Atari Bigby

[Carolina_Packer]

The Missle is already taken by the retired Quadry Ismail. I like the Asteroid. How about the Joystick?

[cpk1994]

He needs a beter nickname

How about "The Missile"

Someone beat me to it. Would help if I read the whole thread.

[Zool]

Joystick was used by someone already too.

How about:

4 bits of fury

[MJZiggy]

50 cents worth of fury?? He needs a new contract...

[Carolina_Packer]

How about The Rasta Blasta!?

[Partial]

Boomerang Bigby

[Green Bud Packer]

Just change Holmgren Way to Bigby Boulevard

[Green Bud Packer]

How about The Rasta Blasta!?

gets my vote.

[SkinBasket]

Pokey McPokster.

[denverYooper]

How about The Rasta Blasta!?

gets my vote.

Seconded.

That's chock full of awesome.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Al compared Atari to Brian Dawkins.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7693116

Bigby earning a reputation with physical play
by Alex Marvez, FOXSports.com

GREEN BAY, Wis. - He still remembers the childhood teasing from having such an unusual first name.

"Oh my goodness," Atari Bigby said Thursday while sitting at his Packers locker. "Back when a lot of kids knew what Atari was, that was kind of bad. I used to ask my mom why she did that."

The christening wasn't connected to the old-school video-game company, but a suggestion from Bigby's grandmother. She liked "Atari" because it is a form of the Japanese word for "attack."

Grandma was onto something. Bigby is quickly building a name for himself as one of the NFL's hardest-hitting strong safeties.

Just ask the Seattle Seahawks, which suffered a 42-20 loss to Green Bay in last Saturday's divisional playoff game. Bigby had a team-high seven tackles, forced a Marcus Pollard fumble and spooked wide receiver D.J. Hackett into dropping a third-down pass near the Packers end zone.

New York Giants wide receiver Steve Smith also enters Sunday's NFC Championship game well aware of the damage Bigby can cause. Smith suffered a broken shoulder blade on a Bigby hit in September.

"He's one of those unique players who has no regard for his body," Packers secondary coach Kurt Schottenheimer said. "Some people will play physical and some will not. He truly enjoys it."

Bigby actually chuckled when describing the impact of his biggest blows.

"Believe it or not, sometimes I get up and my whole right or left side is numb," he said. "But you shake it off and go back the next play. That's what I was taught growing up."

Bigby, though, insists good licks are secondary to sound overall safety play. Bigby is just as proud of the strides he made this season in better identifying offensive formations, making the proper check-downs and being a more sure-handed tackler. He finished the regular season leading Green Bay in interceptions (five) and passes defensed (13) while ranking third in stops with 121.

"I don't want to be feared as a safety. I just want to be respected," said Bigby, whose soft-spoken nature belies his aggressive on-field style. "If I'm intimidating, that's the way it is. But I'm just trying to play the game the way it was meant to be played."

Just getting to play in the NFL took the 26-year-old Bigby more than two seasons of hard work. He signed as a college free agent in 2005 with the Miami Dolphins, his hometown team, but was waived in training camp. Another short stint with the New York Jets followed before he landed on Green Bay's practice squad — as an undersized linebacker.

It has become habit for Atari Bigby to dislodge the ball from opposing receivers. (Jeff Gross / Getty Images)

The 5-foot-11, 211-pound Bigby reinvented himself at safety last spring in NFL Europa. Bigby shined overseas and returned to the Packers with a newfound swagger.

"That was just a reassurance that you can play safety," Bigby said. "My confidence before was, 'Let's just hope we make the team.' When I came back, it was, 'You're the cream of the crop over there, so you can be a contender here.'"

First, Bigby had to best Marquand Manuel — a high school teammate and close friend — in training camp for a starting spot. Bigby then endured a rough mid-season stretch in which he committed too many mistakes and penalties.

On the verge of being benched, Bigby rebounded and finished with four interceptions in the final four games of the season.

"There came a time during the season where everybody was saying, 'Do this, do that!'" Bigby said. "I went ahead and said, 'You know what? Forget everybody else. I'm going to do things the way I need to do them.' I was just going to react and let it come naturally."

Packers cornerback Al Harris favorably compares Bigby to Philadelphia safety Brian Dawkins, one of his former Eagles teammates and a six-time Pro Bowl selection.

"It's his work ethic, and he's so explosive," Harris said. "He comes in after practice and works out, keeps his body tight. Those are the things Dawk does.

"I think Dawk is the best safety there is. When I look at Atari, that's what I think of."

It sure beats thinking of Space Invaders.

[Partial]

That's pretty good company to be compared to. I'll gladly take it.

[Bretsky]

Preditor III

watching the replay of the seattle game and Al Harris had several big hits in the game too. looks like Atari-inspired aggression. maybe he could put some extra pounds on and be a safty in the next phase of his career.

With that long hair he kind of has that predator type look. Sits back waiting for a WR to pounce on when he dares come into his territory. Then he takes them out