Auburn Tigers defensive lineman Ace Atkins had a legendary performance against the Florida Gators in 1993. Stu Boyd II-The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Countdown to Auburn vs. Baylor - 99 Ace Atkins

Originally posted on Auburn Tigers on SI | By A.J. Hester | Last updated May 20, 2025 7:57 AM ET

We’re only 99 days away from the Auburn Tigers kicking off the 2025 season against Baylor on August 29, 2025. And we’re counting down the time by visiting some of the Tigers of the past.

Leading us off in this trip down memory lane is 1993 Sports Illustrated cover darling, Ace Atkins.

Auburn fans remember Atkins for his heroic two-sack performance in October of the Tigers’ undefeated 1993 season against the No. 4 Florida Gators. Atkins had three career tackles when Steve Spurrier’s Gators traveled to Jordan-Hare Stadium to face off against Auburn.

Both teams were undefeated, but the Tigers faced NCAA sanctions for malfeasance committed two seasons prior. Auburn was banned from playing on television, earning the moniker “the greatest team on radio” from Auburn broadcasting great Jim Fyffe.

The Tigers would also be ineligible for any championship game, and there would be no bowl game appearance. The victory over the top-five Gators would be the defining moment of the bittersweet season, as the Tigers finished 11-0.

When SI commemorated the perfect season, Atkins found himself on the cover, standing over the crumpled form of future Heisman-winning quarterback Danny Wuerffel.

Though Atkins came to Auburn with a football pedigree, his father, Billy “Ace” Atkins, was a leader on Auburn’s 1957 national championship team, his true passion lay in screenwriting. Originally, he wanted to attend USC’s film school, but chose Auburn when the Trojans didn’t offer a scholarship. “I was thinking this was a good opportunity to go to school, be on scholarship and get an education,” Atkins said on his decision to join the Tigers, “but I was pretty clear that I wanted to be a writer.”

And a writer he became. Atkins cut his teeth in Tampa, Florida as a crime journalist, and he has since written more books than he had career tackles at Auburn, with 30.

The 1993 season was magical for those fortunate enough to witness it, and No. 99 Ace Atkins became a legend on the Plains with his two-sack performance.

This article first appeared on Auburn Tigers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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