Former Oakland Raiders star safety George Atkinson has died, the franchise has announced . He was 78 years old.

Atkinson helped the Raiders win Super Bowl XI to close out the 1976 season. He also was named an AFL All-Star twice in his career.

“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 statement from the Raiders said.

George Atkinson was drafted by the Raiders in the seventh round of the 1968 draft. He played with Oakland from 1968-77, before spending one season with the Denver Broncos.

For his career, Atkinson played in 144 games. He recorded 33 interceptions across regular season and playoff games. In addition to being a ballhawk, he was also known for his physical

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