George Atkinson obit

George Atkinson, who had been final living member of Raiders' 'Soul Patrol,' dies

 He was not on the list.

It's been a rough few days for the Las Vegas Raiders organization. Monday, the team announced that former safety George "The Hitman" Atkinson died. He was 78.

"The Raiders Family is deeply saddened by the passing of George Atkinson, a life-long Raider whose physical style of play helped define an era of football," read a statement from the team. "Selected by the Raiders in the seventh round of the 1968 Draft out of Morris Brown, George burst onto the pro football scene as an exciting defensive back and explosive returner, earning back-to-back AFL All-Star selections in his first two seasons. He later anchored the defense as a part of the famed 'Soul Patrol' secondary of the 1970s, helping lead the Raiders to unprecedented success as the Silver and Black advanced to five consecutive 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 playing career, and his genuine personality and wonderful sense of humor will be dearly missed by everyone who knew him. The prayers of the Raider Nation are with Denise, Brittany, Maya, Angela, Craig, and the entire Atkinson family at this time."

Atkinson, who played in 144 games and intercepted 30 career passes, and Jack "The Assassin" Tatum were one of the most intimidating safety combinations of all time, both widely considered dirty players − even in the 1970s, when player safety wasn't nearly the priority it is in the modern NFL.

Hall of Fame Pittsburgh Steelers coach Chuck Noll was referring to Atkinson, who repeatedly targeted Steelers wideout Lynn Swann with vicious hits (having possession of the ball wasn't a requirement), saying in 1976, "People like that should be kicked out of the game, or out of football.

"There is a certain criminal element in every aspect of society. Apparently, we have it in the NFL, too.'"

Atkinson claimed Noll's comments amounted to "defamation of character," and subsequently filed a $3 million slander and libel lawsuit. The suit went to trial, but the jury sided with Noll, insomuch that he didn't have to pay Atkinson a dime.

Despite questionable forearm shivers, Atkinson was an accomplished player and a key piece of dominant 1970s Oakland Raiders teams coached by John Madden. In addition to Tatum and Atkinson, the "Soul Patrol" included cornerbacks Willie Brown, a Hall of Famer, and Skip Thomas. Atkinson had been the unit's last living member.

The "Soul Patrol" was perhaps at its finest in 1976, when the Raiders went 13-1 in the regular season and won their first championship by embarrassing the Minnesota Vikings 32-14 in Super Bowl 11.

Following his career, Atkinson tried to shine a spotlight on those Raiders squads, feeling the 1970s Steelers, Dolphins and Cowboys all unfairly got more credit. He particularly liked to call the Steelers "soft."

No stranger to tragedy, Atkinson's twin sons, George III and Josh, both died of suicide. Previously, they'd played college football for Notre Dame, George III eventually hooking on briefly with the Raiders and Cleveland Browns.

Atkinson worked as a Raiders broadcaster, doing the pre-game and post-game shows. He also hosted a television program called Behind the Shield. From 2008, Atkinson was a major spokesperson for "The Clothing Broker", a warehouse-style clothing store in Oakland, California. He also appeared regularly on NFL Network "Top 10" shows that involve the Raiders, providing insight and perspective on the many "controversial" calls made against the Oakland Raiders. Some examples are: 1) Perhaps the most controversial call - the Immaculate Reception - Atkinson contended that it was a dead ball because of the "double touch" rule (i.e., a Steelers player came into contact with the football while the pass was in the air), that the football also touched the ground before being scooped up by Steelers' Franco Harris and thus the play should have been ruled as an incomplete pass and because Raiders linebacker, Phil Villapiano, was illegally blocked ("clipped") during Harris's resulting game clinching touchdown run, 2) Atkinson said the Tuck Rule had never been used until it was used against the Raiders in the 2001 AFC divisional playoff game (it actually came into play during an earlier game, also involving the Patriots that same 2001 season) and never used again (the Tuck Rule was abolished on March 20, 2013).

Atkinson's death comes days after Carol Davis, wife of legendary Raiders owner Al Davis (and mother of current owner Mark Davis) died at the age of 93.

 

Personal information

Born    January 4, 1947

Savannah, Georgia, U.S.

Died    October 27, 2025 (aged 78)

Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)

Weight 180 lb (82 kg)

Career information

High school     Sol C. Johnson (Savannah)

College            Morris Brown (1964–1967)

NFL draft        1968: 7th round, 190th overall pick

Career history

Oakland Raiders (1968–1977)

Denver Broncos (1979)

Awards and highlights

Super Bowl champion (XI)

Second-team All-AFL (1969)

2× AFL All-Star (1968, 1969)

AFL co-Defensive Rookie of the Year (1968)

Career AFL/NFL statistics

Interceptions    30

Interception yards       448

Fumble recoveries       13

Defensive touchdowns            4

Return yards    3,140

Return touchdowns     3