79 kicks during his freshman season went for touchbacks.[9] This ranked LSU at number five in the nation for touchbacks. Atkins' efforts led to LSU ranking number three in the nation for kickoff returns allowed (6) and number one for fewest kickoff return yards allowed (126). By the end of the 2018 season, Atkins led the country with a 91.4 percent touchback rate, solidifying his status as one of the nation's best college placekickers.[10]
Sophomore
editAtkins continued his record-setting trend into his sophomore season at LSU in 2019. Records include being number one nationally in total kickoffs, with 131 across 15 games played. He led the NCAA in touchback percentage, with 110 of his 131 kickoffs going for touchbacks.[11] Career record highs in 2019 included 11 touchbacks in games against Vanderbilt, Ole Miss and Northwestern State. Atkins helped LSU rank number 12 in the nation for kickoff returns allowed that year (15), as well as number 18 for total allowed kickoff return yardage with 337 yards. In 2019 under Atkins' influence, LSU won its fourth national championship with a 15-0 season.[12]
Junior
editAs a junior, Atkins was one of the Division I leaders in kickoff percentage due to hitting touchbacks on 46 of his 60 kickoffs. Only one kick went out of bounds.[13]
Senior
editComing into his senior season, Atkins was awarded the No. 18 jersey, becoming the first kicker to do so. The No. 18 jersey is an LSU tradition for onfield and off-field success as well as being an unselfish player.[14]
Statistics
editDefensive
edit| Year | Team | GP | SOLO | AST | TOT | TFL-YDS | SACKS-YDS | INT | PD | FF | FR | BLK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | LSU | 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[15] | 0 |
| 2019 | LSU | 15 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | LSU | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 38 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
Kickoffs
edit| Year | Team | GP | ATT | Yards | Avg | TB | OB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | LSU | 13 | 79 | 5014 | 63.5 | 71 | 0 |
| 2019 | LSU | 15 | 131 | 8218 | 62.7 | 110 | 1 |
| 2020 | LSU | 10 | 60 | 3797 | 63.3 | 46 | 1 |
| Total | 38 | 271 | 17029 | 63.2 | 227 | 2 | |
Personal life
editAtkins' parents are Jack and Nikki Atkins. He has one sister, Taylor Ann, who is an ICU nurse. Atkins' grandfather, George Atkins, was an offensive line coach at Auburn from 1956 to 1971, coaching with Ralph "Shug" Jordan. His grandmother, Leah Rawls Atkins, was once a world champion water skier, becoming the first woman to be inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.[7][16]
He has fathered 8 sons, all who attend Auburn University and are part of the Pulisic’s Prodigies Intramural soccer team.
In addition to the preferred walk-on offer from LSU that he ultimately accepted,[17] Atkins received offers from competing Southeastern Conference school Auburn University, Ivy League institutions Yale University and Harvard University, and others, including a scholarship offer from West Point. Atkins cited special teams coach Greg McMahon, head coach Ed Orgeron, and assistant athletics director Sam Nader, along with a desire to play for an SEC football team, as his primary motivations for choosing LSU.[18] Atkins graduated from LSU in May 2021, with a degree in kinesiology.
His hobbies and interests include church activities, skiing, boating, traveling, reading and working with children.[19] He was elected co-president of the LSU Student Athletes Advisory Council in 2020.[20] He attended the SEC Football leadership conference in January 2020 as an LSU football representative and was a member of the SEC Football Leadership Council.[21]
References
edit- ^ a b "LSU 2020 Football Roster: Avery Atkins". LSU Tigers Athletics.
- ^ Embody, Billy (July 17, 2020). "LSU players that could play both ways if rosters are shortened". 247Sports.com. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
- ^ a b Hill, Jordan (October 26, 2019). "Auburn High's Avery Atkins excels as LSU's kickoff specialist". OANow.com. The Opelika-Auburn News. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
- ^ "Avery Atkins - 2020 - Football - LSU Tigers". LSUSports.net. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
- ^ Woodham, Brian (February 25, 2016). "Athlete of the Week: Avery Atkins". The Auburn Villager. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
- ^ Woodham, Brian (March 29, 2018). "AHS Athlete of the Week: Avery Atkins". The Auburn Villager. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
- ^ a b Kubena, Brooks (September 11, 2018). "How LSU's kickoff specialist blasted his way to the big stage and is 'opening a lot of eyes'". The Advocate. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
- ^ Shipp, Sonny (August 22, 2018). "Watch: Avery Atkins highlights". 247Sports.com. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
- ^ Doucet, Jacques; Auzenne, Josh (June 22, 2019). "LSU focuses on kickoffs with Avery Atkins but works with him on field goals as well". Fox8Live.com. WVUE-DT. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
- ^ Rabalais, Scott (December 30, 2018). "Avery Atkins' kickoff style is all wrong but oh so right for LSU". The Advocate. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
- ^ West, Glen (February 2, 2020). "2020 LSU Football Position Breakdown Part 10: Special Teams". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
- ^ Hill, Jordan (July 20, 2020). "Auburn High's Avery Atkins set for another big year at LSU". Opelika-Auburn News. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
- ^ Hill, Jordan (September 2, 2021). "Former Auburn High football player Avery Atkins to wear coveted No. 18 at LSU this season". Opelika-Auburn News. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
- ^ Chrisman, Spencer (September 1, 2021). "LSU specialist Avery Atkins awarded No. 18". WAFB. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
- ^ Embody, Billy (July 22, 2020). "John Emery, others emerge as kick return options for LSU". 247Sports. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ Guilbeau, Glenn (September 13, 2018). "LSU could bounce back to other end of sandwich at Auburn; Deculus to start at right tackle". The Daily Advertiser. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
- ^ Dabe, Christopher (January 31, 2018). "LSU adds 4-star kicker Avery Atkins as preferred walk-on". NOLA.com. The Times-Picayune. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
- ^ Adam, Brandon (September 21, 2018). "'He's freakish': Auburn native Avery Atkins finds unexpected home at LSU as kickoff specialist". The Reveille. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
- ^ "VIPS Super Summer Readers - Avery Atkins, LSU Football reads Splat the Cat and the Late Library Book". YouTube: VIPSBatonRouge. Volunteers In Public Schools.
- ^ Chamberlain, Chelsey (September 9, 2020). "Tiger Life Announces SAAC Members for 2020-21". LSU Tigers Athletics. Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
- ^ "Taylor Named to SEC Football Leadership Council". WVLT 8. February 2, 2020. Retrieved September 28, 2021.