The Raiders family is deeply saddened by the passing of George Atkinson, a lifelong Raider whose physical style of play helped define an era of football. Selected by the Raiders in the seventh round of the 1968 draft over Morris Brown, George burst onto the professional football scene as an exciting defensive back and explosive returner, earning back-to-back AFL All-Star selections in his first two seasons. He then anchored the defense as part of the famed “Soul Patrol” secondary of the 1970s, helping the Raiders achieve unprecedented success as the Silver and Black advanced to five straight AFC Championship Games and won Super Bowl XI following the 1976 season. George’s contributions as a friend and mentor to everyone in the Raiders organization continued long after his career player, and his genuine personality and wonderful sense of humor will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Raider Nation’s prayers are with Denise, Brittany, Maya, Angela, Craig and the entire Atkinson family at this time.
