Baraka Atkins Takes On Two Steelers

Aug/30/10 07:46 PM

The Denver Broncos' Baraka Atkins (58) blocks both Patrick Bailey (left) and Ryan Mundy, center, of the Pittsburgh Steelers during a kick return in Sunday's preseason game Sunday in Denver. (AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez)

Baraka Atkins Having A Good Pre Season

Aug/24/10 10:43 PM

Denver Broncos Coach Josh McDaniels said he likes the way outside linebacker Baraka Atkins has played in the preseason and he wants to get a longer look at newly signed linebacker Jason Hunter, a fifth-year pro who had five sacks for Detroit last year as a 4-3 defensive end and two for Green Bay the year before.

(cnnsi.com)

Baraka Atkins moving to linebacker?

May/27/10 10:20 PM

Baraka Atkins, running with the Broncos' first team at OLB in Elvis Dumervil's absence, is making the conversion from a down lineman to playing in space. Denver likes his size (6-foot-4, 268 pounds) and views him as a run-stuffing option. 'A lot of our outside linebackers' best traits will show up in August,' head coach Josh McDaniels said.

(fantasysp.com)

Atkins signed to future contract

Jan/15/10 01:28 AM

The Denver Broncos have announced they have signed free-agent DE Baraka Atkins (49ers) to a future contract. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

(fantasysp.com)

49ers waived DE Baraka Atkins

Dec/22/09 11:09 PM

Atkins was just signed as a project three weeks ago. The Niners needed his roster spot to sign another kick in case Joe Nedney has trouble coming back from a hamstring strain.

(rotoworld.com)

Baraka Atkins Signed By the 49ers

Dec/10/09 08:19 AM

So I guess that injury to DT Kentwan Balmer ended up a bit more serious than previously expected. Balmer had shoulder surgery this morning and has been placed on the Injured Reserve List, ending his season. To fill Balmer's roster spot, the team has signed DT Baraka Atkins. Atkins (6-4, 268) originally entered the NFL as a fourth round draft pick (120th overall) of the Seattle Seahawks in the 2007 Draft. He has played in 21 career games and recorded 28 tackles, two sacks, two fumble recoveries and one pass defensed. Atkins was released by the Seahawks in September. Atkins, a 25-year-old native of Sarasota, FL, played collegiately at Miami (FL).

(ninersnation.com)

Bucs check out Baraka

Oct/07/09 08:11 AM

Though upheaval at the kicker position has gotten most of the headlines in the recent past, the Bucs also have been kicking tires on defensive ends.

Per a league source, the Bucs worked out four of them Tuesday.

They are Baraka Atkins, Larry Birdine, Rodrique Wright, and James Wyche.

Unless a guy as good as Reggie White in his prime were available, it's not going to help a bad team get any better.

(profootballtalk.com)

Baraka Battling

Aug/31/09 08:06 AM

Baraka Atkins and rookies Nick Reed and Michael Bennett are likely battling it out for the final spot. Atkins, in his third year, has shown flashes of being a good pass rusher but hasn’t fully tapped his potential. At 6-foot-1, 250 pounds, Reed is small for a defensive end. But he has three sacks, an interception and a tipped punt in three exhibition games. Bennett has been a disrupting force inside, and also has the versatility to play both defensive end and defensive tackle.

(theolympian.com)

Baraka Atkins Plays Well in Win Over Broncos

Aug/23/09 10:11 PM

Baraka Atkins: Consistently disruptive. Played the straight man to Reed's half sack. You see the team rotating Atkins in with the first unit, and I think part of that was to try and get more speed on the field.

(thenewstribune.com)

Baraka Has A Good Game

Aug/18/09 07:22 AM

Baraka Atkins had a good game rushing the passer in the Seahawks 20 to 14 victory over the Chargers. He had the strip that Derek Walker recovered, but Atkins also was in there a couple other times. Atkins finished two tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a pass deflection. Michael Bennett, Cory Redding and Reed also had sacks on the day.

Atkins Back at Practice

Aug/04/09 05:03 AM

Defensive end Baraka Atkins practiced for the first time after being excused for two days to attend the funeral of a close friend in Florida.

(thenewstribune.com)

Photo of the Week: U Family

Jun/17/09 09:09 PM

Here is a shot from the 2007 season featuring proCanes Jon Beason, Baraka Atkins, Tanard Davis and Kelly Jennings.

