Former NFL player, 27, dead months after family tragedy

George Atkinson III, former running back for Notre Dame, has died, according to multiple reports. He was 27.

No cause of death was available, but Pete Sampson of The Athletic tweeted that Atkinson had been suffering from depression since his twin brother Josh killed himself in January 2019.

Both Atkinson and his twin brother were part of Notre Dame’s 2011 recruiting class. They were the sons of legendary Oakland Raiders defensive back George Atkinson II.

Atkinson and his brother had a rough upbringing, living with their schizophrenic mother until they were 13. In an open letter “to kids going through tough times” that Atkinson wrote after his brother’s death, he described how his mother used crack to self medicate, and how the instability in their lives affected him and his brother.

Their father stepped in to take care of them when they were 13, giving George and Josh the discipline and stability they badly needed.

They both ended up at Notre Dame, but Atkinson never lived up to the lofty expectations placed on him due to his father’s talent. He primarily returned punts, and jumped to the NFL with one year of eligibility remaining.

He returned punts for the Raiders in 2014 and for the Cleveland Browns in 2016, but was relegated mostly to practice squads.

Following his brother’s death in January, Atkinson wrote that he tried to harm himself, and he was forced into the same institution that once held his mother. His daughter, who was two at the time, helped him find his way out of a very dark time.

Liz Roscher - Yahoo Sport US

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