Hall of Fame defensive end Doug Atkins passed away in Knoxville, Tennessee, at the age of 85 on Wednesday, the Hall of Fame confirmed.
An eight-time Pro Bowl selection and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-1960s Team, Atkins teamed with Baltimore Colts legend Gino Marchetti to revolutionize the defensive end position in the era prior to the Super Bowl and NFL merger.
At 6-foot-8 and nearly 260 pounds, Atkins was a relentless goliath on the punishing Chicago Bears teams that lived up to the "Monsters of the Midway" moniker of the 1950s and '60s.