Jack Tatum & Darryl Stingley Hit (The Final Play)

[ClydetheHound]

Just for the record, I was watching football back then. Jack Tatum was one of the absolute premiere players of the day. He shut it down. He got the most press, but he was not different than any other hard-playing (i.e. "good") DB in the game. The main thing is that the NFL was supposed to have been researching everything from HANS devices to radical helmet design for over 30 freakin' years, and they haven't done squat. Roger Goodell = Bud Selig

[jaw1987cchs]

@WesternPAdude no just filmed around 40 years ago...moron

[WesternPAdude]

Was this video filmed with a box of rocks?

[jaw1987cchs]

@godfreewoman The thiesmann leg clip... Gross... Makes me quezzy everytime I watch it... And unfortunately it's a clip you never forget.

[godfreewoman]

I remember watching it over and over again. Kind of like they did Theisman's leg. Moving him like they did back then exacerbated his injury. I just remember my father sitting in stunned silence. It was like he knew that Stingley was badly injured when his arm just fell to side and he didn't see the rest of his body move. A hit I will NEVER forget.

[jaw1987cchs]

@raider3081710 Fact

[jaw1987cchs]

@raider3081710 Amen

[raider3081710]

High spinal you are a moron and to imply that Tatum didn't care is totally untrue jack tried to visit Jim while in the hospital it was stingleys family that turned jack away.

[raider3081710]

@rocket the type of hit you speak of with the player having the ball says that the safety has already failed and had poor coverage. As far as you not being impressed with Tatum as a player leads me to believe you have some bias he is well respected and considered by many in professional football as one of the nest safety of all times with company of such players as ronny lott....

[RocketJohnnyful]

Not that impressed with Tatum as a player. While blindside hits against receivers who are in a vulnerable position as they're going for the ball invariably look pretty cool, it doesn't take that much talent, relatively speaking. There's the timing factor of course, but that's something learned through experience. I'm much more impressed with big hits made by players against opponents who already have the ball and the ability to react before getting tackled.

[jaw1987cchs]

For the record I poste this to show the hit... Not to use it as motivation to criticize tatums actions... Furthermore I stand by tatums actions... Both on the field and after the hit off field...call him what you want but realize that what he did was indeed legal at the time and still should be... It's a collision sport. These guys know the risk in playing.... And FYI tatum did attempt an apology but was turned down by stinglys family...

[Number1JDAWG]

jack tatum's an asshole. hitting the guy and paralyzing him when he knew there was no way he could catch the ball is one thing, refusing to apologize for it makes him a piece of trash

[NegativeHippie32]

As a human...I don't think Tatum should have apologized for his play...but he could've at least talked to the the guy or visited him in the hospital. At the end of the day, his actions caused severe injury to another human who spent the rest of his days in agony.

[ThoseFiveJewz]

@NegativeHippie32 he did visit him in the hospital

[tlpnlxz]

Tragic. Can't blame Tatum on injury but was late hit.

[Bullrock88]

Tatum had said before that they had ran that play a couple times and that he knew it was gonna get somebody hurt, yet they continued to run it. Its a freak accident. Darryl lowered his head as jack was comin

[rage1umr]

It wasn't a head-to-head; Stingley's helmet hit Tatum's shoulder pad. The video and Wikipedia are correct on this.

[elnumbrotres]

I'm curious, did this render him a paraplegic or a quadriplegic?

[iClassiqaL]

@elnumbrotres Quadriplegic.

[MrJackiepoo13]

Can't run your formation with your head down. Looks like he really did it to himself.

[wsbill14224]

To add to my post, when you look back on it, how dumb was it in a preseason game to repeatedly throw slants across the middle with Jack Tatum in coverage? People know him as a take-no-prisoners defender, but was he really? He faced the same play several times before he teed-off on Stingley so I think that shows some patience.

[wsbill14224]

Tatum lead with his head but it was legal then. It was a preseason game so almost no one saw it until later. The Patriots ran the same play several times to various receivers. That time it put Stingley in Tatum's path, and the Raiders were aware and sick of them running that risky play. In short, the Patriots were asking for what happened. I know that sounds cold by today's standards but that's how it was at the time. You didn't push your luck, and the Pats did, to disastrous consequences.

