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Primary Mark<br />
VETERANS<br />
ATARI<br />
BIGBY<br />
SAFETY<br />
CENTRAL FLORIDA<br />
Ht: 5-11 Wt: 213<br />
Fourth <strong>NFL</strong> Season<br />
Fourth Packers Season<br />
Born: September 19, 1981<br />
<strong>NFL</strong> Gm. Played/Started: 29/22<br />
Acquired: FA-05<br />
After making the<br />
steady climb from<br />
practice-squad player<br />
to <strong>NFL</strong> starter, the aggressive, hard-hitting safety now<br />
must bounce back from an injury-plagued 2008…Battled<br />
ankle, hamstring and shoulder injuries at different times<br />
PRO<br />
career<br />
throughout the season, eventually landing<br />
on injured reserve in the final month…<br />
Sustained an ankle injury during training<br />
camp and then pulled a hamstring at Detroit<br />
in Week 2, forcing him to miss five games…Returned<br />
to the lineup but was less than full strength and eventually<br />
injured his shoulder in Week 13 vs. Carolina, ending his<br />
season…Now has 152 career tackles (115 solo) with six<br />
interceptions and 16 passes defensed, but all the injuries<br />
limited his opportunities to build on the impact he made<br />
in his first season as a starter in 2007…Led the team that<br />
year with five interceptions and 13 passes defensed, tied<br />
for the team lead with three forced fumbles, and ranked<br />
third with 121 tackles (95 solo)…His tackle total was the<br />
highest by any Packers defensive back since safety Mark<br />
Murphy recorded 128 in 1990…Beat out incumbent starter<br />
Marquand Manuel midway through training camp in 2007<br />
with a series of big plays in the second preseason game<br />
vs. Seattle (Aug. 18) and never relinquished the job, playing<br />
94.9 percent of the defensive snaps in 2007, tops on<br />
the team…Enjoyed the chance to show what he could do<br />
in training camp after missing much of it in 2006 with a<br />
broken hand suffered in the annual ‘Family Night’ scrimmage…Began<br />
that season on the practice squad with a<br />
cast, but eventually had it removed and showed how much<br />
he benefited from his <strong>NFL</strong> Europe experience the previous<br />
spring…Earned a midseason promotion to the active<br />
roster, playing in five games and contributing consistently<br />
on special teams with five tackles…Made his <strong>NFL</strong> debut<br />
on Christmas Day 2005 vs. Chicago, playing in one game<br />
after a promotion from the practice squad, and then was<br />
allocated to <strong>NFL</strong> Europe in spring 2006…Started all 10<br />
games for the Amsterdam Admirals, who earned a berth<br />
in the World Bowl…Played with Packers teammate Tory<br />
Humphrey and led the team with 61 tackles, solidifying his<br />
reputation as a hard hitter…At Central Florida, registered<br />
296 tackles, three interceptions and one sack during four<br />
letterman seasons…As a prep player at Miami (Fla.) Senior<br />
High School, played every position on the field other<br />
than lineman…Attended high school with Manuel, not to<br />
mention other professional athletes, such as Miami Heat<br />
forward Udonis Haslem…Originally entered the league as<br />
a non-drafted free agent signed by the Dolphins in 2005…<br />
Spent most of ’05 training camp with the Jets and was<br />
waived in the final preseason roster reduction, before the<br />
Packers signed him to their practice squad two months<br />
later.<br />
2008 season<br />
►►Led team in interceptions<br />
with five in 2007, his first<br />
as a starter, and named NFC<br />
Defensive Player of the Month in<br />
December, when he had four of<br />
his five INTs.<br />
►►Ranked third on the team with<br />
121 tackles in 2007, the most at a glance…<br />
by a Packers defensive back<br />
since safety Mark Murphy recorded 128 in 1990.<br />
►►Allocated to <strong>NFL</strong> Europe’s Amsterdam Admirals for the 2006<br />
season; led the team in tackles and helped earn a World<br />
Bowl berth.<br />
►►“Atari” is Japanese for a form of the word “attack.”<br />
►►Attended Miami (Fla.) High School with several future professional<br />
athletes, including former Green Bay safety Marquand<br />
Manuel and Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem.<br />
was placed on injured reserve Dec. 18…Vs. Minnesota<br />
(Sept. 8): Intercepted a Tarvaris Jackson pass with just<br />
over a minute remaining to seal the 24-19 win...At Detroit<br />
(Sept. 14): Left game late in first half after straining<br />
a hamstring trying to break up a pass in the end zone, and<br />
missed the next five contests…At Tennessee (Nov. 2):<br />
Returned to starting lineup and registered seven tackles,<br />
which tied him for the lead in the secondary…At Minnesota<br />
(Nov. 9): Led secondary with season-high eight<br />
tackles, including a tackle for loss when he stopped TE<br />
Visanthe Shiancoe on a reception for a 3-yard loss in the<br />
second quarter…Vs. Chicago (Nov. 16): Tied for lead<br />
in secondary with six tackles and broke up Kyle Orton’s<br />
deep pass intended for WR Marty Booker late in the first<br />
half…Vs. Carolina (Nov. 30): Did not start after being<br />
on injury report all week with ankle injury and saw very<br />
limited time in the first half before leaving the game with a<br />
sprained shoulder, which ended his season.<br />
2007<br />
Started all 16 games in his first year as the<br />
starter (plus both playoff games), winning the<br />
job with an impressive run of big plays during preseason<br />
games…Playing a team-best 94.9 percent of the defensive<br />
snaps, ranked third on the team with 121 tackles (95 solo),<br />
tied for a team high with three forced fumbles, and led the<br />
team with five interceptions and 13 passes defensed…Recorded<br />
double-digit tackles in five games, and his season<br />
total was the highest by any Packers defensive back since<br />
Murphy recorded 128 in 1990…Earned NFC Defensive<br />
Player of the Month for December, picking off four passes<br />
in a span of four games…His five INTs ranked ninth in the<br />
<strong>NFL</strong> and fourth in the NFC…Vs. San Diego (Sept. 23):<br />
Posted a team- and career-high 14 tackles (11 solo)…At<br />
Minnesota (Sept. 30): In the first quarter, stripped the<br />
ball from fullback Jeff Dugan (recovered by Johnny Jolly);<br />
Brett Favre threw his record-setting 421st career TD pass<br />
to Greg Jennings on the following drive to give Green Bay<br />
a 7-0 lead. Made his first career interception in the fourth<br />
quarter, diving for a tipped pass with 1:06 left, sealing the<br />
Packers’ 23-16 victory. Also recorded five solo tackles…<br />
Vs. Oakland (Dec. 9): In the third quarter, intercepted<br />
a deep pass and returned it 22 yards; actually ran the pick<br />
back 70 yards for a touchdown, but the score was negated<br />
Played in seven games with six<br />
starts at strong safety, and posted<br />
31 tackles (20 solo) and an interception...Was bothered all<br />
year by a left ankle injury originally suffered in preseason<br />
game at Denver (Aug. 22), and then pulled a hamstring<br />
in Week 2 at Detroit, forcing him to miss five games…<br />
Sustained a shoulder injury in Week 13 vs. Carolina and by an unnecessary roughness penalty…At St. Louis<br />
25 79<br />
ADMIN. &<br />
DRAFT &<br />
COMMUNITY COACHES BIGBY FREE AGENTS<br />
2008 REVIEW HISTORY<br />
RECORDS &<br />
LAMBEAU<br />
FIELD<br />
MISC.
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