"[4] According to Stingley in his 1983 autobiography, Happy To Be Alive, Tatum never made any effort to apologize or to see him after the incident. ", Looking back on Earl Campbell's iconic career at Texas (0:47), Earl got up: Inside the second act of a Texas legend, Former LSU QB Howard transferring to Ole Miss, Terps QB Tagovailoa to return for senior season, Bears' Getsy, Raiders' Graham to coach Sr. Bowl, Police: Speed a primary cause in fatal UGA crash, U-M's Weiss on leave amid police investigation, Reports: UF QB commit Rashada wants release, Miami QB Garcia in portal, has 3 eligible seasons, TCU WR Johnston, RB Miller entering NFL draft, The final 2022 college football Power Rankings, College football's Way-Too-Early Top 25 for 2023, What Garrett Riley's big move means for Clemson, Dabo and TCU, immediately change the name of the football field, 'Basketball on grass': The origin of Mike Leach's Air Raid offense, The Horns!? "A shock went down to the heels on my feet. [8] The two never spoke with one another after that day,[8] although Stingley related in a 2003 Boston Globe interview that he had forgiven Tatum. Ernie Ladd: 69 350 give or take DT. Feb 1, 2017 10:20 AM. "The person that we'd known, up until that point, he wasn't sober. Earl was furious. He absorbed the blow, stumbled backward and fell into the end zone, rolling over to see Tatum left in his wake. Big Earl isn't the center of attention at parties or holding court at country music shows in Austin anymore. He realized that they were right, so he spent Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's in a rehab facility, suffering from tremors and cold sweats from the withdrawal. In 2008, Bum Phillips, Campbell's old NFL coach and a father figure to him, insisted Campbell come see his own doctor in Houston. He is a proud member of Alcoholics Anonymous, even going to meetings in Times Square during his trip for the Heisman Trophy ceremony. With 22 seconds left in the game, Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw threw a pass to running back John "Frenchy" Fuqua. [7] The impact severely damaged Stingley's spinal cord and left him with incomplete quadriplegia for the rest of his life. But if he played today, his career might not have even happened. Campbell grew up poor as one of 11 siblings who all worked the rose fields in Tyler by day. "My body felt the greatest I've ever felt.". Since then, the NFL has placed much greater emphasis on player safety, and continues to do so with rules adjustments designed to help minimize a player's exposure to injury. Tatum was traded to the Houston Oilers for running back Kenny King and seventh round draft choices in the 1980 and 1981 NFL drafts. Tatum, a safety who embodied the Oakland Raiders mystique and was called "The Assassin" for his brutal hits, died of a heart attack at 61. The idea was to make that receiver -- but especially the ones that were watching at the time or later on film -- think twice about doing so again. Jack Tatum was born on November 18, 1948, in Cherryville, North Carolina, United States. Next thing I know, I was in so much pain.". "I know you were this great athlete that everybody knows -- Heisman Trophy winner, all this stuff -- but you probably should've never played football," Campbell said the doctor told him. Head coach Woody Hayes recruited Tatum as a running back. "The competitor in him never goes away," Christian said. But after retirement, he started out on his own and followed whatever advice was offered. Oklahoma drills only happen during PRACTICE. A receiver or ball carrier who was thinking about the consequences of an encounter with Tatum wasn't concentrating on getting his hands on the ball or doing whatever else was necessary to make a positive gain. But that wasn't the extent of Tatum's 10 seasons in the NFL. Earl Campbell. Stop getting all upset when former players dont support your narrative. Tatum earned three Pro Bowl selections throughout his NFL career. Here's a tribute to the Hall of. He has had both knees replaced. He said this hit, by Jack Tatum in 1979, sent a shock down his legs. Earl Clark 2009-10 Panini Inscriptions #364 AUTOGRAPH RC (Scratched Surface) . He said this hit, by Jack Tatum in 1979, sent a shock down his legs. "Dr. Jones took that away from me and I learned how to live my life without drugs and alcohol and pain pills. He, too, wrote an autobiography (co-authored by yours truly), and even borrowed from the title of Tatum's book. Tatum worked on increasing awareness of diabetes. He became the most coveted recruit in the country, a mythical, out-of-nowhere phenomenon who former Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer famously said was the only high school player he'd ever seen who could've gone straight to the NFL. [4] He was ranked as the sixth hardest hitter in NFL history by NFL Films and was elected to three Pro Bowls. He left tacklers and pieces of his tearaway jersey on the field behind him. Oakland Raider Jack Tatum lays a vicious hit on the very tough Sammy White of the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl 11 in January 1977 Show more. He is a celebrity football player. [15], 1968 Ohio State Buckeyes footballconsensus national champions, 1970 Ohio State Buckeyes footballNFF co-national champions, Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft picks, "Jack Tatum, Whose Tackle Paralyzed Player, Dies at 61", "Jack Tatum dies; Oakland Raiders 'Assassin' was 61", "Jack Tatum dies at 61; Oakland Raider safety whose hit left Darryl Stingley paralyzed", "The Assassin and The Reverend: Remembering the late Jack Tatum", "The wounds never healed for Jack Tatum or Darryl Stingley", "No sting of bitterness: 25 years later, Stingley is still forgiving of Tatum", "Lambeau's Lowlights: There were plenty of not-so-fond moments, too", "NFL Records: Individual Records: Fumbles", "Former NJ Football Star Jack Tatum Dies - You Don't Know