ALAMEDA, Calif. De Aaron Fox Jersey . - When George Atkinson IIIs name went uncalled through seven rounds of the NFL draft, there was no doubt where he would end up signing as an undrafted free agent. Despite offers from several teams, Atkinson ultimately signed with the team he was always destined to join, following his famous fathers footsteps to the Oakland Raiders. Now more than a quarter century after George Atkinson Jr. terrorized Lynn Swann and dozens of other NFL wide receivers as a hard-hitting safety with the Raiders, his son is trying to make the team as a backup running back and special teams contributor. "I had to turn a lot of teams down," the younger Atkinson said. "Right out of the gate, they were like, Dont go to the Raiders. I know you want to follow your heart but, weve got a spot for you here. But I know without a doubt this is the spot for me." Father and son knew this was a distinct possibility as the fifth round of the draft ended and no team had called. With two rounds remaining, they believed it might be better if the younger Atkinson wasnt drafted so he could make sure he could sign with the Raiders. While some sons might prefer to blaze their own trail in an organization with no connection to their father, the younger Atkinson had been waiting to put on a Raiders uniform ever since he was a kid. "Ive looked up to this organization and this club for a long time and there was no part of that going on with me," he said. "Ive looked up to my dad and wanted to follow in his footsteps but also lead my own trail at the same time. Youve got to find that balance and thats what Im trying to do right now." The elder Atkinson is a beloved member of the organization for his hard-hitting play that epitomized Oaklands style of play in the 1970s. He had 30 career interceptions and helped Oakland win its first Super Bowl following the 1976 season. He was most famous for his hits on Swann, which led former Steelers coach Chuck Noll to refer to him as part of the "criminal element" in football. He is now a broadcaster for the team but made a point of staying away from rookie minicamp last weekend. "He doesnt need that added pressure," the elder Atkinson said. "Hes learning a new game altogether. The pro ranks are a little bit different from high school and college. He needs time to focus on getting adjusted to the NFL. I dont need to be around. Its his time. I dont want to be a distraction to him and the team." The opportunity to play with the Raiders took out much of the sting of going undrafted after skipping his senior season at Notre Dame. In three years in college, the younger Atkinson rushed for 943 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also returned two kickoffs for scores as a freshman. "Its not all about how you come in, but how you leave," he said. "How you set your mark here in the league. You still have to make a team, drafted or undrafted." Atkinson is part of a crowded group of running backs that includes free-agent acquisition Maurice Jones-Drew, returning starter Darren McFadden and last years sixth-round pick, Latavius Murray. But Oakland is searching for a returner and Atkinson III brings one attribute none of the other players competing for a roster spot have. "I think hes a talented athlete and hes got a lot of speed," coach Dennis Allen said. "He has the ability to help us on special teams also. So, I think anytime a chance to get a legacy, somebody who has the Raider blood lines, ... those guys understand what it means to be a Raider. We were pleased that we were able to bring him in here." NOTES: The Raiders signed seventh-round S Jonathan Dowling and CB T.J. Carrie to four-year contracts. ... Oakland also signed free agent DE Denico Autry and waived DT David Carter. ___ AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL DeMarcus Cousins Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. Sacramento Kings Jerseys . - The Chicago Bears have agreed to a one-year contract with free-agent centre Brian de la Puente. http://www.nbakingsonline.com/Authentic-Peja-Stojakovic-Kings-Jersey/ .The law passed on Friday, in a 128-62 vote in the lower chamber of parliament, was prompted by FIFA bribery scandals in recent years.Switzerland-based sports leaders such as FIFA President Sepp Blatter and IOC President Thomas Bach are now classed as politically exposed persons in wider legislation covering money-laundering.LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. -- Amid the jerseys and baseball bats held in a secure room at SCP Auctions, theres a piece of sports memorabilia that speaks to much more than athletic prowess: an Olympic medal won by track star Jesse Owens at the 1936 Games in Berlin. The medal -- being auctioned online -- recalls both the Nazi propaganda myths that Owens busted with his world record-setting 100-yard dash, and the American segregation that he came home to when he returned to the U.S. after the Games, which Adolf Hitler had orchestrated to showcase his ideas of Aryan supremacism. "Almost singlehandedly, Owens obliterated Hitlers plans," SCP Auctions partner Dan Imler said. "Youve got an African American, son of a sharecropper, grandson of slaves who overcame these incredible circumstances and delivered a performance for the ages." Owens won gold in the 100- and 200-metres, the 400 relay and the long jump. But when he returned from the Berlin Games, he struggled to provide for his family. His job options were limited by segregation and because he decided to return home instead of going on tour with the U.S. Olympic Team, he was stripped of his amateur athletic status. "When they came back, the U.S. was just as it was when he left -- segregated. Even though he came back an Olympic hero, he wasnt offered opportunities that Olympic heroes of today are offered," said his daughter, Marlene Owens Rankin, 74, of Chicago. "We lived well, a middle class life. We didnt want for much. But llike many black men of that era, he struggled to provide for his family. Justin Jackson Jersey. " Owens gave one of his four Olympic gold medals to dancer and movie star Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, another supremely talented African-American whose career was hemmed in by limited roles for black men, Imler said. Robinson befriended Owens after the athlete return from the Olympics. "They formed a friendship and also a professional relationship. Bojangles helped Owens get work in the entertainment field," Imler said. "Owens gave him this medal out of gratitude and as a token of their friendship." Owens worked for a short time as a band leader but eventually returned to his hometown of Cleveland where he worked for the parks department and eventually found his way into public speaking, his daughter said. "The black community revered him for what he had accomplished," she said. "Had it been an even playing field, my father and Bojangles would have been super-stars." The medal comes from the estate of Robinsons widow. The Robinson family declined to comment but Imler said they plan to use the proceeds to pay college tuition and contribute to charity. SCP Auctions confirmed that the medal is genuine. The whereabouts of the other three original gold medals is unknown. "We just hope that its purchased by an institution where the public could have access to it, a museum or something like that," his daughter said. The auction closes on Dec. 7. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '