As a Kansas City fan I have to admit that despite being a dirty and despicable ball club (something Tatum and Atkinson would embrace lol), they were a great team. The Raiders and Chiefs rivalry will always be one of the best in sports.
Metal sharpens metal as they say. Can't have great Raider teams without great Chief's teams and vice versa. "A tribe's greatness is figured on how mighty its enemies be."
The Raiders and Steelers was a great rivalry also.I will never 4get "the catch" by Franco Harris when I was a kid.I don't watch it anymore cause the game has changed and not 4 the best.Only care about $ now.
Atkinson is the epitome of a dual personality. I have never heard a bad thing about the dude from anyone that met him. But on the football field he was certifiably insane.
Atkinson is definitely a traitor to the #B1 Community a reject from the traitorous Civil Rights crowd www.youtube.com/@MrTariqNasheed He claims he's hard he ain't seen hard , try over 500 years of systemic antebellum anti-black slavery/racism
This is the pure shit. Thanks for this. Soul Patrol 1.0 was one of the primary reasons I became a Raiders fan as a kid. Then when I read They Call Me Assassin, Tatum just cemented Atkinson's place as one of the toughest to play SS in NFL history.
👍, That 'kiss ass' All Madden documentary --should have had Maddens words/statement from this clip ----that F'n whole documentary shunned our History and Legacy...and I did my 5th grade Book Report verbally on that book! (They Call Me Assassin)🤣...aint shitin.
Tatum played dirty and tried to hurt players. He should have been arrested for assault in Pittsburgh in '75. It's disgusting what the league let him get away with. The league and Pete Rozelle share the b1ame with Tatum for the Stingley injury. I played, not to the level these pros played too, and I cou1d hit, but I never was dirty.
Just finished reading "BADASSESS", the story of John Madden's Raiders". Fantastic behind-the-scenes stories about all of the position groups on the team. Phenomenal details on Tatum, Snake, Freddy, Atkinson, Mad Stork, Foo, Al Davis, Madden, Upshaw, Banaszak, Branch, Casper, Sistrunk, Ray Guy, etc.
@@paulmicheldenverco1 They were playing by the rules in force at the time. The Stingley hit was nothing exceptional, in fact one of the Assassins lighter love taps. It had more to do with Stingley being off his feet and the angle of the hit. The Raiders drafted Tatum to do one thing, knock the taste out of people's mouths. Completely legal by the rules of the day. I take you prefer the modern flag football instead of the real deal.
This is why even after years of ineptitude I remain loyal. The Raiders had the most feared defense of all time. Hopefully they will one day rediscover that spirit! Go Raiders!!!!
@@davidlawson4281 you are obviously a hater or you aren't familiar with the history of Raider football. All the hating in the world doesn't negate the well known fact that the Raiders boasts some of the most intimidating defenses of all time.
@@raiderx4148Intimidating does not equal effectiveness. I grew up in KC, and actually saw the first Super Bowl, in which the Chiefs participated. Intimidation does not lend itself to good sportsmanship, and the 70 and 80’s were not good sportsmen.
@@davidlawson4281 is 3 super bowl victories effective enough for you genius? So obviously the defense was as effective as it was intimidating. My comments have nothing to do with sportsmanship. It appears you can't dispute their effectiveness so you complain about how dirty they were. Coach Madden addresses your complaint in the video. I rest my case Sportsman Dave!
I'm a Falcons fan only because I'm from Atlanta but I've always loved the Raiders and loved how their organization was respected and feared during the days. It makes me proud to say that watching Mr. ATKINSON (who is a proud graduate of Morris Brown in Atlanta GA & GA Native) i tried to play just like him when I played high school and semi pro football. Learned how to play safety because of him
That 'kiss ass' All Madden documentary --should have had Maddens words/statement from this clip ----that F'n whole documentary shunned our History and Legacy.
George and Jack Tatum were both absolute gentlemen, in every respect, off of the field, but when the gear went on, so did that switch. The last thing their opponents ever wanted to do, was talk shit or piss them off. Soul Patrol Forever, RIP WB, AT & JT!
Growing up in the Kansas City area I remember when Lamar Hunt moved the Texans to KC and formed the AFL the Raiders were one of original AFL teams, the Chiefs and Raiders hated each other then, and still do, those games were always brutal.
👍❤, Call me out on my BS Pedastal ---but I bet and believe they were in the Stram late 60s era to early 70s era only....for I did not really see it after that (KC did not rebound till early 80s....and 🤣, I remember that game of when Alzado went back after that KC Guard after the player and suckered punch his stomach.