[brotherlylovely]

Wait.. Howd he end up getting paralyzed from a hit like that? It looked as though the hit was no wear near his spinal column.

[TarheelTad64]

It was only a frigin preseason game Tatum was totaly head hunting

[izzy25bg]

please r.i.p uncle darryl will be missed by the Stingley family



[lwmson]

@izzy25bg Your family not only misses your uncle, but the rest of the world misses his inspirational courage. But the good news is that wherever his soul is now, he's no longer confined to wheelchair, and his spirit is free. God bless you and the rest of the Stingley family, and may Darryl R.I.P.

[picark]

A sad moment in NFL history.When your confined to a wheelchair for the rest of your life nothing will be the same....ever.It's always different when it happens to you.  Jack Tatum made a clean yet vicious hit on Stingley.There was no need to apologize for the hit,it was the end result from the hit that Jack Tatum should've shown remorse towards Darryl Stingley.

[airfreaks99]

This is sad can't belive y'all are hatin on this guy y'all have to be gay to do that.

[sonnstarr]

Tatum wrote the book, "They Call Me Assassin", in which he bragged about injuring opponents. Steve Grogan, the Patriots quarterback who threw that pass to Stingley, call Tatum's hit a cheap shot.

[lwmson]

@sonnstarr Grogan shouldn't be so judgmental. After all, because he threw such a lousy pass, they were those who faulted him for the tragedy.

[fightsports66]

The reason why they never mat for an apology according to Stingley was because Tatum wanted to do it on television ( I believe it was the Mike Douglas Show he wanted to do it on). Stingley felt making a media thing out of it was insincere. That being said I also do not feel Tatum did anything wrong. You can see in this slowed down video that Stingley was coming down awkwardly, that is what caused the placement of the hit. If you have ever seen the hit at full speed it was a standard nfl hit.

[juanros71]

@LetReasonReign yea the hit looked unavoidable since stingley was in range to catch the ball looks like tatum was just gonna make the play and stingley sees him and lowers his head.. im no football expert OR a doctor but i know that is a no no when going into a collision but anyways jack tatum was just doing his job no bad blood on this hit(IMO)

[lwmson]

If anyone was to blame, it was Stingley himself. In his book, he admitted that he put his down in an effort to evade Tatum. BIG MISTAKE. You ALWAYS keep your head up. Interestingly enough, Tatum delivered the exact same blow on Sammie White of the Vikings in the Super Bowl. But because White's head was up, he escaped serious injury. (For anyone who doesn't believe this, see it for yourself here on YouTube.)

[6400az]

@lwmson

Totally disagree here! If one keeps their head up then your jaw and neck R exposed( John Gilliam in SB IX...Anquan Boldin), one has to tuck the head to brace for imapact. Stingley did'nt have a choice as he was flying in Tatums direction.

The Sammy White hit, was very different. Unlike Stingley, White was never airborne. He would 've lowered his head, BUT just before the hit he caught a forearm to the jaw from Skip Thomas, this tilted his head and left him completely exposed.

[Cnadien]

@6400az

Sorry lwmson is right.

Whether you're tackling or getting hit, if you're head is going to make contact you need to look up. If you lower your head the impact is more likely to break a Cervical Disk in your neck (most likely between the C3 and C6) because it's a squashing motion, 2 objects of fairly large mass colliding at high speeds.

I'm not sure if you've played football, but the 1st thing you're ever taught when you tackle/are hit, is keep your head up, your LESS LIKELY to get hurt

[6400az]

@Cnadien

Nope......we're talking about two different things now. IF your the tackler,yes, lead with your shoulder and keep your head up.I understand what you mean about the squashing of the of the disks in the cervical area.

BUT if your the ball carrier, THEN you must tuck your head in and brace for the hit. Imaging hitting the hole on 4th and 1 standing staright up,no way.

For the record, I DID play football ( irrelevant here) and also sustained a back/neck injury ....VERY lucky to be OK.

[lwmson]

@Cnadien Thanx Dude!

[Cnadien]

@6400az

Not guaranteed not to get hurt. It's football the God's sake, injuries are inevitable.

[1j03y1]

This video would be available in 1080p hd

[Trygg1]

What soundtrack is this music from?

[Ravenz0]

i have darryl stingleys helmet as in the one he got hit in. Raymond clayborne (teamate) is a family friend who gave it to us.

