Goodbye to the Assassin

Raiders safety was an Ohio State alum and 3-time Pro Bowler


Placing his most powerful hit in the Superbowl on a Vikings player




By Felicia

When the Raiders left Oakland, I hated them and became loyal to the Maroon and Gold across the bridge. To add to my dislike, I started to learn more about Jack Tatum who had long retired once I became a 49er fan.

My late Uncle Chuckie had told me how he was there when the menacing Raiders safety placed a paralyzing hit on Patriots receiver Darryl Stingley in 1978 confining him to a wheelchair until his death a few years ago. Known as The Assassin field for his eye-popping hits, Tatum would write a book by the same name that some felt hardly showed remorse for the career ending hit on Stingley.

That was until I met him in the late 1990’s in Lake Tahoe. You know the feeling you get when you rip someone and then when you meet them they are nothing like you thought? That’s the feeling I got with Mr. Tatum. He was witty and personable. His chuckle was deep, his persona shy, yet his eyes were still on you. I waited for an Assassin personality to erupt, however, I got none. I had a change of heart. This man couldn’t have purposely meant to paralyze someone.

No doubt, he was doing his job on the field, back then football didn’t have the rules they have in today’s NFL. Today the story that hasn’t been heavily reported is Tatum tried to visit Stingley while he was in an Oakland hospital but was turned away by Stingley’s family.

Tuesday, The Assassin died from a heart attack at the age of 61, a three-time Pro Bowler known as one of the most feared at his position.

Tatum would have a journey of his own, battling diabetes and losing parts of both his legs in recent years. He lost his life Tuesday morning as the ripe age of 61, from a heart attack.

Unfortunately he and Stingley would never come to a happy medium on earth; hopefully they can on that big football field in the sky.