DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Report: Jack Tatum dies at 61

Report: Jack Tatum dies at 61

Notorious Raiders defensive back Jack Tatum, whose hit on Darryl Stingley during a preseason game in 1978 left Stingley a quadraplegic, has died at the age of 61.

According to 10TV.com, Tatum suffered a heart attack.

Tatum suffered from diabetes for years. He lost all five toes on his left foot, and his right leg ultimately was amputated.

The hard-nosed safety's autobiography was titled They Call Me Assassin. For the youngsters in the crowd, YouTube will get you up to speed regarding Tatum's substance and style. (And please wait to see Tatum's hit on Earl Campbell. Then stick around to see whether Sammie White's head was in his helmet while it was rolling around on the field.)

A member of the College Football Hall of Fame, Ohio State awards during the season a "Jack Tatum Hit of the Week" award.

Loved by Raiders fans and despised by those who followed every other team, Tatum was a key part of the fabric of the game in the 1970s. There hasn't been another Jack Tatum, and there likely never will.

R.I.P. Jack

Some of his Greatest Hits

My thoughts and prayers are with his family even if I've never heard of him before.

I just watched some of his hit on youtube and I'll have to agree many of the things he did would not be allowed by today's rules. The Earl Campell hit amazes me as both through their all into that collision but Campell won in the end with a touchdown.

RIP Mr Tatum

He was definitely an intimidator and enforcer.

He was a Mack Truck when he hit people. He played every single game with passion and ferocity.

RIP Assassin.

As they said in the video, both Tatum and Campbell were knocked out by that hit. Campbell's momentum is what took him into the endzone.

RIP Assassin.

The man was crazy good.. incredible in fact//

RIP Jack... prayers for his family

R.I.P Jack


It's a shame he couldn't get his diabetes under control.

Gives me more motivation to keep mine under control.

RIP Jack Tatum.... He played Safety the way a Safety should play. Let no one come over the middle thinking they are going to catch the ball!!! For those too young to have seen him play, he was probably pound for pound the hardest hitter in the NFL.. PERIOD!!! He never went for your knees, they were always high hits, good hard tackles! People knew if you threw over the middle, Tatum was coming!! That tackle he laid on Earl Campbell is probably the ONLY TIME I saw anyone hit Earl one-on-one, and that includes linebackers and D-linemen.

RIP!!

Agree with your comments, but I do think I recall seeing Robert L. Jackson knock Earl Campbell backwards - and on his butt - near the goal-line once with a solo shot.

RIP, Jack Tatum

Quick story....not that anybody cares but Im still gonna tell it...LOL...My junior year our Def. Coach showed us a film on Jack Tatum before we played a high school football game against our arch Rivel.....pitch dark sitting in the locker room, after the film, lights go on were all fired up ..coach stood in front of us said that boys is a man....you wanna be a man....GO>>>> pointed towards the door.....talk about a Defense being fired up, LOL....Today on ESPN they said Jack had passed away and is most remembered for the hit to paralyse Darryl Stingley....Common, yes it's expected from that low level sports broadcasting channel, but Jack will be remembered for so much more.

R.I.P. Jack....

Get a chance get the Book, they call me Assasion, good book.

R.I.P. Jack.

Clay, did you win the game?

Dave,
You got me thinking and I thought Robert Jackson stopped him in the hole on a 3rd down in the 4th quarter of a game in Cleveland. Cannot remember the year but you made me remember that Jackson did stop him once.

And also.. if you remember Robert( stonewall) jackson( #56 - if I remember right), you are a TRUE old-school Browns fan. Not many of us around.

Quote:

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Clay, did you win the game?

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No....No we didnt not.....we werent very good that year.... I Think bye the end of the game we looked more like Tatum O'neil than Jack Tatum.

First of all, sorry he died.

Secondly, watching that clip I see a lot of cheap shots to the head from him. Doesn't matter if the hits were legal - they were cheap shots.