Tatum, amongst probably the most feared and respected NFL players of his era, died of a 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 basic safety George Atkinson, cornerback Skip Thomas and Hall of Fame cornerback Willie Brown.
¡°As a lot of huge plays as Jack created, it let you know this guy knew where by being when the chips were down,¡± Atkinson stated. ¡°Guys didn¡¯t wish to come across the middle due to the fact getting strike by him was like getting arrive at by a truck. He was devastating with his timing and his angles of contact.¡±
In no way was that much more true than on Aug. 12, 1978, in an exhibition game against the Patriots, when Tatum arrive at Stingley on the pass more than the center. The collision severed Stingley¡¯s fourth and fifth vertebrae, leaving the receiver almost entirely paralyzed through the neck down.
Outside of his close circle of friends, who swear he had an simple smile and infectious laugh, Tatum largely kept to himself in public settings, which only seemed to produce him more intimidating. John Madden, Tatum¡¯s former coach, mentioned the Stingley hit impacted the Raiders star.
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