@@frankiegray4569 👍, folks today and bandwagon NFL millennials dont know that History....😆I just saw YT clip of the Raider/Seahawk game and the first 6 minutes is what you just mentioned but expanded on by Enberg and Olsen....'lil bitch' Goodell and BS CTE soccer moms will have none of that. Such Hypocrisy.
Don Maynard got deep on George for about a 50 yard gain in the '68 title game against the Jets, to set up the winning TD pass from Joe Namath, which he also caught.
I'm a Cowboys and Oilers fan , but back in the day when the Raiders would play ..... Man. It was like everyone coming over years later to watch a Tyson fight. We knew it was gonna be ugly and hilarious to watch at the same time. I sure do miss those days. God Bless John Madden.
Atkinson, Tatum and the rest of the Raiders played the kind of football that you"ll never see in todays game..Hard hitting and relentless..thats the way it was meant to be played
@@PabloMartinez-gt9yw Raiders are very disliked in the NFL...the league never liked Al Davis for a variety of reasons which i wont go into...Tatum and Atkinson were great players in my humble opinion..BUT..many viewed them as a criminal element in football according to Steeler coach Chuck Noll...the Darrel Stingley incident also fueled the fire against the "bad boys of the NFL"
@@krustymadrid4953 Atkinson was actually subpoenaed to appear in court on an assault charge brought by Steeler coach Chuck Noll...the judge threw the case out of court...so there is ur Krusty answer.
The problem with All Pro voting for safties back in the day was they ALWAYS gave it to the two guys who had the most interceptions each year. Often, these two guys were "center-fielder" types who hung back in a deep zone and rarely came up to play the run or bring the wood on hard hits on RBs & WRs. Jack Tatum rocked the entire NFL and changed the sport (which is "supposed to be" the criteria for entrance into the HOF). Every WR & TE in the NFL feared going across the middle and getting CLOCKED by Tatum. It is a Total Joke that soft players were voted First Team All Pro ahead of Tatum solely based on interceptions (Tony Green, Bill Bradley, Tommy Casanova, Dave Elmendorf, Lyle Blackwood, and many others). I saw all those guys play and NONE of them had a slice of Tatum's talent ... and none of them were feared or had a lasting impact on the NFL and in the memory of fans.
I don't know about Atkinson, but Darryl Stingley is the reason why Tatum will never be in the HoF. He had the credentials and although it was unintentional he never showed any remorse towards Stingley. Helluva player though.
An excellent piece on George Atkinson, probably the best video on him in history. Well done! Very well done. And finally (finally!!) at 02:40 there is the footage of George smashing through the face mask of massive tight end Russ Francis and breaking his nose, early in the 1st quarter of the infamous playoff game between the Raiders and Patriots on Saturday December 18, 1976 in Oakland. I have been looking for that footage for over a decade but could never find it anywhere. Fantastic.
Yeah I have no idea why NFL films kind of hid that hit. After I made the video I found a clip of George coming up to him after the game and putting his arm over his shoulder as they walked off the field I assume saying he didn't mean to hurt him like that. And I read their interviews after and Russ said he would more or less take care of Atkinson and then Atkinson more less said he would take care of Russ and then Russ said George wasn't cheap and was a tough football player. So I gathered from that Atkinson must have been just terrifying to have people backpedaling their comments in the press like that.
Loved watching the raiders then….and football…Atkinson and Tatum. Hardest hitting tandem ever….second best plank and fencik….man football was fun to watch back then
I absolutely love seeing George hammer Franco Harris. Harris was probably the most overrated RB in NFL history. Anytime anyone came close to tackling him, he’d duck out of bounds. He could have probably had another 2500 or 3000 yards if he would have lowered his shoulder. And also thanks for talking about the lawsuit. I never knew this ever existed.
Maybe, but he could have also had 2500-3000 fewer yards once the injuries started to stack up. Earl Campbell never avoided contact and he has the career totals to prove it. Don't get me wrong, I loved the way the game was played in those days, and always favored the backs who delivered blows. Sweetness was one of the few who could dish it out AND rack up huge career numbers. With his size though, you'd have thought Franco would have been a little more hard nosed.
The Oakland Raiders were one team you did not want to mess with. That team and their Fans i have a Great Deal of Respect for. In 1993 I was luck enough to watch LA vs. Houston at The Coliseum with a Good Friend of Mine. It Was a Blast.
Great video tribute, and I like how you describe him as a "rattlesnake", because he could put the fear into those much bigger than himself. I also like how he viewed the game, as "a receiver being a burglar, breaking into his house. So if you catch a bugler breaking into your house, he pays the consequences". Or "from the opening bell to the closing bell you are going to get hit. You are going to get hit hard and you are going to get hit consistently". "It is not a contact sport, it is a collision sport". He was a poet pirate.
elliott smith Been a Raider fan for a little over 60 years! The Raiders of the 70's (especially the defense) were my idols. Football the way it SHOULD be played..."the Assassin", Lester "the Molester" Hayes (that probably offends some snowflake somewhere, Skip "Dr. Death" Thomas and George Atkinson embodied Raider defensive football! Especial THANKS to Coach Madden for allowing them to take it to 'em. I refuse to call them the Las Vegas Raiders...they will always be either "the Raiders" or the Oakland Raiders to me!
