Raiders History: "The Soul Patrol"

The Raiders have had several outstanding defensive backfields during their 61-year history, but the best was the unit that called themselves “The Soul Patrol”

The Raiders have had several outstanding defensive backfields during their 61-year history, but probably the best was the unit that called themselves “The Soul Patrol” during the 1970s.

That fearsome foursome had NFL Hall of Famer Willie Brown and Skip Thomas at cornerback, free safety Jack Tatum, and strong safety George Atkinson.

“There was nothing like them,” said Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton of the Minnesota Vikings, and he probably knows better than anyone, having been stymied by “The Soul Patrol” as the Raiders won Super Bowl XI, 32-14, in 1977.

“In 1979, the NFL created the five-yard chuck rule because of Atkinson, Tatum, Brown, Thomas and the Raiders. Wide Receivers could not get off the line of scrimmage against them. Atkinson and Tatum and the rest of the gang were so physical and strong that I’d have to wait and hope my guys could get open before I got killed.”

The 6-1, 195-pound Brown incredibly was undrafted out of Grambling in 1963, signed with the Houston Oilers, but was cut during training camp and spent four seasons Denver Broncos before coming to Oakland to become one of the all-time greats.

Brown was a five-time American Football League All-Star, and after the merger with the NFL, he was a four-time All-Pro, made the Pro Bowl four times, and was selected to the NFL’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. He intercepted 54 passes for 472 yards and two touchdowns, recording at least one pick in 16 consecutive seasons.

During the playoffs, Brown intercepted a pass by Bob Griese of the Miami Dolphins and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown in 1970, picked off a pass by Terry Bradshaw of the Pittsburgh Steelers and went 55 yards for a score in 1973, and most famously intercepted a pass by Tarkenton and took it 75 yards for a touchdown in Super Bowl XI.

But mostly, Brown was a shutdown cornerback.

“Willie Brown has a special place in the hearts of the Raider organization and especially the teammates who wore the famous Silver and Black,” Managing General Partner Al Davis of the Raiders said in introducing Brown for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984.

“He wore those colors with pride, he wore them with poise, and he wore them with class. He was a star among stars. Willie Brown was a great clutch player. In the years to come, he will be the standard of excellence by which cornerbacks are judged.”

The 5-10, 200-pound Tatum was one of the most vicious hitters in NFL history, a player many believe should be in the Hall of Fame, but probably never will be because of his hit during a 1978 preseason game paralyzed wide receiver Darryl Stingley of the New England Patriots.

For those who saw the play, it seemed like a normal hit that probably was not even in Tatum’s top 100, but because of the outcome, he was vilified by some, even though he went to the hospital after the game to express his regrets to Stingley’s family, but was turned away.

“That was my job,” Tatum said of his fearsome hits. “When receivers came across the middle, I wanted them to know I was there so that they maybe would be looking for me instead of the ball when they came in there again.”

Tatum intercepted 37 passes in his 10-year NFL career and returned them for 736 yards and one touchdown was selected to three Pro Bowls and made All-Pro twice.

In addition, he returned a fumble 104 yards for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers in 1972.

“I patterned my game after Jack Tatum’s,” said Hall of Fame safety Ronnie Lott of the San Francisco 49ers, who also played two seasons with the Raiders and is revered as one of the best safeties of all-time. “If I couldn’t have played like Tatum, I couldn’t have played in the NFL.”

Atkinson was listed at 6-foot, 180 pounds, but probably was closer to 5-10, 160, and had the reputation of being a dirty player. He played the way he did, doing things by whatever means because he had to cover tight ends such as 6-2, 230-pound John Mackey of the Baltimore Colts; 6-6, 245-pound Russ Francis of the New England Patriots; 6-4, 235-pound Charlie Sanders of the Detroit Lions; 6-4, 240-pound Riley Odoms of the Denver Broncos and 6-2, 235-pound Ozzie Newsome of the Cleveland Browns.

“Atkinson was an intimidator who roamed the field like a lion ready to pounce,” reads a story on JimJax Media. “He was the trash talker of the group often seen taunting and intimidated players who were much bigger than he was. He once broke Russ Francis's nose with a vicious forearm hit, and his hits against Lynn Swann of the Steelers are a part of NFL history.

“All-time great Paul Warfield once said when you went over the middle against Oakland and didn’t account for Tatum and Atkinson, you would not be in the game long without being carried off the field.”

Atkinson was picked in the seventh round (No. 190 overall) of the 1968 NFL Draft out of Morris Brown, and was used primarily as a returner at first, setting the Raiders record of 205 yards on punt returns that season in a game against the Buffalo Bills.

A two-time AFL All-Star, Atkinson had 30 interceptions for 448 return yards and two touchdowns during his 11-year career and returned three punts for touchdowns, including an 83-yarder.

The 6-1, 205-pound Thomas was the least heralded member of “The Soul Patrol,” but was another player not to be overlooked. He was picked by the Raiders in the seventh round (No. 176 overall) out of USC in 1972.

Teammate Bob Brown, the fearsome tackle, gave Thomas the nickname “Dr. Death.”

In addition to being Thomas outstanding in pass coverage, he was a fierce tackler and run defender who preferred the clothesline tackle.

“The Raiders had three safeties on the field when Dr. Death was playing cornerback,” Raiders famed radio play-by-play man Bill King once said.

Thomas had 17 interceptions for 222 yards and a touchdown, including six picks in 1974 and 1975, in a six-year career that was cut short by injuries.

The 1970s Raiders relished their intimidating, bad-boy image, and in “The Soul Patrol” was front and center for the Silver and Black.

“They remain the greatest defensive backfield of all-time,” the JimJax Media story claims. “In the most physical era, ‘The Soul Patrol was like a pack of wolves ready to take down any sized prey. They remain the greatest defensive backfield of all time.”

Brown, Tatum, Atkinson, and Thomas gave Raider Nation body and soul.

Tell us what you think in the comment section below and please make sure you like our Facebook Page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.

Want the latest breaking Las Vegas Raiders news delivered straight to your email for FREE? Sign up for the DAILY Raiders Nation newsletter when you CLICK THE FOLLOW button on the main page. Don't miss any of the latest up to the second updates for your Las Vegas Raiders when you follow on Twitter @HondoCarpenter