Hard-hitting past Raider Jack Tatum dies at 61

Jack Tatum, the storied Oakland Raiders safety very best known for landing the strike that paralyzed New England receiver Darryl Stingley, has died. He was 61.

Tatum, among one of the most feared and respected NFL players of his era, died of a heart attack Tuesday morning in an Oakland hospital. He had been waiting for a kidney transplant.

Tatum was a sledgehammer in Oakland¡¯s ¡°Soul Patrol¡± secondary from the 1970s that also included safety George Atkinson, cornerback Skip Thomas and Hall of Fame cornerback Willie Brown.

¡°As a lot of major plays as Jack created, it let you know this guy knew wherever to become when the chips have been down,¡± Atkinson claimed. ¡°Guys didn¡¯t wish to arrive across the middle because having attack by him was like having arrive at by a truck. He was devastating with his timing and his angles of get in touch with.¡±

Under no circumstances was that a lot more true than on Aug. 12, 1978, within an exhibition game against the Patriots, when Tatum arrive at Stingley over a pass more than the center. The collision severed Stingley¡¯s fourth and fifth vertebrae, leaving the receiver practically absolutely paralyzed through the neck down.

Outside of his close circle of buddies, who swear he had an simple smile and infectious laugh, Tatum largely kept to himself in public settings, which only seemed to make him far more intimidating. John Madden, Tatum¡¯s previous coach, claimed the Stingley come to impacted the Raiders star.