Jersey - From High Point to Cape May", FWAA 19691994 Quarter-century All-America Team, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jack_Tatum&oldid=1132878792, African-American players of American football, 20th-century African-American sportspeople, Short description is different from Wikidata, NFL player missing current team parameter, Infobox NFL biography articles with old NFL.com URL, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 11 January 2023, at 01:27. What he did on the football field is the stuff of legend. Someone needs to start another pro football league that plays the game the way it was meant to be played. Its still a very physical game and players have gotten bigger, stronger and faster, so they did need to tone it down or else they would run out of healthy players by the middle of the season. Folly. Chuck Carbo was He still prefers to be careful and use a scooter or golf cart, "but I still drive a car. And even more incredibly, he now realizes it's possible the career that changed the trajectory of his life might not have even happened if he were playing today. . He played seven more games that season, saying he felt fine. Watch their music videos complete with lyrics, song meanings and biographies. pic.twitter.com/O9goi6mEeJ. Howe [3] Along with future Pro Football Hall of Famer Willie Brown, safety George Atkinson and cornerback Skip Thomas, Tatum was part of the "Soul Patrol" secondary. Im sorry, but Ive seen Earl Campbell in person on several occasions at autograph signings and things like that. After a decade-plus, it's still taking time for us to really get to know him again.". They just let people dunk the ball uncontested. He married and had three children, and wrote three best-selling books: They Call Me Assassin (1980); They Still Call Me Assassin (1989); and Final Confessions of NFL Assassin Jack Tatum (1996). I dont need people to maim themselves for the rest of their lives just so I can watch a game. Somebody will always break your records. I mean I've gotten cut in my throat. As Patriots wide receiver Darryl Stingley stretched for a pass over the middle of the field, he was hit hard by Raiders defensive back Jack Tatum. He was popularly known as "the Assassin" because of his playing style. Legendary former Raiders safety Jack Tatum died of a heart attack in Oakland on Tuesday at the age of 61. Earl Campbell fears the grip of an ordinary guy's hand. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Campbell has endured great pain since his playing days ended in 1985. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. "He said he couldn't walk," Jones said. Remarkably, he feels better than he has for much of his life, an uncommon case among retired NFL running backs. Learn how your comment data is processed. In 1980, Houston equipment manufacturer Byron Donzis, who invented the quarterback "flak" jacket, spoke of the challenges of outfitting Campbell's massive 34-inch thighs. Whenever players talk about taking drugs or smoking weed to get through the week, I think of him. And rightfully so. [5] Richmond, an Oakland journalist and insider, wrote about Tatum's quiet demeanor off the field, which was contrary to most journalistic reports about Tatum. Feb 1, 2017 10:20 AM At Texas football games, he was always in a golf cart or riding on a scooter. Like checkers and chess. As I've said over and over, it's a violent game. He's really lucky he was not injured severely with that hit, the way his head snaps back and then the way he falls. From 1999 to 2008, he had five different back surgeries. I felt nearly invincible," Floyd said. And his hit on Minnesota Vikings rookie wide receiver Sammy White in Super Bowl XI ranks as one of the hardest hits in league history. . Hed probably get kicked out of todays pansy league for lofting DBs up into the air and slamming them to the turf with one hand. "Texas took me and put 30-40 more pounds of muscle and had me running 21 miles an hour at 260. . [2] However, assistant coach Lou Holtz convinced Hayes to switch Tatum to defensive back during Tatum's freshman season. The big running back won the battle, an oft-cited, celebrated moment of Campbell's superhuman strength. Campbell was once seen as the baddest man on the planet. [8] Gene Upshaw, a teammate and future executive, described the hit as "one of those things that happens that everyone regrets". [3] In the storied rivalry between Ohio State and Michigan, Tatum and his fellow Buckeyes won in 1968 by the score of 5014, lost in 1969 by 2412, and won again in 1970 by 209. For him, it's just one more instance where Campbell might have been sidelined. What position did Jack Tatum play? And, no, he shouldn't be viewed as a cold, ruthless villain for his crippling hit on New England's Darryl Stingley in 1978. [1] Tatum was used by the Buckeyes to cover the opposing team's best wide receiver, but he also was used occasionally as a linebacker due to the nature of his hits and his innate ability to bring down even the biggest fullback or tight end. In a game against the Green Bay Packers on September 24, 1972, he returned a fumble 104 yards for a touchdown. #FlashbackFriday "The Assassin" Jack Tatum meets the "Tyler Rose" Earl Campbell at the goal line. More information on Jack Tatum can be found here. Players were more of an expendable commodity then too. cfos00 says: How many games has Brady missed due to injury aside from the acl/mcl tear? Bowles hasnt made decision on OC Leftwich, Top storylines for each Divisional Round matchup, Lions OC Johnson reportedly to stay with Detroit, Rodgers thinks he can win MVP in right situation, Despite his injuries, Earl Campbell misses a more physical NFL, Giants hold off Vikings 31-24 to advance to Philadelphia next weekend, Lamar Jackson sends possible message to Ravens on social media, Tom Brady gets away with a dirty move, for now.
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