Like every other NCAA Div. I football player in the country, Algie Atkinson was ordered to rest and reflect, not compete, on Saturday.
Good for the soul in the wake of this week’s terrorist attacks on the United States.
And perhaps good for the body, too.
“Maybe a week (off) will help get my legs back,” said Atkinson, Kansas University’s 6-foot-5, 240-pound senior linebacker, looking on the bright side regarding this weekend’s across-the-board cancellations.
Atkinson certainly has earned some R&R.
He and Texas’ Derrick Johnson are tied for the Big 12 lead in sacks with three. Atkinson also leads the league with three forced fumbles and has a league-best seven tackles for a loss one more than Texas A&M’s Chris Rodriguez.
“Not really,” Atkinson said, asked if a week off might slow his momentum entering Game Three. “I know I’ll be able to do it again regardless of when we come back.”
Atkinson has 16 career sacks entering Saturday’s Big 12 opener at Colorado. He’s just 4.5 sacks shy of KU career sack leader Ron Warner, who had 20.5 from 1996-97.
If Atkinson keeps up his current pace, he’ll easily surpass his season-high of seven sacks he set last year. KU’s all-time single-season sack leader is Warner, who had 14.5 sacks in 1997.
“I feel I am two times better than I was last year,” Atkinson said. “The main difference is the coaching, the defensive schemes we have this year puts my ability out there to be seen.”
Atkinson has a lot of freedom in assistant coach/defensive coordinator Tom Hayes’ 4-3 scheme.
“I’m moving around more, dropping back into pass coverage or going after the quarterback I play left, right, middle. The quarterback doesn’t know if I’m coming or not,” Atkinson said.
You better believe the Evanston, Ill., native prefers pursuing the quarterback rather than dropping back into the secondary.
Atkinson thrives on sacks.
“I take a lot of pride in pass rushing,” he said. “I like rushing the passer. My goal is to be in the quarterback’s face the entire game.”
His technique is simple.
“A lot of speed off the ball,” Atkinson said, explaining the acquired art.
“It’s timing the snap of the ball. I get in a sprinter’s stance and take off like when the official (starter) shoots the gun. Knowing the snap count takes experience. You get that experience as you get older.”
KU coach Terry Allen believes Atkinson is not only smarter, but more intense his senior season.
“Algie’s really maturing into an outstanding football player. In previous years Algie would maybe take downs off, but he’s going 100 percent on every play. I think his statistics show that,” Allen said.
Atkinson admits he hadn’t always given 100 percent in the past.
“That’s when I was younger. I now have complete focus,” he said.
He likes being rewarded for his effort, seeing his name atop the league stat sheets.
“Stats … that what a player wants to play for but a player also wants wins. That’s most important,” Atkinson said. “Stats show you are actually doing something.”
The coaches say Atkinson is doing a lot.
“Algie is playing awfully good right now. If you asked me who was playing the best right now I would say Algie,” Allen said.
KU’s coach is glad Atkinson chose KU over Wisconsin, Purdue and Illinois.
“The choice coming here was the opportunity to play linebacker. A lot of schools wanted me to play defensive end,” Atkinson said. “I wanted the opportunity to show I can do both.”
He is hoping his KU experience lands him a job in the NFL.
“The Big 12 Conference is really good in football. Every year five or six teams are nationally ranked. You play against the best,” Atkinson said. “It is not an easy conference. My focus is on this season now, but with my size and speed … coach Hayes says it is possible to play on that level.”