William Ellis "Ace" Atkins (November 19, 1934 – November 5, 1991) was an American professional football player who was a safety and punter for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL), and in the American Football League (AFL) for the Buffalo Bills, New York Titans / Jets and Denver Broncos. In 1961, he was an AFL All-Star. He played college football for the Auburn Tigers.
Head coaching career On January 8, 1966, Atkins was named the head coach of the Troy State Trojans football team. Two years later, he coached Troy State to an NAIA National Championship and was named the NAIA Coach of the Year. Atkins finished at Troy State with a 44–16–2 record before leaving in 1971. He is the second winningest coach in school history behind only Larry Blakeney.
Personal life Atkins' son, author William Ellis "Ace" Atkins Jr., also played football at Auburn and was member of the 1993 undefeated team.
Head coaching record
See also List of American Football League players
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