Gene Reynard Atkins (born November 22, 1964 in Tallahassee, Florida) is a former American football safety in the National Football League who played for the New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins from 1987 to 1996. He is the father of Geno Atkins, American football defensive tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals. He was featured on HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel in a story about former football players who are suffering from head injuries that happened during their playing time. In the story, it was said that Atkins is suffering from the early stages of dementia, but that claim was later found false.