I thank God I grew up in an era when football was played the way it was. They've tied the hands of lineman hitting the quarterback, and have now tied the hands of defensive backs hitting receivers.
Players from that generation were crazy ass motherfuckers the way the threw their bodies around like they did. Those guys deserved to be paid like today’s players that’s for sure.
the soul patrol the most feared backfield ever not even close. great vid man. been watching some of the old stuff. was lucky to be old enough to see them play. keep doing clips of George, jack, and toz lyle be awesome. even further ben davidson, Boomer brown
I'm so glad have been a raider fan since 1968 and sold malts and sodas at the coliseum, while living five blocks away and having true earlier years signed memorabilia.... I saw a lot of these games personally year after year.... Generation Blanda, Lamonica, Stabler and Plunket alumni... John Madden, speaks for himself.. Carr...Hmmmm!
My grandpa was a WW2 vet, followed the Raiders since their formation in 1960 until he passed in 1990. My dad said he loved the Raiders and how they would just beat the shit out of everyone RN4L
I want to preface this by saying, I'm a Broncos fan and can't stand anything raiders...I think George Atkinson and Jack Tatum are awesome and perfectly representive of the Raiders organization.
As a Viking fan, I always remember that cheap shot on Sammy White. Don't remember if it was a penalty or not. Like the other guys said though, a lot of that stuff was legal back in the 70's. I imagine Jack Lambert must have done similar stuff to Raider receivers.
I think that hit was made by Jack Tatum. In those years I was a Vikings fan too. My hunch is the Raiders and Steelers were two teams that juiced in the 1970s. Their players were so much bigger than most other players in the NFL.
I loved watching Atkinson play, I patterned the way I played just like him. As I can up to make a hit I would yell out "George Atkinson " his cloth line hits were notorious! I still view him as the best safety.
This is the football I grew up on, my introduction to football. This is the true definition of a headhunter, dude did every penalty in the book that is illegal now and a few illegal then: horse collar, leading with helmet, late hits, hits waaaaaay out of bounds, unnecessary roughness, facemasks, defenseless receivers, helmet to helmet, .....
When I was young I thought it was so cool to watch old clips of Jack Tatum and George Atkinson...But rewatching them now, they were really just dirty players.. I get the game was alot more physical back then, but this man was straight up taking cheap shots on guys who weren't even looking 😂
Yes, that was the beauty of the Raiders, we came to win, we were proud to be cut throats, intimidators, villains and bullies. We weren’t the only ones, but we were good at being the “Sonny Listons” of football. If we don’t win the game, we gon win the fight! Jack Tatum is my favorite football player and George is in my top 5. Before this footage, I don’t think I can remember George tackling anybody, I remember those neckties though! Them cats were not playing, if they a told a cat not to come over je middle, or don’t catch nothing period, because you know they would be talking shit, that’s what the hell they meant. But yeah, they were dirty. Reflects where they played.
@@24quorthonschuldiner62 Why do you keep insulting me for lol. It's a difference of opinion, I respect them but they played dirty. You disagree with that and that's fine.
George lived up the street on Oak Hill Road, in the house of an old friend from elementary school. I used to play tennis and basketball with his son, Craig.
very good player Atkinson was. I dont think he was that dirty though. Remember the close line or hook Was LEGAL back then. The only real dirty thing he did was break Russ Francis's nose. Other than that i dont think he was that dirty. And look at Mel Blount picking up and pile driving Cliff branch head first into the turf. That was much more dirty
If being a dirty player is called talented, then George Atkinson was quite talented. I enjoyed watching Atkinson and Tatum work but I didn't know it at the time because I was a Steelers fan and hated the Riaders. Every time I watch today's NFL I feel like I lost a friend.
Of course they wouldn't. I'm not really from 70s era but 80s but as we enter the 2023-24 NFL season, no one woukdnt stand a chance in 70s era. As much as i love NFL and been watching it every year since 80s, it's hard to watch it now or past 10 years because it's so soft. Same applies to NBA. Athletes back then we're built with a gladiator heart. Iron mind
Cliff was Baddass!, says this Raider fan. The 77' SB should had been against the Raiders (instead of Broncos)...Manster vs Uphaw, Martin vs Shell, Casper vs Hollywood etc etc
If I were going to go with an All Star Defensive backfield it would be Atkinson and Tatum for Safeties and Hayes and Haynes as corners with either Willie Brown or Charles Woodson as the 5th DB.
