Raiders legend George Atkinson dead at 78

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George Atkinson, a Super Bowl champion and a member of the Raiders’ "Soul Patrol" secondary in the 1970s, has died, the team announced on Monday. He was 78.

Atkinson played for the Raiders from 1968 to 1977 and had a season with the Denver Broncos before he retired from the NFL. He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection and the 1968 American Football League Defensive Rookie of the Year.

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Former Oakland Raiders player George Atkinson waves after lighting a torch for former Raiders owner Al Davis before an NFL football game between the Oakland Raiders and the Jacksonville Jaguars in Oakland, California, Oct. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, file)

The Raiders’ organization mourned the loss in a statement.

"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," the team said. "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