Former Oakland Raiders safety George Atkinson, who helped the team to five consecutive AFC Championship Games, has died, the team announced. He was 78.
Atkinson’s cause of death was not revealed.
Atkinson was a seventh-round draft pick by the Raiders in 1968. In his first two seasons with the Raiders, then of the AFL, he was named an AFL All-Star as a cornerback and kick returner. He was also the 1968 AFL co-Defensive Player of the Year.
A member of the current Raiders broadcast team, Atkinson helped the Raiders to a 32-14 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.
“George’s contributions as a friend and a 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 Raiders said in a statement.
In 10 seasons with the Raiders (1968-77), Atkinson had 30 interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns, in 138 games (126 starts). After not playing in 1978, he returned in 1979 to play six games for the Denver Broncos.
Atkinson’s son George III played 21 games as a running back in the NFL with the Raiders and Cleveland Browns, gaining 34 total yards on seven carries with a touchdown. George III was ruled to have died by suicide in 2019, while another son Josh died by suicide in 2018.