[lwmson]

@Ravenz0 How in the hell would Clayborne have access to that helmet? No offense intended, but I find what you're saying hard to believe.

[Ravenz0]

@lwmson like i said clayborne and stingley were close friends. that was a career ending hit and what are you going to do with a helmet nobody is using? After the season i guess clayborne just asked for the helmet, and its been in our family since. I wouldnt come to this video and just straight up lie about something like this.

[biakaba]

Anyone take anytime to think maybe...shit happens? Its football...people get hurt. Don't play if you can't accept the risks...SORRY.

[ricjames1970]

People say Tatum never said he was sorry? Ever read his biography? He called him and went to the hospital!! Get the facts straight people!!

[armyaviationproud]

@ricjames1970 He was supposedly pushed away by his family when he made a trip there so he never saw him. After that day though you think he could have tried to at a later date and see him in person.

[leonetski]

@ricjames1970 stingley said he never reached out cept to make money years later...the patriot qb, steve grogan said players took care of each other in preseason games back then but not tatum...grogan never had any respect for him

[skatahkickflip]

Well, noone went over there because noone obvoiusly knew he was paralized yet. I mean, he hit him pretty damn hard, but he didn't expect to paralyze him

[jamesbond504]

THAT PUSSY AZZ BITCH DIDNT EVEN GO SEE ABOUT HIM AFTER HE SEEN HIM LAYING ON THE FUCKIN GROUND ,, NOT MOVING ,I REMEMBER SEEING IT ON MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBAL WHEN I WAS LIKE 9 OR 10 YEARS OLD, ALL THEY HAD AROUND HIM AT THE TIME WAS HIS OWN PLAYERS SURROUNDING HIM, NOBODY FROM THE RAIDERS SIDE INCLUDING TATUM PUSSY AZZ IF I WAS CLOSELY RELATED TO DARYL STINGLEY,I WOULDA HAD TO GO TO JAIL ,CUZ I WOULDA HAD TO FOLLOW HIM AROUND AND KILL HIM ,DUDE IS PARALYZED AND HE DIDNT CARE,

[Ubberpoonage]

SORRY I CRUSHED YOU THAT'S FOOTBALL NOT THE NAFL (ARENA) THAT GOODELL WANTS DO THAT TO BRADY

[jackbarney1]

Bad choice of music.

[dcbandnerd]

Jack Tatum hit so hard, he almost killed a guy. Good lord, he was a force to be reckoned with.

[BobMarley211]

"I was gonna flip that motha fuckas chair over and stomp his mouth."

[nassauE]

@BobMarley211 "Naw we the black panthers bitch and I'm the president, now turn your muthafuckin ass around and fly and mind your muthafuckin buisness"

[jrwaneurysm]

@nassauE CHARLIE FUCKIN MURPHY!

[bc0wful]

Mute.

[mitchmann0013]

This music is beyond creepy

[bigxballerxcvx559]

klane he did try to visit his family wouldnt let him in he didnt mean to do it he was sorry for what happened

[jdaddy153]

It's the game of football he doesn't have to apologize. He played the game as hard as he could and sometimes injuries occur. Sure saying sorry would be classy but I wasnt mad for him not apologizing

[beantownkid38]

@jdaddy153 What's wrong with saying "Sorry about what happened." You weren't mad for him apologizing? Well, thank god you're not mad. You also weren't the one who had to suffer from tetraplegia for 29 years before dying from complications of it.

I know you're taking the risk when you're playing a game like football... but I just don't see what's the problem with apologizing or even just feeling sorry for what happened.

[TheManInTheMasks]

@beantownkid38 Jack Tatum had a great hit that. Had Stingley not been hurt at all, should he have been sorry there? NO! The result is irrelevant, if he had been killed it wouldn't matter, as long as it was a legal hit, which it was and still would be today since it wasn't helmet to helmet like most people believe......

[beantownkid38]

@TheManInTheMasks Completely missed my point.

[TheManInTheMasks]

@beantownkid38 Then explain, what was your point?

[beantownkid38]

@TheManInTheMasks It's pretty clear above... if you can't comprehend what I said - then forget it and stick with your conclusion.

[beantownkid38]

@beantownkid38 Oh, the Raiders suck.

[raider1297]

@jdaddy153 you did know that he was paralyzed for life right??

