[5][7] Clayton wrote that Tatum was part of the reason why the Steelers-Raiders matchup was his most anticipated game of the season while starting his sports-writing career in Pittsburgh, and that Tatum hit like "no other safety in football". Texas didn't know. Despite such artificial advantage, have failed to match let alone top various sports records set the 20th century, 1900s. Campbell's undisputed greatness is the reason this hit is still being talked about more than 40 years later. "Because if that right lick had ever hit me, I would've permanently been in a wheelchair.". Despite Earls desire, the concussion lawsuits happened and the league has been trying to cover its ass. He addressed this in his bio A Football Life. Football didnt do that to him. . At Texas football games, he was always in a golf cart or riding on a scooter. Well, football is not played like it was when I played, Campbell told USA Today. A lot of people had it wrong about Jack Tatum. And it burned. Quite the opposite. Feb 1, 2017 10:20 AM "They were trying to save me from possibly harming myself.". #2 Barry Sanders Earl Campbell is a hero of Texas football. [13] The record was tied 28 years later by Aeneas Williams. 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. __________________________________. "Now, I know a little bit about Budweiser and tequila. "I said, 'Aw, come on, show me what you can do.' Jones enlisted Campbell's sons, Christian and Tyler, to confront him, knowing they had the best chance of getting his ear. "Earl don't get up.". Tatum used the art of intimidation to his full advantage. Tatum was drafted by the Oakland Raiders as the 19th pick in the first round of the 1971 NFL Draft to replace former Oakland safety Dave Grayson, who retired after the 1970 season, and for "defensive stability". Brady would never make it in a more physical NFL. Built in 1943, she served in the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and the Pacific until her sinking in a suicide attack by a Japanese Kaiten manned torpedo on 24 July 1945. Christian and Tyler were scared to have the conversation with their dad, worried it would affect their relationship. This is often regarded as one of the biggest hits in Super Bowl history. Somebody will always break your records. Hes right. "At least Earl Campbell can walk," he said, although his balance is a problem from the surgeries. When I was standing on my head in my end zone, nobody knew this, but I was thinking, Somethings wrong. However, unfortunately the hit that he will forever be remembered for was the one that left Darryl Stingley of the Patriots a quadriplegic following a massive blow with his forearm that broke 2 vertebrae in Stingley's neck. Where do Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa and Packers QB Jordan Love stand? He was 61. Hes an inspiration for others to follow. And yet Campbell thinks todays NFL isnt tough enough, and he misses the days when men were men, and they injured each other with brutal hits on concrete-like Astroturf. Hall of Famer Donnie Shell's famous hit on Earl Campbell, badly bruising Campbell's ribs and sidelining him for the game as the Steelers go on to win 13-3, clinching the AFC Central crown.While I am a Steelers fan, Earl Campbell is my favorite running back of all time. The only thing that Jack Tatum didn't do was wrap me up so I backed into the endzone backwards. "Some defensive backs covered wide receivers; Jack buried them. Brady would never make it in a more physical NFL. Earl Campbell's undiagnosed spinal condition was particularly dangerous for the type of power runner he was. Campbell underwent the first of five back surgeries in 1999. Tatum, among the most feared and. A member of the College Football Hall of Fame, Tatum was a unanimous All-American in 1969 and 1970. 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. Its like a 12 year old falling 40 times vs an adult. (1989); and Final Confessions of NFL Assassin Jack Tatum (1996 . Howe Im not judging as much as stating my personal observation. and with these pass happy sissy rules of today what kind of numbers would Staubach ,Bradshaw,Stabler and Tarkington put up ?????. John David Tatum was an American football safety. Despite Earls desire, the concussion lawsuits happened and the league has been trying to cover its ass. But even the general doctors on the sidelines and the trainers are much more attuned to that, where they would probably keep the player off the field after that play for further evaluation.". They are bigger, stronger, and faster today, and it wouldnt be worth playing the same way given what would result. #1 Jim Brown [3][4] According to Madden, "It was something that ate on him for his whole life. A year after the Stingley hit, Tatum and Campbell met in the Astrodome in the first quarter of a November game between the Oilers and the Raiders. "It was a test of my faith, the entire story. He followed that by running for 1,934 yards in 1980, averaging 5.2 yards per carry despite being a marked man by every defense. Feb 1, 2017 10:20 AM Jack Tatum, the Raiders safety they called "Assassin," sneaked around another defender. Jack Tatum through the years NFL.com's complete photo archive. "What happened over time is everybody just thinks I had football injuries," says Campbell, who turned 65 in March. Hell, I didn't know no better, I thought you go to a doctor and that's somebody that's gonna save your life. It's the same diagnosis that caused Michael Irvin to retire midseason and caused Cooper Manning to give up football at Ole Miss before his brothers went on to the NFL. 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. How tall was Jack Tatum? And rightfully so. Learn how your comment data is processed. He retired from football last December before ever playing a game for the Longhorns. "Now we're much more attuned to that," he said. Someone needs to start another pro football league that plays the game the way it was meant to be played. We all love when a guy toughs out pains or even minor injuries and still performs, but while Campbell says that it wouldnt have gotten the job done in his day to take a seat, he completely misses that HE wouldnt get the job done TODAY if he tried to play through such injuries. "He said he couldn't walk," Jones said. As unthinkable as it is now, doctors would've had the same debate about Campbell. That's a severe whiplash, which can cause spinal cord injury, especially with spinal stenosis.". Earl probably had a contusion of the spinal cord at that time, which would explain the burning. "Well, what are you waiting for? RoY 1979 Bert Bell Award (Player of the Year) Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy will lead the American team and Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will head the National team. He played 10 seasons, from 1971 through 1980, with the Oakland Raiders and Houston Oilers in the National Football League (NFL). Subjective bias bows at the foot objectivity: as evidenced earlier, players today are no better, and in fact are not as good as players yesteryear many cases. He separated them from their helmets. I can only imagine what would happen if he got picked up and was pile driven to the turf like Bradshaw was against the Browns years ago, and that has happened to countless QBs over and over. Earl's own brothers and sisters didn't know. Floyd was immediately held out of spring practice. He played seven more games that season, saying he felt fine. But Id rather watch the football players of the past than the businessmen of today. He earned All-Pro status for covering receivers, not just leveling them, while also providing tremendous support against the run. . Earl Campbell is one of the greatest players in Titans/Oilers franchise history. Feb 1, 2017 10:20 AM He remains on scholarship at Texas but is continuing life as a student, pursuing a career in music. The man was a legitimately talented football player. Jealousy will get you nowhere. The self-professed country boy who had avoided the temptations of the 1980s as a football star didn't foresee the danger of prescription painkillers. Dont know what THIS article had to do with Brady but hes taken some pretty brutal hits over the years and has always popped right up. these dinky receivers would get their heads ripped off by Blount , Tatum or Houston.can you imagine how these QBs of today would be left crying with their faces busted open by the Steel Curtain ,Doomsday or the Purple People Eaters ..????? ", "Earl has been very lucky that he didn't have any catastrophes when he was playing," said Dr. Stan Jones, a spinal surgeon in Houston who performed Campbell's fifth, and he hopes, final, back procedure in 2008. What position did Jack Tatum play? "Even if I would've known, I would've been truly completely happy playing. However, what hes done since might not have garnered as much attention, but its more important as it has allowed Campbell to share his story and help change lives in the process. This is not owned by me NFL Legend - Jack \"Assassin\" Tatum Highlights(All rights go to ESPN, Fox, CBS, Universal Music Group, the NFL, NBA, NCAA \u0026 it's broadcasters. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. I was at first amazed at the list of injuries hes had and then by his comments. By TheRaiderWay Jul 27, 2010, 11:55am PDT. And, no, he shouldn't be viewed as a cold, ruthless villain for his crippling hit on New England's Darryl Stingley in 1978. Could Tom Brady end up in Miami, after all? But after retirement, he started out on his own and followed whatever advice was offered. You can watch some of Tatum's greatest hits against Earl Campbell, Sammy White, and Riley Odoms on YouTube, but the one on Stingley didn't even rank in his top 50, although it haunted him. Campbell learned he had played with spinal stenosis all his life. AUSTIN, Texas - NFL Hall of Famer Earl Campbell said Tuesday he is undergoing nerve treatment after doctors ruled out concerns that he might have Lou Gehrig's disease. Campbell didn't do anything to dissuade the notion. The force compressed Stingley's spinal cord and fractured two vertebrae, leaving him paralyzed and a quadriplegic. THAT but one example difference yesteryears game to today. Tatum was born in Cherryville, North Carolina, and grew up in Passaic, New Jersey, where he had little interest in playing sports in his early years. That the rules have changed to protect passers after throwing the ball helps too. They saw him only in the light cast by a single play, rather than for his complete body of work. Ernie Ladd: 69 350 give or take DT. The two that instantly come to mind are the ones delivered by Nate Clements and Elvis Dumervil. I was too young to appreciate Earl Campbells game. And by offering quotes such as this to the media: "I like to believe that my best hits border on felonious assault.". The referees ruled that Tatum had touched the ball and therefore Harris's touchdown was permitted, allowing the Steelers to win the game. The oft-rerun hit on Earl Campbell at the goal line when both players were basically knocked out on the play. Tatum, who was known for his devastating hits, including one a year earlier that ended the career of Darryl Stingley and left him paralyzed, delivered a blow to Campbell that he never saw coming. Loved by Raiders fans and despised by those who followed every other team, Tatum was a key part of the fabric of the game in the 1970s. Only difference is the guys are on average bigger and faster and thus striking each other with more force. "[12], The Oakland Raiders were one of the more resilient teams of the 1970s, and Tatum's leadership was a major contributor. People really don't know the truth about it.". Tatum, who was known for his devastating hits, including one a year earlier that ended the career of Darryl Stingley and left him paralyzed, delivered a blow to Campbell that he never saw coming. [2][4] Tatum became part owner of a restaurant in Pittsburg, California. 60 talking about this. He was Offensive Player of the Year as a rookie and the NFL MVP in his second season. . People like Earl Campbell and myself would switch from the NFL in a heartbeat. On doctors recommendations, he started taking painkillers. In July, the University of Texas announced it would immediately change the name of the football field at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium to Campbell-Williams Field to honor Campbell, who won the 1977 Heisman Trophy, and the Longhorns' other Heisman winner, Ricky Williams (1998). Jack Tatum, the storied Oakland Raiders safety best known for landing the hit that paralyzed New England receiver Darryl Stingley, has died. Earl probably had a contusion of the spinal cord at that time, which would explain the burning. 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. . Drinking did. He endured a series of medical missteps that put him in a wheelchair and led him to a dangerous addiction. After years of playing the game like a battering ram, Earl Campbell was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, the same injury that ended Michael Irvins career. "Small, medium, large and Earl Campbell.". He. I applauded his openness. During his time in Austin, he averaged 5.8 yards per carry. He might have just escaped that one fateful blow. Do players have a longer career nowadays than before? Hes missed time only due to getting his knee caved in once in his career. 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