Nearly a year after the suicide of his twin brother, former Cleveland Browns running back George Atkinson III has reportedly passed away.
While a cause of death for Atkinson has yet to be released, Pete Sampson of The Athletic noted that the 27-year-old had been dealing with depression since his brother, Josh’s, suicide last December. The sons of former Oakland Raiders Pro Bowl defensive back George Atkinson II, George and Josh spent their college careers at Notre Dame with George going on to play for the Raiders in 2014 and Browns in 2016.
In 16 games with Cleveland, Atkinson rushed for 34 yards and 1 touchdown on seven rushes and returned 8 kicks for 137 yards.
In an article for TheUnsealed.com earlier this year, Atkinson discussed his difficult upbringing with a mother who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and drug addiction, as well as the death of his brother last Christmas Day.
“That’s the moment I felt like I lost everything. That’s the moment I can’t describe. I never want you to feel his pain or my pain,” he wrote.
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