Jack Tatum, the Oakland Raiders' safety known for his ferocious tackling, died yesterday at the too-young age of 61. Tatum will always be remembered, unfortunately, for his hit on New England wide receiver Darryl Stingley, which put Stingley in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
Tatum played in two big games in Los Angeles, both at the Rose Bowl. The first was the 1969 Rose Bowl game when USC met Tatum and the Ohio State Buckeyes, who were coached by Woody Hayes.
Ohio State was ranked No. 1 in the polls and USC was No. 2. The Trojans, coached by John McKay, had a high-powered offense that was led by O.J. Simspon. Simpson gained over 170 yards in the game but Ohio State, led by quarterback Rex Kern, ended up winning, taking advantage of three USC fumbles in the second-half.
Tatum's second visit to Pasadena came in 1977 when the Raiders played the Minnesota Vikings in the Super Bowl. A memorable clip from that game takes place when Tatum and All-Pro Willie Brown collide with Vikings wide receiver Sammy White in the middle of the field after White had caught a pass from quarterback Fran Tarkenton. Tatum and Brown hit White with such force that his purple helmet flies off into the air like a child's toy.
The Raiders dominated the Vikings to win their first Super Bowl.
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