John David Tatum (November 18, 1948 – July 27, 2010) was an American professional football safety who played 10 seasons from 1971 through 1980 with the Oakland Raiders and the Houston Oilers in the National Football League (NFL). He was popularly nicknamed as "the Assassin" because of his playing style. Tatum was voted to three consecutive Pro Bowls (1973–1975) and played on one Super Bowl-winning team in nine seasons with the Raiders. He is also known for a hit he made against New England Patriots wide receiver Darryl Stingley in a 1978 preseason game that paralyzed Stingley from the neck down. He won a national championship at Ohio State.
A member of the College Football Hall of Fame, Tatum played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was a twice an All-American in 1969 and 1970. He was selected by the Raiders in the first round of the 1971 NFL draft with whom he earned a reputation as a fierce competitor and one of the hardest hitters ever to play the game. Tatum was also noted for his involvement in the Immaculate Reception play during a 1972 playoff game versus the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Tatum's playing style was well recognized in the 1970s and his New York Times obituary stated Tatum was a "symbol of a violent game".<!-- Freshmen weren't allowed to play on the first team squad until 1972 per NCAA rules. -->
Tatum was a first-team All-Big Ten in 1968, 1969 and 1970. In his final two seasons he was a unanimous All-American. In 1970, he was selected as the National Defensive Player of the Year and was among the top vote getters for the Heisman Trophy, which is awarded to the athlete considered to have been the nation's best college football player that year. Tatum helped lead the Buckeyes to a 27–2 record in his three seasons as a starter, with two national championship appearances, two Big Ten titles and a national championship in 1968. However, according to his former head coach John Madden, Tatum was never called by that nickname during his playing career.
In Super Bowl XI, on January 9, 1977, Tatum knocked the helmet off Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Sammy White. This is often regarded as one of the biggest hits in Super Bowl history. Tatum and Patriots wide receiver Darryl Stingley collided as Stingley was leaping for a pass on an inside slant route, a play the Patriots had run earlier in the game that put him in the path of Tatum. There was an awkward collision as Stingley lowered his helmet to protect himself and hit Tatum's shoulder pad. The impact severely damaged Stingley's spinal cord and left him with incomplete quadriplegia for the rest of his life. The NFL took no disciplinary action for the tackle but they did tighten the rules on violent hits.
1980 season with Houston Oilers
Tatum was traded to the Houston Oilers for running back Kenny King and seventh round draft choices in the 1980 and 1981 NFL drafts. He finished his pro career with them, playing all 16 games that year, and recorded a career-high seven interceptions in the season.
Career NFL statistics
Tatum finished his career with total of 37 interceptions with 736 return yards. He also recovered 10 fumbles in his career, returning them for 164 yards.
Retirement
Tatum retired after being released by the Oilers following the 1980 season.
Legacy
The Oakland Raiders were one of the more resilient teams of the 1970s, and Tatum's leadership was a major contributor. The record was tied 28 years later by Aeneas Williams.
Tatum was honored by Passaic High School during their 2008 season. The final game of the football season, Passaic's annual Thanksgiving matchup with rival Clifton High School, was regarded as "Jack Tatum Day" and the school honored him with a ceremony at halftime where his number 32 was officially retired.
In 1999, Sports Illustrated included him on its All-Century Team for college football.