OSU, Oakland Raider great Jack Tatum dead at 61

COLUMBUS (AP) — Jack Tatum, the All-Pro safety for the Oakland Raiders best known for his hit that paralyzed Darryl Stingley in an NFL preseason game in 1978, has died. He was 61.

Nicknamed “The Assassin,” Tatum died of a heart attack today in Oakland, according to friend and former Ohio State teammate John Hicks.

On Aug. 12, 1978, Stingley, playing for the New England Patriots, ran head-on into the hard-hitting Tatum on a crossing pattern. The blow severed Stingley’s fourth and fifth veterbrae and left the receiver paralyzed.

Tatum said he tried to visit Stingley at an Oakland hospital shortly after the collision but was turned away by Stingley’s family members.

Stingley died in 2007.

Tatum, was a three-time Pro Bowler, was 61.

"We have lost one of our greatest Buckeyes," Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel said in a statement. "When you think of Ohio State defense, the first name that comes to mind is Jack Tatum. His loss touches every era of Ohio State players and fans."

Tatum was renowned as one of the most feared hitters in the game. He won a Super Bowl with Oakland in 1976.

He is a member of both the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame.