George Atkinson (safety)
Atkinson in promotional image for Raiders in 1969 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 43, 47 | |||||||||||||||
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| Positions | Safety Return specialist | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | January 4, 1947 Savannah, Georgia, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Died | October 27, 2025 (aged 78) Georgia, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed 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 | |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
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| Career AFL/NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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George Henry Atkinson II (January 4, 1947 – October 27, 2025) was an American professional football player who was a safety and return specialist for the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) from 1968 to 1977. He played college football for the Morris Brown Wolverines and was selected by the Raiders in the seventh round (190th overall) of the 1968 NFL/AFL draft. He played ten seasons with the Raiders where he was known as a crucial part of the "Soul Patrol" defense of the 1970s. After his career he served as a radio and television broadcaster of the team.