I’m a Steeler fan but grew up a Raider fan too because of the way this Raiders team played.
I'm the opposite, a Raiders fan who became a Steelers fan. The game of the immaculate reception made it so.
Raider fan who used to root for the Steelers in the Super Bowl.
I love the old narrator. "The autumn winds tremble and shake..." the nfl needs to bring back poetry.
Ok, John Facenda really was the goat of highlight reels!
Who??
@@JaymelHall the guy narrating during the highlights,
Atkinson, Tatum, Willie Brown and Skip Thomas Were True MEN! A Man’s Man!
For sure! The hitman,the assassin, old man Willie and doctor death. That was a bad backfield!
@@prowellerable BADASS BACKFIELD!!!!!!!!
Their techniques of the 1970s is now TABOO under today's NFL rules as grounds for disqualification and possible suspension
Yes...and today's game stinks....matt
Soul Patrol!
As a Kansas City fan I have to admit that despite being a dirty and despicable ball club (something Tatum and Atkinson would embrace lol), they were a great team. The Raiders and Chiefs rivalry will always be one of the best in sports.
Metal sharpens metal as they say. Can't have great Raider teams without great Chief's teams and vice versa. "A tribe's greatness is figured on how mighty its enemies be."
The Raiders and Steelers was a great rivalry also.I will never 4get "the catch" by Franco Harris when I was a kid.I don't watch it anymore cause the game has changed and not 4 the best.Only care about $ now.
The Raiders Organization Is The Greatest In American Team Sports History!
🤣🤣🤣 They aren't even in the top 10.
Pound for pound Jim Otto is the greatest center of all time!
AND MIKE WEBSTER
@@charleslee1644 Otto 1 and Webster 2
THE U!!!!
Atkinson is the epitome of a dual personality. I have never heard a bad thing about the dude from anyone that met him. But on the football field he was certifiably insane.
Looked like a football player to me genius. Be for real!
George Atkinson the Sambo Bootlick getting buttered biscuit crumbs from Massa's table www.youtube.com/@PhillipScottPodcast
Atkinson is definitely a traitor to the #B1 Community a reject from the traitorous Civil Rights crowd www.youtube.com/@MrTariqNasheed He claims he's hard he ain't seen hard , try over 500 years of systemic antebellum anti-black slavery/racism
This is the pure shit. Thanks for this. Soul Patrol 1.0 was one of the primary reasons I became a Raiders fan as a kid. Then when I read They Call Me Assassin, Tatum just cemented Atkinson's place as one of the toughest to play SS in NFL history.
👍, That 'kiss ass' All Madden documentary --should have had Maddens words/statement from this clip ----that F'n whole documentary shunned our History and Legacy...and I did my 5th grade Book Report verbally on that book! (They Call Me Assassin)🤣...aint shitin.
Read that book!!!!!!!!! RN4L
Tatum played dirty and tried to hurt players. He should have been arrested for assault in Pittsburgh in '75. It's disgusting what the league let him get away with. The league and Pete Rozelle share the b1ame with Tatum for the Stingley injury. I played, not to the level these pros played too, and I cou1d hit, but I never was dirty.
Just finished reading "BADASSESS", the story of John Madden's Raiders". Fantastic behind-the-scenes stories about all of the position groups on the team. Phenomenal details on Tatum, Snake, Freddy, Atkinson, Mad Stork, Foo, Al Davis, Madden, Upshaw, Banaszak, Branch, Casper, Sistrunk, Ray Guy, etc.
@@paulmicheldenverco1 They were playing by the rules in force at the time. The Stingley hit was nothing exceptional, in fact one of the Assassins lighter love taps. It had more to do with Stingley being off his feet and the angle of the hit. The Raiders drafted Tatum to do one thing, knock the taste out of people's mouths. Completely legal by the rules of the day. I take you prefer the modern flag football instead of the real deal.
Now I finally get why the 70's -80's were so rough growing up! "Yea were dirty! Yep! What are you gonna do about it?"
Put them in prison along wit the other 20 year old males
This is why even after years of ineptitude I remain loyal. The Raiders had the most feared defense of all time. Hopefully they will one day rediscover that spirit! Go Raiders!!!!
Crosby is a true Raider
I suppose they may have been feared, because their back alley tactics, but not even nearly the most effective.
@@davidlawson4281 you are obviously a hater or you aren't familiar with the history of Raider football. All the hating in the world doesn't negate the well known fact that the Raiders boasts some of the most intimidating defenses of all time.