BeasonAtkinsDavisJennings

(jonbeason.com)

Baraka Atkins: A Seahawk and a soccer fan

Dec/30/08 10:10 PM

That's Atkins in action, photo courtesy of the Seahawks. I got a few minutes with him toward the end of the season and he told me about his affinity for soccer.

Atkins, a second-year pro from Sarasota, Fla., said that soccer was the first organized sport he ever played, even before football.

"I had the biggest foot on the team, so my nickname was 'Little Foot,'" Atkins said. "I just grew a love for that game, too, early on, and I played all the way up to high school."

Even in high school, Atkins attended games and worked the game clock at times. He was a certified youth soccer official, too.

"It's an incredible game. It's amazing how they play and they're very athletic as well," Atkins said of soccer players. He was among a group of Seahawks who attended the Brazil-Canada friendly earlier this year at Qwest Field and also watched Brazil practice.

Atkins played all over the field as a soccer player. Because he was big and could run well and had a nice leg, he played halfback and ran everywhere.

If he wasn't lined up in the box to head in corner kicks, Atkins was the one doing the corner kick.

"I had a nice little curve from out of the corner," he said.

Atkins was always the biggest kid on his youth teams and eventually outgrew the sport. He's now listed at 6-foot-4, 271 pounds. And it's a fairly lean 271.

Soccer helped Atkins with his agility for other sports. He said he plans to attend Sounders FC games when the season begins.

(seattletimes.com)

Baraka Plays Extensievely Against Patriots

Dec/08/08 11:14 PM

Baraka Atkins was already heating up: Atkins pulled his best impression of a shorter, rounder Patrick Kerney by getting to Matt Cassel twice yesterday. He recorded two penetrations in the first and looked consistently disruptive. I hope Lawrence Jackson understands when he doesn't start next week.

(seahawkaddicts.com)

Baraka Atkins To Enter DLine Rotation

Oct/30/08 12:58 AM

It looks like Pat Kerney will miss Sunday's game. He is officially being labeled as doubtful by coach Holmgren. His shoulder, which was surgically repaired in the offseason, is very sore after re-injuring it in the San Francisco game. Holmgren said in his press conference that Baraka Atkins would move into the rotation to replace Kerney.

The Seahawks are obviously going to miss the effort that Kerney brings to the field every week. However, defensive end is a position the team is somewhat deep at. Kerney's talent is replaceable, but his effort is rarely matched. Jackson and Tapp will be the main players at defensive end in the upcoming game. Both have a lot to prove, as does Atkins, who will be active for just the second time this season.

(seahawksaddicts.com)

Baraka Looking Good

Aug/10/08 10:56 AM

Baraka Atkins is showing that he’s comfortable at defensive end, looking strong at the point of attack.

(thenewstribune.com)

Atkins injured

Aug/06/08 10:04 PM

Danny O'Neil, of The Seattle Times, reports Seattle Seahawks DL Baraka Atkins (undisclosed) appeared to be injured in goal-line drills. Atkins was slow to get up and was being looked at by team trainers.

(kffl.com)

Baraka Switches Numbers

Jul/23/08 06:32 PM

When the Seahawks take to the practice field Friday morning, Pro Bowl linebacker Julian Peterson will be wearing No. 98 – the same number he wore for the first six seasons of his NFL career while playing with the San Francisco 49ers.

Peterson has worn No. 59 the past two seasons with the Seahawks because former defensive end Grant Wistrom had the preferred 98 when Peterson was signed as a free agent in 2006. Wistrom is gone, so No. 98 is back where Peterson feels it belongs.

And what of Baraka Atkins, the defensive end who wore No. 98 last year during his rookie season? He's now No. 59. No word yet on whether Peterson provided any, well, incentive for the digital do-over.

(seattlepi.com)

Baraka Atkins Having a Good Mini Camp

Jun/10/08 02:13 PM

PLAYER OF THE DAY: Baraka Atkins

On back-to-back plays, the second-year defensive end stood up tackle Sean Locklear and beat tackle Will Robinson to stuff one running play and blow up another.

Atkins' efforts were timely, seeing as how the line for the rotation at D-end now includes first-round draft choice Lawrence Jackson as well as incumbent starters Patrick Kerney and Darryl Tapp.

The plays also were significant because after selecting Jackson, defensive coordinator John Marshall admitted that Atkins might be more of a project than anticipated when he was selected in the fourth round of the 2007 draft.