Undrafted safety exceeds expectations and then some

Green Bay safety Atari Bigby has overcome the dubious distinction of tying for the NFL-lead in pass interference penalties. Warren Wimmer/Icon SMI

Before joining the Packers in 2003, Pro Bowl cornerback Al Harris played five seasons in Philadelphia. One of his teammates was Brian Dawkins, for whom Harris has tremendous respect. He goes so far as to say Dawkins might be "the best safety in the world."

It is against that backdrop that you must consider what Harris now says of Packers safety Atari Bigby, who is in his first season as a starter: "He reminds me so much of Dawk, just how explosive he is. He can run, he can cover, he can tackle. He's the total package."

That was definitely the case last Saturday in the Packers' 42-20 rout of the Seahawks in an NFC divisional playoff at Lambeau Field. He led the team with seven tackles, forced a fumble and had so many big hits that Seattle receiver D.J. Hackett appeared to be more concerned about Bigby than the football when he dropped a pass near the goal line.

As he prepares to face the New York Giants on Sunday, with a chance to advance to Super Bowl XLII on the line, Bigby has no plans to let up.

"The team is looking for someone to rise up, so my mentality is, 'Why not me? Why can't I make plays?' " Bigby says. "Every game from now on you have to take it to another level, pick it up a notch. It's one loss and you're out. Our mentality is that we're so close, why stop now? I know the Giants are going to come in here and be fired up. We have to match their intensity and surpass it."

Bigby has surpassed every expectation but his own. After going undrafted out of Central Florida in 2005, he was waived by the Dolphins and the Jets over the next two months. When he signed with the Packers, they moved him to linebacker, a position he had never played. The switch surprised him, but didn't deter him.

"I felt like, 'I'm a football player and it doesn't really matter what position I play. I've got to make the best of it,' " Bigby says. "I think it was more of a 'can you prove yourself' deal. It was like, we're going to put you through the worst and see what happens -- kind of like hazing."

Bigby passed every test and was promoted from the practice squad late that season. He broke his hand in training camp the following year and wound up on the practice squad again before being promoted late in the season. He spent the following spring playing for Amsterdam of NFL Europa, but not much was expected of him when he returned for training camp this season. The team's Web site said the following of him coming into the year: "Will contend for a backup safety role, and special teams prowess should help in that quest."

Bigby had other ideas. He won the starting job with his hard hits and hustle, but midway through the season he hit a rough stretch in which his name was being called for committing penalties more than for making plays. He finished the year tied for the league lead in pass-interference calls (four) and tied for third with three personal fouls. The reaction among some fans was predictable.

"It translated into, 'Atari's not a good player,' " Bigby says. "I didn't feel like I was a bad player. I just felt like I had some calls that went the wrong way. In a way to nullify those and to show that I'm a good player, I had to make big plays. Around Week 9 or 10, I started to feel like, 'You know what? Just get the ball.' "

Actually, he began doing that the final month of the season. After intercepting only one pass in the first 12 games, he picked off four in the Packers' final four games.

"He did not play his best during a stretch there -- he had some penalties against Dallas and against Denver," safeties coach Kurt Schottenheimer says. "But he's been playing extremely well for us recently. He continues to work hard and is trusting himself more, and his confidence is growing. He's a very instinctive kid."

For much of the year, Bigby refused to trust his instincts. There were so many things working against him considering his entry into the league that he played cautiously. He was like the young quarterback who is asked to manage a game rather than win it.

"Early in the season was more like don't let them catch the ball, rather than go get the ball," Bigby says. "But the Raiders game, I was like, 'I can actually intercept these passes. Instead of getting a breakup, I can get an interception. I'm so close.' "

That began his hot streak of at least one interception in three of his final four games and a forced fumble in his playoff opener. Says Bigby: "I feel like I'm good enough to take chances, and the coaches have given me more leeway to be myself, to put a little bit of Atari in the defense and use my discretion to do what's best."

Teammates contend Bigby is mature beyond his 26 years. He is married and has two daughters, and his focus after family is football. He recently changed agents, hiring Jack Bechta of La Jolla, Ca., because he says he feels comfortable with him and believes it will be one less distraction should the sides open up talks of a multiyear extension in the offseason, when he's scheduled to become a restricted free agent.

For now, though, he's focused on the Giants -- and they would be smart to keep an eye on him.