Hang in there George Atkinson, you have our love and support................Raider Nation.

It's disheartening to see these football players that I admired as a kid and teenager going through this now.

he just lost both his twin sons within a year period...god bless him i could imagine what that man is going through

George Atkinson was one of the sweetest men I knew, it breaks my heart to know that his health is failing him. I hope he can remember the young woman who drove the blue Mustang from Castro Valley.

In the days he played, the Raiders were an all out war machine with some of the most massive hits in football.

I love it when he goes on the NFL Network Top 10 shows and gives his opinions.

Rip George Atkinson III

I really hate to hear this news. Love or hate him, he's still a human being. He was my all time favorite growing up. I wanted to be just like him every time I stepped onto a field. I loved to watch him play.

George Atkinson & Jack Tatum were too of my favorite players...I patterned the way I played after them... Football is a violent sport & that is what I miss the most about it!!!!

😢 he will always be a Legend !!

Hell. I’m 66 and suffer from loss of memory ! The lights are on and nobody’s home!

Sleep in peace Josh and George Atkins III 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 Peace that surpasses all understanding towards the father George AtkinsII Stay strong 💪🏽 Dec 2019

I just pray he doesn't take his own life as so many other players have. He was a great player. God bless him and his family.

Thank you for sharing your story and bringing to light the disease, CTE, which is caused by repetitive purposeful hits to the head, as enacted in football. Your open discussion about your struggle living with this disease will hopefully prove beneficial in changing the safety standards for brain trauma actions in playing sports. God Bless You - George and Family and Teammates for stepping up and doing the right thing. Peace be with you.

my brain is hurting watching this may god be with these warriors...

Hold on & hang in there Atkinson everything will be ok praying for you and all football players from Pop Warner , High School, College, NFL. I remember playing Pop Warner, High School we had those headache helmets, I had my bell rung plenty of times.

One of the hardest hitters ! Good luck George

I'm a steeler fan and I loved it in the 70's with that rivalry I get chills just think n bout those games between them and my raiders it's the most physical game in the physical era.I tell everyone 2day the rivalry games 2day couldn't match the raiders and steelers and no other game in that era couldn't either. Those 2 safeties the raiders had 32 43 are definitely the most intimidating safeties to ever live hands down not even close but 2me my Steelers had the best defense to ever live. Tatum and Atkinson could really take receivers out of their game with their antics and Tatum once said I will hit my grandmother if she came across me on a field his nickname was the ASSASSIN. To of the 2 Atkinson did all of the dirty hits and I do mean dirty and down right criminal even 4 back in 70's he hit my receiver a couple of times one in Oakland and the other in the steel city. The one in oakland Swaan was running a dummy route the play had nun n 2do with him and Atkinson hit him behind his head with a hook forearm if I can paint the picture for yall and knocking out cold and in Pittsburgh in a playoff game cold as hell about 15 degrees hit him similar with a blow 2 back of the head and Swaan head hit the concrete frozen field and he was knocked out again I was young back then but 32 and 43 was the reason I didnt wanna b a receiver I wanted to intimidate just like Tatum and Atkinson with all that said we had the edge over them in playoff games head 2 head I think we were 3-1 but they had the edge in regular season games against us. For all the fans 2day if u all love that intimidating style of football u had no better example than my beloved steelers and john madden raiders like I said I'm getting goose bumps just think n bout it and hearing NBC broadcaster the late late great Curt Gowdy do n the game

One of the hardest hitting teams in the history of football.

Iam a Ninner fan much love 2 old school Raiders players.

Get well George my favorite one of my favorite Hitman Raider Nation

Football helmets back in those days was nothing more than a plastic shell. I played football in high school. I padded my helmet with foam packing material. It helped.

As much as you realize the dangers and risk of football this is still pretty sad to see these guys in this condition. George was a really good football player in his hey day. Praying things get better for you bro along with the other guys battling this tough demon.

George I love you man

Peace George, peace!

Respect his decision in the end, and I expect Jim will do the same in the future.

My hero

Too have a woman love you that deeply is incredibly moving! He was definitely one of my favorite football players. I just hope he gets better. 🙏

Sad. Loved watching him play. With all this science coming out happy I never played football past HS.

I hate it when people call him a dirty player. A lot of players were very aggressive and physical back in the day

2 years Pop Warner , 2 years middle school , 4 years high school , and 4 years college ...12 years of collisions before ever earning a dime .

You guys gave us fans a lot of joy. As Dick Gregory says not the best use of a human body. Pretty dumb game though I love it. Atkinson always downed Lynn Swann for being soft. Maybe he was saving his brain. Best of luck.

Loved the 70s RaIders and I have to love George and Jack cause those were my guys however -- and it pains me to say this -- George truly was a dirty player and yes he had his reasons and he was far from alone but, alone among the Raiders, even i will admit that George took it a little bit too far at times.

If Snake had CTE then for sure others who made their living knocking heads got to have it,sad to see our hero's and great men suffering like this!!!

George, perhaps Jack Tatum will be the first to greet you in the next life. Raider fans will never forget you.

RIP. #RN4L

It's amazing the things women will stick around for -- as long as you have money. If George were to go broke Denise would be out of there in five minutes......

Yo that's my name. My full name

Why are they all Raiders ?

How about that cheap shot on Swan?

Football, boxing both ignorantly allowed is a violent society of lost fools.

Hmmm.. 99% of all the brains donated by nfl players to this research proved to be devastated by CTE. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck!!

So at this point knowing what we know why not just ban all football across the nation. Pop warner to professional? I know the fans love to see the violence but is it worth it at this point.

Shouldn't done so many cheap shots

Atkinson to me was one of the dirtiest players I ever saw in an era full of them. However, I used to travel to the Bay Area a lot at one time and never heard anything but good about him off the field. Truly a jeckyl Hyde type

I heard science is a lot closer than many ppl realize to solving a lot of these problems

The game is safer today. There are better helmets and stricter rules.

Can't say I wish him the best. He was a dirty ball player.

They should try yoga and eating good vegetarian food

You mean George had a brain???

So glad to see that the 2nd dirtiest player in the NFL (Phil Vilipiano being the first) has now humbled himself, remember all those cheap and vile shots that you handed out after the play was over by 3 seconds have come back to you now 20 fold.... Atkins loved to call everybody SOFT, now he is the one who is soft...Now it's time to get right with God George, I pray that you do...

You shouldn't have done that to Swann. Karma is a b****

Dirty 👎

He was a dirty player along with Tatum

Cheap shot artist.

No Sympathy for him. He and Jack Tatum and others relished giving defenseless receivers such as Lynn Swann cheap shot concussions. Jack Tatum (who Permamently paralyzed Patriots receiver Darrly Stingly with a single vicious hit) and Skip Thomas (Mr illegal clothesline tackle). These dirty raiders players have CTE due to getting thumped staight on legally with running backs or crossfire from their own teammates. Fuck 'em.

Don't worry bout it. I'll keep my fucking organs.