@@raiderx4148Intimidating does not equal effectiveness. I grew up in KC, and actually saw the first Super Bowl, in which the Chiefs participated. Intimidation does not lend itself to good sportsmanship, and the 70 and 80’s were not good sportsmen.
@@davidlawson4281 is 3 super bowl victories effective enough for you genius? So obviously the defense was as effective as it was intimidating. My comments have nothing to do with sportsmanship. It appears you can't dispute their effectiveness so you complain about how dirty they were. Coach Madden addresses your complaint in the video. I rest my case Sportsman Dave!
This why the raiders are the best in my opinion their uniforms, the players, and their history for being the scariest team in football they the best
I'm a Falcons fan only because I'm from Atlanta but I've always loved the Raiders and loved how their organization was respected and feared during the days. It makes me proud to say that watching Mr. ATKINSON (who is a proud graduate of Morris Brown in Atlanta GA & GA Native) i tried to play just like him when I played high school and semi pro football. Learned how to play safety because of him
That 'kiss ass' All Madden documentary --should have had Maddens words/statement from this clip ----that F'n whole documentary shunned our History and Legacy.
Six Stee1er rings and six more Patriot rings wou1d dispute your c1aim.
@@skytime9so you were a cheap shot arrist then aka dirty player
If George Atkinson is not in the HOF - then it’s a crying shame!
Atkinson and Tatum were like 2 guided missiles!
I absolutely LOVED what Jim Otto said about Lynn Swann “This Is a MAN’S GAME” “ONLY FOR MEN!
These are the teams i grew up with
Soul Patrol was undoubtedly the greatest defensive backfield in the history of the game….so lucky that I got to witness this greatness 1st hand!!
MD too brother
I agree with you,... except for possibly Hayes and Haynes a decade later...?
I’m jealous
Hayes and Haynes arguably the best cornerback tandem ever.
George and Jack Tatum were both absolute gentlemen, in every respect, off of the field, but when the gear went on, so did that switch. The last thing their opponents ever wanted to do, was talk shit or piss them off. Soul Patrol Forever, RIP WB, AT & JT!
Growing up in the Kansas City area I remember when Lamar Hunt moved the Texans to KC and formed the AFL the Raiders were one of original AFL teams, the Chiefs and Raiders hated each other then, and still do, those games were always brutal.
👍❤, Call me out on my BS Pedastal ---but I bet and believe they were in the Stram late 60s era to early 70s era only....for I did not really see it after that (KC did not rebound till early 80s....and 🤣, I remember that game of when Alzado went back after that KC Guard after the player and suckered punch his stomach.
Curt Gowdy used to say when the Raiders and Chiefs played, it was always a "blood bath" lol
@@frankiegray4569 👍, folks today and bandwagon NFL millennials dont know that History....😆I just saw YT clip of the Raider/Seahawk game and the first 6 minutes is what you just mentioned but expanded on by Enberg and Olsen....'lil bitch' Goodell and BS CTE soccer moms will have none of that. Such Hypocrisy.
The Raiders drafted Art Shell for one purpose...to block KC's Big Cat Ernie Ladd.
Good old days I miss them so much great football and video
Don Maynard got deep on George for about a 50 yard gain in the '68 title game against the Jets, to set up the winning TD pass from Joe Namath, which he also caught.
The great days of Football!! The Raiders lived by the commitment to excellence motto back than!!
I'm a Cowboys and Oilers fan , but back in the day when the Raiders would play ..... Man. It was like everyone coming over years later to watch a Tyson fight. We knew it was gonna be ugly and hilarious to watch at the same time. I sure do miss those days. God Bless John Madden.
Atkinson, Tatum and the rest of the Raiders played the kind of football that you"ll never see in todays game..Hard hitting and relentless..thats the way it was meant to be played
Yep, ----and now you have those 'F'n soccer moms against Football'
NFL WHAT'S GOING ON WHY THIS PLAYERS ARE NOT IN THE HALL OF FAME WHAT A DISGRACE
@@PabloMartinez-gt9yw Raiders are very disliked in the NFL...the league never liked Al Davis for a variety of reasons which i wont go into...Tatum and Atkinson were great players in my humble opinion..BUT..many viewed them as a criminal element in football according to Steeler coach Chuck Noll...the Darrel Stingley incident also fueled the fire against the "bad boys of the NFL"
@@frankiegray4569 Atkinson was a criminal and karma was a bitch to him
@@krustymadrid4953 Atkinson was actually subpoenaed to appear in court on an assault charge brought by Steeler coach Chuck Noll...the judge threw the case out of court...so there is ur Krusty answer.
I was always a Steelers and Raiders fan, Loved John Madden as Coach and later, the No 1 Sports Broadcaster.
miss this kind football
George Atkinson "The Hitman" and Jack Tatum "The Assassin"! No wonder teams didn't like to pass on them!
