Avery Atkins (May 29, 1987 – July 5, 2007) was an American football cornerback. A highly touted prospect, he attended the University of Florida in his freshman season, but legal trouble cut his football career short. He died from an Ecstasy overdose in 2007.[1]
A native of Daytona Beach, Florida, Atkins attended Mainland High School, where he was an All-State cornerback and running back. Regarded as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, he chose Florida over numerous offers, including Auburn, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, and South Carolina. Atkins was the highest-rated prospect in Urban Meyer's first recruiting class.[2]
As a true freshman, Atkins started three games in the 2005 season. In the Florida–Florida State game he intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble.[2] A projected starter for 2006, he left the University of Florida after charges of domestic battery on the mother of his child.[2] He enrolled at Bethune-Cookman College, where he played three games in 2006 before leaving the team. In January 2007 he enrolled at Florida again, but dropped out after only a few weeks and returned to Daytona Beach.[2]
On July 5, he was found dead in his car in Port Orange, Florida.[3] Autopsy later determined the cause of his death as drug overdose.[4]