Jack Tatum was involved in two infamous plays in the NFL. During an exhibition game between the New England Patriots and Oakland Raiders on August 12, 1978, Tatum was playing safety. While Patriots receiver Daryl Stingley was running a crossing pattern, Tatum delivered a crushing hit with his helmet which broke Stingley's fourth and fifth vertebrae and left the receiver paralyzed for life.
It was a very controversial play for which Tatum never apologized or was penalized by the NFL. He attempted to contact Stingley, but they never connected. Stingley died in 2007. Tatum made it worse by publishing a book in 1980 about his hard hitting playing : "They Call Me Assassin".
Tatum died at the age of 61 on July 28, 2010 after a heart attack in Oakland. He suffered from diabetes and previously had a leg amputated.
Tatum was also a central figure in "The Immaculate Reception" during the Raiders playoff loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1972. With 22 seconds left in the game, Tatum stripped the ball thrown from quarterback Terry Bradshaw to receiver Frenchy Fuqua. The ball bounced off Fuqua's foot and ricocheted into the arms of Steelers running back Franco Harris who never broke stride and ran for a 42 yard winning touchdown.
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