Atkinson and Tatum are too good for the NFL Hall of fame!!!!
The problem with All Pro voting for safties back in the day was they ALWAYS gave it to the two guys who had the most interceptions each year. Often, these two guys were "center-fielder" types who hung back in a deep zone and rarely came up to play the run or bring the wood on hard hits on RBs & WRs.
Jack Tatum rocked the entire NFL and changed the sport (which is "supposed to be" the criteria for entrance into the HOF). Every WR & TE in the NFL feared going across the middle and getting CLOCKED by Tatum.
It is a Total Joke that soft players were voted First Team All Pro ahead of Tatum solely based on interceptions (Tony Green, Bill Bradley, Tommy Casanova, Dave Elmendorf, Lyle Blackwood, and many others). I saw all those guys play and NONE of them had a slice of Tatum's talent ... and none of them were feared or had a lasting impact on the NFL and in the memory of fans.
@@earlmonroe9251 to this day i have never seen a harder hitter in NFL history than Tatum
@@JIM87ificationexactly he’s from North Carolina he knows hard work
I don't know about Atkinson, but Darryl Stingley is the reason why Tatum will never be in the HoF. He had the credentials and although it was unintentional he never showed any remorse towards Stingley. Helluva player though.
An excellent piece on George Atkinson, probably the best video on him in history. Well done! Very well done. And finally (finally!!) at 02:40 there is the footage of George smashing through the face mask of massive tight end Russ Francis and breaking his nose, early in the 1st quarter of the infamous playoff game between the Raiders and Patriots on Saturday December 18, 1976 in Oakland. I have been looking for that footage for over a decade but could never find it anywhere. Fantastic.
Yeah I have no idea why NFL films kind of hid that hit. After I made the video I found a clip of George coming up to him after the game and putting his arm over his shoulder as they walked off the field I assume saying he didn't mean to hurt him like that.
And I read their interviews after and Russ said he would more or less take care of Atkinson and then Atkinson more less said he would take care of Russ and then Russ said George wasn't cheap and was a tough football player. So I gathered from that Atkinson must have been just terrifying to have people backpedaling their comments in the press like that.
Loved watching the raiders then….and football…Atkinson and Tatum. Hardest hitting tandem ever….second best plank and fencik….man football was fun to watch back then
Also Mel Blount, Donnie Shell, and Glen Edwards ! 👍🏈
DAMN THAT'S REAL HONEST TO GOD FOOTBALL.
Those Raider / Steeler Gmes Were Brutal
Thank you George. One of the best of all time! Was an honor to see you out on that field back in the day!!! (when football was actually "Football").
I absolutely love seeing George hammer Franco Harris. Harris was probably the most overrated RB in NFL history. Anytime anyone came close to tackling him, he’d duck out of bounds. He could have probably had another 2500 or 3000 yards if he would have lowered his shoulder. And also thanks for talking about the lawsuit. I never knew this ever existed.
Yep on Franco.
Maybe, but he could have also had 2500-3000 fewer yards once the injuries started to stack up. Earl Campbell never avoided contact and he has the career totals to prove it. Don't get me wrong, I loved the way the game was played in those days, and always favored the backs who delivered blows. Sweetness was one of the few who could dish it out AND rack up huge career numbers. With his size though, you'd have thought Franco would have been a little more hard nosed.
When Football Was Truly Football!
Raiders and Dolphins my favorite teams as boy. Early 70's to early 80's ...So many great players and coaches
The Oakland Raiders were one team you did not want to mess with. That team and their Fans i have a Great Deal of Respect for.
In 1993 I was luck enough to watch LA vs. Houston at The Coliseum with a Good Friend of Mine.
It Was a Blast.
Great video tribute, and I like how you describe him as a "rattlesnake", because he could put the fear into those much bigger than himself. I also like how he viewed the game, as "a receiver being a burglar, breaking into his house. So if you catch a bugler breaking into your house, he pays the consequences".
Or "from the opening bell to the closing bell you are going to get hit. You are going to get hit hard and you are going to get hit consistently". "It is not a contact sport, it is a collision sport".
He was a poet pirate.
Jack Tatum was Ginguies Khan in a Raider Uniform.
As a big Raiders fan from the 1970's,Atkinson was 1 bad ass dude along with Jack Tatum and co.That secondary was about good as it gets.
I have no words for this video but damn 😮
Boy I want to see our RAIDERS play with that PASSION AGAIN I WAS LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO SEE IT
elliott smith
Been a Raider fan for a little over 60 years! The Raiders of the 70's (especially the defense) were my idols. Football the way it SHOULD be played..."the Assassin", Lester "the Molester" Hayes (that probably offends some snowflake somewhere, Skip "Dr. Death" Thomas and George Atkinson embodied Raider defensive football! Especial THANKS to Coach Madden for allowing them to take it to 'em. I refuse to call them the Las Vegas Raiders...they will always be either "the Raiders" or the Oakland Raiders to me!
