Intimidation was part of the game for George Atkinson

The Raiders have been known for their rough and tumble ways. Intimidation has always been a part of their game.

That was never more true than in the late 1960s and 1970s when a menacing defense chewed up and spit out their AFL and NFL counterparts in a way that left opponents sometimes seeing ghosts.

One of the ringleaders of that fierce defense was George Atkinson. He teamed with Hall of Famer Jack Tatum to create a hard-hitting tandem of safeties. They flung their bodies around with no real regard for their physical safety, or that of their opponent.

Atkinson struck fear in the heart of wide receivers. It wasn’t personal. Just business.

And as anyone who watched the physical Raiders go toe-to-toe in the 1970s with the menacing Pittsburgh Steelers — and saw the Raiders sometimes leave the field as the physically superior and intimidating group — they didn’t back down from anyone.

“Football is a collision sport,” Atkinson once told the Bay Area News Group. “If you don’t have a certain mentality, you will get run out of the game.”

It was have or be had as far as Atkinson was concerned. And yes, using your physicality to get in the head of an opponent was a critical part of the game. It still is, to some extent. Yes, there are rules in place to protect the safety of players. But don’t think for a minute that mind games still aren’t a part of football.

For Atkinson, that was a lesson he learned as a high school player in Georgia and carried with him from Morris Brown College all the way to the NFL. “The only way you didn’t get your bell rung was not making contact,” Atkinson said.

A seventh-round pick of the Raiders in 1968, he spent the next 10 years patrolling the back end of the Raiders’ defense, causing sleepless nights for opposing wide receivers throughout.

Atkinson didn’t just make contact, he sought it out, throwing his 6-foot-1, 185-body into opposing ballcarriers and receivers with abandon.

But he was much more than just a bone-crushing tackler, as his 30 interceptions and two Pro Bowl appearances showed. Not to mention the 1,247 yards and three touchdowns he produced as a punt returner.

Atkinson was the complete package and a vital component of a championship-caliber defense.

He embodied the Raiders franchise of that era in so many ways, not only as a fierce and physical player but also a well-rounded one.

And his long connection to the Silver and Black continues to this day, first as a member of their regular broadcast team and now as an assistant in their player personnel and coaching department.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore onTwitter.