Hard-hitting former Raider Jack Tatum dies at 61

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

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

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

¡°As a lot of massive plays as Jack made, it let you know this guy knew exactly where to become when the chips had been down,¡± Atkinson mentioned. ¡°Guys didn¡¯t want to arrive across the center simply because receiving hit by him was like obtaining come to by a truck. He was devastating with his timing and his angles of get in touch with.¡±

By no means was that far more true than on Aug. 12, 1978, in an exhibition game against the Patriots, when Tatum hit Stingley on the pass above the center. The collision severed Stingley¡¯s fourth and fifth vertebrae, leaving the receiver virtually totally paralyzed from the neck down.

Outside of his close circle of buddies, who swear he had an uncomplicated smile and infectious laugh, Tatum largely kept to himself in public settings, which only seemed to create him additional intimidating. John Madden, Tatum¡¯s past coach, explained the Stingley strike affected the Raiders star.