It took two decades of rule changes to stop the Raiders from winning. There will never be another defense like this.
What a mega beast! And that is meant as a compliment. Dynamite comes in small packages.
Wooooo RAIDERS FROM VEGAS NEED C THESE OLDSCHOOL FILMS THIS RAIDERS ITS ALL ABOUT HEART ! BEENING HEART ! !!!!
I thank God I grew up in an era when football was played the way it was. They've tied the hands of lineman hitting the quarterback, and have now tied the hands of defensive backs hitting receivers.
Yup, haven't watched in decades. Every year they would come up with more bullshit rules. Just ruined the game.
More like flag football these days.
Great post, great NFL Films music selection and Damn good secondary!
Football was so awesome in those days that the 1970's was called the super 70's
Met George and Rod Martin in nyc two years ago and they were awesome to talk to and hang out with in a Raider bar in Manhattan before the giants game
Lynn Swann: SOFT!!!
I Absolutely LOVE Watching and Rewatching those Classic Raiders Hard Hitting Days!!!!
Swann is laughing in his hall of fame jacket and four SB rings, plus a SB MVP. You have to be a moron which Atkinson is to think otherwise
@@Biggdoom344 Swann was soft and overrated.
@@bryanmiller6110 Soft because he didn't like getting punched in the face by another player while he wasn't even looking lol
@@emmanuelmoses7249
Atkinson gave Swann a forearm shiver and down he went like a sack of potatoes.
Swann took ballet and Atkinson tried to take his damn head off! One belongs on Broadway and one belongs in a Coliseum...tell me I'm wrong...
Players from that generation were crazy ass motherfuckers the way the threw their bodies around like they did. Those guys deserved to be paid like today’s players that’s for sure.
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gracias disfruto mucho ver estos legendarios jugadores que forjaron el camino al estilo de los raiders
Glad you liked it. He definitely helped mold the Raider attitude
the soul patrol the most feared backfield ever not even close. great vid man. been watching some of the old stuff. was lucky to be old enough to see them play. keep doing clips of George, jack, and toz lyle be awesome. even further ben davidson, Boomer brown
That close line is crazy
My Team, forever and always.
John madden saying yeah we’re dirty what y’all going to about is a legendary
1000%
Commitment to excellence that's the raiders then and now.
I'm so glad have been a raider fan since 1968 and sold malts and sodas at the coliseum, while living five blocks away and having true earlier years signed memorabilia....
I saw a lot of these games personally year after year....
Generation Blanda, Lamonica, Stabler and Plunket alumni...
John Madden, speaks for himself..
Carr...Hmmmm!
My grandpa was a WW2 vet, followed the Raiders since their formation in 1960 until he passed in 1990. My dad said he loved the Raiders and how they would just beat the shit out of everyone RN4L
My grampa was a WW2 vet too. Not a Raider fan (liked rodeo's not football) but they def don't make them like that anymore.
@@UncleJakesRaidersVideos that's the truth
I love those old Oakland Raiders games they were a dirty team!
Every great story needs a villain
ahh yes. when the raiders were truly feared. those were the days.
That’s when the Raiders were the Raiders them days are long gone
I love the music
I thought i even saw "the stork" in on one of the tackles. GREAT STUFF.
I want to preface this by saying, I'm a Broncos fan and can't stand anything raiders...I think George Atkinson and Jack Tatum are awesome and perfectly representive of the Raiders organization.
I saw alot of YAC unless they were 'Clotheslined"! Great video!
As a Viking fan, I always remember that cheap shot on Sammy White. Don't remember if it was a penalty or not. Like the other guys said though, a lot of that stuff was legal back in the 70's. I imagine Jack Lambert must have done similar stuff to Raider receivers.
I think that hit was made by Jack Tatum. In those years I was a Vikings fan too. My hunch is the Raiders and Steelers were two teams that juiced in the 1970s. Their players were so much bigger than most other players in the NFL.
@@mandolindleyroadshow706the Cowboys Raiders Vikings Broncos and Steelers those were the teams of the 70s
It's a shame football is such a easy mild game compared to back in the day. Lol yeah, we dirty, what are going to do about it? Legendary!
George is fuckin bad ass!
i literally saw you comment on a video then got recommended your vid lol nice vid tho
The likes of Joe Green and lambert probably thought swann was being soft but they wouldn't say that to a team mate
I miss the days of the old raiders. Real football
George Atkinson is a Raider.
