Tag: George Atkinson

Greg Bryant’s death still stings six years later

Still stings to think about this one…

It was Mother’s Day weekend in 2016 when the shocking news came out of West Palm Beach, Florida that former Notre Dame running back [autotag]Greg Bryant[/autotag], Jr. had been shot and ultimately killed.

You can discuss the what’s, how’s and why’s to this for days on end and not come up with anything that makes any sense.  It was shocking and made no sense then.

Six years later it still stings to think about and still lacks any answers.

Bryant wasn’t perfect – none of us are.

He was a young man who happened to be a really gifted football player who was adored by his teammates.

His second season at Notre Dame in 2014 he took a significant step, scoring three rushing touchdowns and at the time, recording the longest punt return of the [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] era at Notre Dame.  Notre Dame’s second-leading rusher in 2014 seemed primed to take a leap in ’15.

2015 never came for Bryant at Notre Dame though as he was ruled ineligible and left campus, stopping at a junior college in Miami before announcing his commitment to the restarted UAB football program.

While home from UAB on Mother’s Day weekend Bryant was out late before the shooting took place.  Is that important to mention where he was?  Some say yes because perhaps it helps tell the story they’re hoping to tell despite knowing any exact facts.

To me, Bryant went to a place that plenty of 21 years old males have attended before and plenty more continue to do.  Some people like to act like he was asking for trouble by doing such a thing, but was whatever went down worth taking someone’s life over?

I don’t know what happened there or after he left but I do know whatever it was, it certainly wasn’t worth a 21-year-old man losing his life.

I don’t know if Greg Bryant, Jr. would have made the NFL but he was on his to graduating from college, something he never wound up getting the chance to do.

Greg Bryant, Jr. never got a chance to walk down the aisle and get married.

Greg Bryant, Jr. never got to see his middle years and share nights reliving the glory days with his old high school buddies.

Greg Bryant, Jr. never got the chance to be a father and impact his child’s life as positively as his father did for him.

It stung then and still stings just as much now when you take a moment to remember Bryant.

With the untimely passings in recent years of both Josh and [autotag]George Atkinson[/autotag] and [autotag]Louis Nix[/autotag], III just over a year ago, this time of year serves as a reminder of just how precious life is.

See photos from Bryant’s time at Notre Dame below.

Report: Former Notre Dame, NFL RB George Atkinson III dead at 27

George Atkinson III has died at age 27, slightly more than a year after his twin brother, Josh.

Tragedy has struck the family of former Oakland Raiders star defensive back George Atkinson has suffered another tragedy as one of his sons, George Atkinson III has died at the age of 27, per The Athletic’s Pete Sampson.

George Atkinson III’s twin brother, Josh, died slightly more than a year ago. George Atkinson III had been dealing with depression. since.

The Atkinson twins were members of the 2011 recruiting class at Notre dame. Atkinson III rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and had 10 rushing touchdowns during his three seasons with the Fighting Irish. He also was a member of the track & field team.

George Atkinson III played 21 NFL games, mainly as a kick returner. He was an Oakland Raider, like his dad. Atkinson III played five games for the Raiders in 2014. Two years later, Atkinson III spent 16 games with the Cleveland Browns. He had one touchdown. The San Jose Mercury News wrote about the DB in 2016

Their father, George Atkinson, played 10 seasons with the Raiders before finishing his career with a short stint in Denver. George Atkinson had 30 interceptions in his NFL career. He was a two-time AFL All-Star and a member of the Super Bowl XI Raiders.

The twins had a rough upbringing as their mom was schizophrenic. George III wrote about it in a piece for theunsealed.com.

We all must make sure we don’t find the easy way out, like using alcohol or drugs to numb our pain. That will lead us nowhere. We have to face our problems head-on, whether that is talking to people, praying or listening to motivational speeches. Whatever helps you get through a tough time, that’s what you’ve got to do and that’s what I have to do too.