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Former USF walk-on Sean Atkins ready for encore season

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Published  August 20, 2024 4:47pm EDT
University of South Florida Bulls
FOX 13 News

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    TAMPA, Fla. - Last season, Sean Atkins was the Bulls' best kept secret, but the cat’s out of the bag.

    "The secret was out on Sean probably after the first couple of games," said USF head football coach Alex Golesh. 

    A secret for a little while, at least, but at the start of the football season, the USF receiver was a little-known name on the roster. That, however, would soon change. 

    "I told him, 'You know you're going to have a big year, right Sean?'" Golesh recalled. "He said, 'You think?' I'm like 'Sean, you're going to be really special.'"

    Special doesn't even begin to describe the season Atkins would go on to have as he set program records for both receptions and receiving yards in a single season. 

    "This thing has really elevated myself and my life to an aspect that I never thought would happen," Atkins shared. 

    READ: USF quarterback Byrum Brown is the 'face of the Bulls'

    Atkins’ breakout season was a stark contrast from when he arrived at USF five years ago as an undersized and under-recruited walk-on. 

    Now, Atkins is receiving preseason All-American honors among many other awards and accolades. 

    "He knows right now that he is the best receiver in this conference and one of the best receivers in the country," Golesh said. "For a guy that was working at Meat Market two years ago running food, it's pretty cool."

    Even after a breakout season in 2023, Atkins hasn't lost sight of the journey he's taken to get to this point. 

    READ: USF football player killed in rollover crash in Minnesota

    In fact, Atkins is reminded of the long road he had to take every time he looks down and sees a jersey with a non-traditional wide receiver number on it. 

    "Thirty-eight is just a number that, ever since I got here, it just reminds me of that person walking in and being at the bottom of the depth chart," Atkins shared. "It just means something to me. It just reminds me of all the work that I've put in to get to where I am today."

    Atkins is also reminded of how far he has come, as defenses treat the Bulls' No. 38 like the top target he has become. 

    "Obviously, people know who he is, but you still have to stop him," said Golesh. 

    After being overlooked for so long, Atkins is now ready to prove that his breakout performances last season were just the opening act to an encore in 2024.

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