Jack Tatum, Hard-Hitting Former Raider, Dies

[RamboLiberal]

Jack Tatum, the Pro Bowl safety for the Oakland Raiders best known for his crushing hit that paralyzed Darryl Stingley in an NFL preseason game in 1978, has died. He was 61.

Nicknamed "The Assassin," Tatum died of a heart attack Tuesday in an Oakland hospital, according to friend and former Ohio State teammate John Hicks.

-----

On Aug. 12, 1978, in an exhibition game against the New England Patriots, the hard-hitting Tatum slammed into Stingley with his helmet while the receiver was running a crossing pattern. The blow severed Stingley's fourth and fifth veterbrae and left the receiver paralyzed from the neck down.

The two never met after the hit. Stingley died in 2007.

Despite Tatum's failure to show remorse, Hicks said Tatum was haunted by the play.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/07/27/sportsline/main6718068.shtml?tag=stack

[joeybee12]

1. Too bad, but the guy only reached out to Stingley in an attempt to get him at an appearance to

promote his book...Stingley died a few years back at 55. Hope they are both at peace.

[regnaD kciN]

2. Bette Davis said "always speak good of the dead"...

Jack Tatum is dead. Good.

(Despite Hicks' protestations, Tatum not only showed no remorse for paralyzing Stingley, he bragged in his autobiography, written several years later, about making receivers afraid that, if they ever went into his zone, they might never walk again.)

[Motown_Johnny]

3. I saw that on the MSN homepage

now I wonder if it is in bad taste to continue calling my FF team "The Assassins"


Maybe I should spend one season calling them "The Jack Tatums" out of respect.





(BTW in four seasons with that name {or variations} I have won points 3 times and head to head once, only one season out of the money in an 8 to 10 team league)

[SoxFan]

4. If you can't say anything good, etc.

Daryl Stingley exemplified grace and dignity in the face of adversity. I'd rather remember him, thank you.

[regnaD kciN]

5. Amen to that, brother!

[Botany]

6. I am from Columbus Ohio .... Ohio State U.

If one quarter of the stories I have heard about Jack Tatum are true then he was a really nasty person.

[regnaD kciN]

8. Considering that this comes from his own "alma mater"...

...where people would be expected to revere one of their football heroes, that really says a lot.

[Scurrilous]

7. RIP Jack Tatum

:thumbsup:

[SoxFan]

9. RIP Darryl Stingley

Ten thousand times the man Tatum ever was.

[Crabby Appleton]

10. yes, RIP Darryl Stingley