Pervis Atkins facts for kids
| No. 27, 25, 39 | |||
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| Position: | Running back / tight end | ||
| Personal information | |||
| Born: | November 24, 1935 Ruston, Louisiana |
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| Died: | December 22, 2017 (aged 82) Los Angeles, California |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
| Weight: | 230 lb (104 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | Oakland Tech (Oakland, California) |
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| College: | New Mexico State | ||
| NFL Draft: | 1960 / Round: 3 / Pick: 30 | ||
| AFL draft: | 1960 / Round: Second Selections (by the Minneapolis AFL team) |
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| Career history | |||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||
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College Football Hall of Fame
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Pervis R. Atkins Jr. (born November 24, 1935 – died December 22, 2017) was an amazing American football player. He played as a running back and tight end. Pervis Atkins was also an actor and producer.
Contents
Early Life
Pervis Atkins was born in Ruston, Louisiana. He grew up in Oakland, California. He finished high school at Oakland Technical High School in 1953.
College Football Career
After attending Santa Ana Junior College, Pervis played college football at New Mexico State University. He was a halfback, flanker, and placekicker.
In 1959, he was the first of four players from New Mexico State to lead the nation in rushing yards. He ran for 971 yards on 130 carries that year. He was also the first New Mexico State University football player to be named to the Associated Press All-America first team.
In 1959, Atkins led the nation in yards per carry (7.5), total points (107), and yards per punt return (17.7). As of December 2017, he still held New Mexico State University's records for:
- yards per carry for a career (8.1)
- punt return average for a career (15.1)
- punt return average for a season (21.8)
Professional Football Career
Pervis Atkins played professionally in the American Football League for the Oakland Raiders. He played for them in the 1965 and 1966 seasons. Before that, he played for the Los Angeles Rams and the Washington Redskins.
On April 30, 2009, Pervis Atkins was chosen to be part of the College Football Hall of Fame. This is a special honor for college football players.
Show Business
Besides playing football, Pervis Atkins was also an actor and producer. He appeared in the 1974 movie The Longest Yard. He was also in a TV movie called The Desperate Miles. In 1976, he was in the first episode of the TV series Delvecchio. He also had a guest role in an episode of The Six Million Dollar Man.
Here is a list of some of his acting roles:
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | The Longest Yard | Mawabe |
Later Life and Passing
Pervis Atkins lived in Los Angeles, California, until he passed away. He died on December 22, 2017, at the age of 82.
See also
- List of American Football League players
- List of NCAA major college football yearly rushing leaders
- List of NCAA major college football yearly scoring leaders
- List of NCAA major college yearly punt and kickoff return leaders
