Jack Tatum was known for his hard-hitting plays. So hard in fact, that on Aug. 12, 1978, Darryl Stingley, ran into Jack Tatum on a crossing pattern and was left paralyzed.
Jack Tatum was not the type of player to intentionally hurt players. However, according to his book They Call Me the Assassin he states that "I'll play the game the way the rules are written—I am supposed to hit people and destroy the play and the harder I hit them, the better I can do the job."
Jack Tatum did his job very well.
Jack Tatum grew up a poor child in Passaic, New Jersey. He grew up in a tough neighborhood and became fearless himself. He was a favorite player to come out of that region with All-State, All-National and All-High School awards. At 5'11", 205 lbs he ran the 100yd in 9.6 seconds.
At Ohio State, coach Woody Hayes converted him into one of the most ferocious defensive players in the NFL. Jack Tatum studied quarterbacks, coaches, and even his own teammates. He was quickly befriended by George Atkisson who showed Tatum the art of pass deflecting with "extreme prejudice."
Jack Tatum was drafted 19th in the 1971 NFL draft by Mr. Davis. In fact, Jack Tatum made three Pro Bowls (1973-1975) and had a Super Bowl appearance alongside his nine seasons as an Oakland Raiders. Tatum was the perfect Raider. He played hard he was tough and mean alongside Art Shell, George Atkisson, Cliff Branch, Skip Thomas, Gene Upshaw, and many more....
An admirable quality about Jack Tatum was that he played hard football every game and is the perfect role model...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