I wonder why Atkinson didn’t end up on tv. Seems charismatic and knowledgeable
Actually, he’s analyst locally, on the Raiders channels and local network, I guess he’s probably in Vegas now.
He should be in the HOF
I loved watching Atkinson play, I patterned the way I played just like him. As I can up to make a hit I would yell out "George Atkinson " his cloth line hits were notorious! I still view him as the best safety.
The hit on Lynn Swann was retaliation for what the Steelers did to Cliff Branch
This is the football I grew up on, my introduction to football. This is the true definition of a headhunter, dude did every penalty in the book that is illegal now and a few illegal then: horse collar, leading with helmet, late hits, hits waaaaaay out of bounds, unnecessary roughness, facemasks, defenseless receivers, helmet to helmet, .....
When I was young I thought it was so cool to watch old clips of Jack Tatum and George Atkinson...But rewatching them now, they were really just dirty players..
I get the game was alot more physical back then, but this man was straight up taking cheap shots on guys who weren't even looking 😂
Okay wimp go watch tennis or something, football is for tough men period...
@@24quorthonschuldiner62 True but you can be tough without taking blatant cheap shots though, no?
Yes, that was the beauty of the Raiders, we came to win, we were proud to be cut throats, intimidators, villains and bullies. We weren’t the only ones, but we were good at being the “Sonny Listons” of football. If we don’t win the game, we gon win the fight! Jack Tatum is my favorite football player and George is in my top 5. Before this footage, I don’t think I can remember George tackling anybody, I remember those neckties though! Them cats were not playing, if they a told a cat not to come over je middle, or don’t catch nothing period, because you know they would be talking shit, that’s what the hell they meant. But yeah, they were dirty. Reflects where they played.
@@emmanuelmoses7249 Sounds like you're a soft little old lady bruh
@@24quorthonschuldiner62 Why do you keep insulting me for lol. It's a difference of opinion, I respect them but they played dirty. You disagree with that and that's fine.
At 7:05, that hit on Swann I called.it the Rail.Splitter...of.course it would get Atkinson thrown out of any game in a minute today for targeting
George lived up the street on Oak Hill Road, in the house of an old friend from elementary school. I used to play tennis and basketball with his son, Craig.
George Atkinson was great
Dirty player? Not! He was just damn good! Great player!
This was football
He should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Should be in police reports
He should be in jail not the HOF. He was a dirty cheap shot artist plane and simple.
@@randyhopper1815 Hey Randy......STHU.
very good player. But i dont think HOF. HOF is for great, great players.
@@JIM87ification I'm a Raiders fan, so I guess I'm a little bit bias.
My favorite team.growing up
very good player Atkinson was. I dont think he was that dirty though. Remember the close line or hook Was LEGAL back then. The only real dirty thing he did was break Russ Francis's nose. Other than that i dont think he was that dirty. And look at Mel Blount picking up and pile driving Cliff branch head first into the turf. That was much more dirty
He was dirty. Blount was too.
when i played flag football in gym class in the mid 70's
i channeled my 43, 32, and 83 inner self
i was very successful
of course i was a legend in my own mind.
If being a dirty player is called talented, then George Atkinson was quite talented.
I enjoyed watching Atkinson and Tatum work but I didn't know it at the time because I was a Steelers fan and hated the Riaders.
Every time I watch today's NFL I feel like I lost a friend.
Very well put 👍
Those were my Raiders back then.
It's pretty much safe to say that the NFL today wouldn't stand a chance. I was from that era. Back then,, they were gladiators
Of course they wouldn't. I'm not really from 70s era but 80s but as we enter the 2023-24 NFL season, no one woukdnt stand a chance in 70s era. As much as i love NFL and been watching it every year since 80s, it's hard to watch it now or past 10 years because it's so soft. Same applies to NBA. Athletes back then we're built with a gladiator heart. Iron mind
Back when defense was allowed in football.
Jack and George! Killas ... love em to the sun and back REAL RAIDERS ...REAL MEN!
That grip is just crazy
I'm a cowboy fan and the Raiders had Atkinson #43 and the Cowboys had Cliff Crash Harris #43 oh the good ole days of collision football
Cliff was Baddass!, says this Raider fan. The 77' SB should had been against the Raiders (instead of Broncos)...Manster vs Uphaw, Martin vs Shell, Casper vs Hollywood etc etc
@@latkagravas986 yes indeed the 70s stands alone for me
If I were going to go with an All Star Defensive backfield it would be Atkinson and Tatum for Safeties and Hayes and Haynes as corners with either Willie Brown or Charles Woodson as the 5th DB.
My Man!!!!!!!
43 and 32 doesn't get any better.
I'm glad I was cool with his daughter in High School. He would've blasted me 🥶🥶🥶