Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

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10m
One of the first great defensive players ever. Doug Atkins helped revolutionize the defensive end position.

#NFL100 All-Time Team on
@nflnetwork

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I guess most players "revolutionized" their position. Or changed the game.

One of the first great defensive players? What, nobody ever played defense before? That’s more manure than a bag of fertilizer.

BTW John, fine write-ups about the best DEs and where Atkins should rank over at your site:

http://nflfootballjournal.blogspot.com/ ... -team.html

http://nflfootballjournal.blogspot.com/ ... -best.html

http://nflfootballjournal.blogspot.com/ ... n-nfl.html

http://nflfootballjournal.blogspot.com/ ... story.html

Atkins played a long time, and I'm sure that's a big part of why he got picked. Why make up a BS one-liner to justify it? Just say he played a long time.

JameisLoseston wrote:Atkins played a long time, and I'm sure that's a big part of why he got picked. Why make up a BS one-liner to justify it? Just say he played a long time.

Agreed. Whether or not he's one of the best 7 DEs (better than Watt, Davis, Youngblood, Eller, Strahan) or not
he is great and that should be enough. Being an innovator or a revolutionizer seems to be a higher bar
than being one of the top 7.

If he really did that, you'd think we'd know what the "revolution" was and what it entailed.

I cannot think of a thing.

JohnTurney wrote: I cannot think of a thing.

6'8"?
Was there anyone else who played D End anywhere near that height anywhere near as well?

He pioneered the stratosphere...
(Kidding. I agree with John.)

JuggernautJ wrote: 6'8"?
Was there anyone else who played D End anywhere near that height anywhere near as well?

He pioneered the stratosphere.

Too Tall Jones was 6’9”.

WR Harold Carmichael was also 6’8”. OTs Jonathan Ogden and Bob St. Clair were also 6’9”. TE Morris Stroud was 6’10”. DT Richard Sligh was reportedly the tallest NFL player ever at 7’0”.