Having signed with the University of Texas after a storied career at McMahon High School in Norwalk, Conn., Atkins found his way to the college to play for Cardinal Hall of Fame coach Leon Spencer. If he was disappointed his original plan did not work out, it never showed.

Atkins quickly made an impact for the Cardinals as a freshman and by the time his sophomore season rolled around, he was ready to dominate in the Texas Eastern Conference. He averaged 22.0 points and 9.9 rebounds that season, to earn NJCAA All-America honors.

As a two-time all-conference selection, Atkins left the Cardinals ranked in the top 25 JUCO Players in America. He then played one season at New Mexico State University and one at Dallas Baptist College. At New Mexico State he averaged 17.4 points, which was sixth-best in the Missouri Valley Conference. At Dallas Baptist, he averaged 27.6 points per game.

Atkins was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 21^st pick in the sixth round of the 1983 NBA draft.

He would go on to play for Worcester in the Continental Basketball Association before a cancer diagnosis at age 24 would sideline him for nine months. Upon being declared cancer-free, he resumed his professional playing career in Buenos Aires and Venezuela. He ended his playing career in 1996 with the Harlem Rockets comedy team.

In 2016, he was honored by the Norwalk Old-Timers Association for his achievements.