Raiders legend George Atkinson, known for fierce hits, dies

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George Atkinson, the feared former Raiders cornerback, has died. He was 78.

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The Raiders said Atkinson's family informed the team of his death on Monday. The team said he died in Georgia, without giving a cause of death.

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The Raiders credited Atkinson as the anchor of the team's 1970s “Soul Patrol” secondary, which helped the team win its first Super Bowl title. Atkinson remained involved with the organization until his death.

“George's contributions as a friend and mentor to everyone in the Raiders organization continued long after his playing career, and his genuine personality and great sense of humor will be greatly missed by all who knew him,” the team said in a statement.

Atkinson played 144 games during his career, spending 10 seasons with the Oakland Raiders and his final season with the Denver Broncos. He played in seven AFL or AFC Championship games and helped the Raiders win the Super Bowl following the 1976 season.

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His 33 career interceptions in the regular season and playoffs rank fourth in Raiders history, but he is best known for his physical play.

“Football is a collision sport,” Atkinson told the San Jose Mercury News in a 2016 interview. “If you don't have a certain mentality, you'll be out of the game.”

In this interview, Atkinson said he was experiencing symptoms consistent with CTE.

Atkinson joined the Raiders after being selected in the seventh round of the 1968 draft. He was part of a star-studded draft team that included Hall of Famers Ken Stabler and Art Shell, as well as running backs Marv Hubbard and Charlie Smith, who helped the team become one of the league's best in the 1970s.

“We've been part of the core of the Raiders since this draft,” Atkinson once told the team's website. “We wore the silver and black with pride. We understood what the tradition was and what we had to live up to.”

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Atkinson was instrumental in that almost from the start, scoring on an 86-yard punt return in his professional debut. In his first two seasons, he made the AFL Pro Bowl for his play as a returner and defensive back, and later became part of the most formidable defensive duo in the NFL after Jack Tatum was selected in the first round of the 1971 draft.

In an era when receivers had little protection when crossing the middle, Atkinson and Tatum severely punished anyone who tried.

“We never go out on the field with the intention of hurting anyone, but we do go out with the intention of getting the job done,” Atkinson said at the time. “If you don't want to get hit, you better not come to our game on Sunday. I guarantee you will get hit.”

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Atkinson's most famous hits came against Pittsburgh and Hall of Fame receiver Lynn Swann. He knocked him out in the 1975 AFC Championship game and then again in the 1976 season opener with a forearm to the back of the head during a play when Swann didn't even get the ball.

“It might be a little outside the rules, but it was George's way of setting the tone for the game,” Stabler later told NFL Films.

The second hit on Swann led Pittsburgh coach Chuck Noll to call Atkinson part of the NFL's “criminal element.” Atkinson sued Noll for libel, but lost the case.

Atkinson's twin sons, George III and Josh, both played football at Notre Dame, and George Atkinson III had a short career in the NFL, including a stint with the Raiders. Josh committed suicide in 2018, and George III committed suicide in 2019.

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