[unixgeek13]

He never apologized, but he did explain it... Tatum blamed the NE coaches for running that same play too many times. It was a clean hit with a bad outcome. If he did try to visit the hospital, I can't imagine what he might have said... Did anyone else notice Stingleys own teammate (#81) accidentally kicking his foot when the trainers arrived?

[dkkoover]

@unixgeek13 not like Stingley felt it

[fluxerflixer1]

RIP to both these two players. They are in heaven now together not worrying about football...

[doogwood]

Grogan threw a terrible pass. lead him on way too much otherwise he may have had along career

[gracro22]

Tatum was a jerk, good hitter, but total jerk

[chchuy94]

Yeah, he could've apologized. He didn't though. If he isn't sorry, why do it? Do you guys think Andre Johnson is sorry shiiiiiiet he could care less for Courtland Finnagen(however u spell his name) but he still did apologized because now and days everyone get butthurt very fast. Ife Johnson didn't apologize everyone would hate him, i dont think he cares but weel u know how people are noe..its crazy bc im 16 and i just dont care bout shit but school and football

[Scottthefish]

why apologize if you are not sorry for something you did just tell an empty lie and make weirdos feel better? 

[klane904]

YES...he was a GREAT MAN! Except of course for the simple fact that he NEVER apologized for what he did..even if it was not intentional...don't you think a simple "I'm sorry for what happened" would suffice...wouldn't you think? Not even a hospital visit...but YES...true definition of class act.

[jaw1987cchs]

9@klane904

hard to tell why he never said sorry... maybe they had a rivalry, maybe it was intentional or maybe he just didnt think it would begin to help... only one person knows why... and he died nearly a year ago. (7-27-2010)

[bushsucks1985]

@jaw1987cchs it looked intentional because stingly wasnt close to the ball

[chefken2010]

@jaw1987cchs Not true. In Tatum's book "They call me assassin" from 1980, Jack said that he even went to Stingley's hospital, but Stingley's family refused to let him in.

[fatboi5468]

@jaw1987cchs The Patriots play football like a capenter laying carpet, the Raiders play football like a dude bursting thru a skylight with a machine gun.

[Hsquad2]

@jaw1987cchs Tatum tried to visit Stingley in the hospital but Stingley said that he didn't even want to see Tatum

[lwmson]

@jaw1987cchs Although Tatum was deeply disturbed by the tragedy, he refused to apologize because he felt he never did anything wrong, and he didn't. Helmet -to-helmet hitting was legal at that time in the NFL, and Tatum was just playing the game the way it was supposed to be played. It was just that he was such an intense hitter that the hit he afflicted on Stingley caused severe damage.

[smcgill91]

@lwmson it's not that he never apologized, he never visited or spoke to him once. If you paralyzed someone for life, would you not at least check up on them? Not to say sorry, just to see how they were doing. I know I could never live with myself if I didn't.

[lwmson]

@smcgill91 As confirmed in John Madden's book ("Hey, I Wrote a Book") Tatum DID try and reach out to Stingley. Tatum tried to visit Darryl while he was being hospitalized after the accident. But StIngley's family denied Tatum access to do so.

[tonyfausset]

@lwmson WAIT A MINUTE! Jack Tatum DID apologize! he personally apologized to Darryl Stingley the year following the incident, In Tatum's book "they call me assassin" he explains about the whole accident and how it was something he will always have to live with and how remorseful he was. he couldnt play for a while afterwards because he was afraid he would hurt someone else. Even Jack doesnt want to hurt people, thats why its called an accident.

[lwmson]

@tonyfausset That's not true. He said in an interview that he would never apologize for what he did, because in delivering the hit on Stingley, he was only doing his job and he didn't break any rules (Spearing was legal at the time.). But you're right. In his book he does express great remorse for what happened. At the very end, in fact, he stated, "Stingley will probably never walk again, and whenever I think of this it just tears me up."

[LPerezDancer]

@lwmson doesnt look like "helmet to helmet" to me... looks like his shoulder just hit him in exactly the wrong place at the exact wrong angle

[L1LTUN3CH1]

@klane904 it was a legal hit there's nothing to apologize for what is he gonna say im sorry for playing football

-___-

[capone50]

@klane904 Jack tried reaching out to stingley. His family would have none of it. He was turned down. As for apologizing, he had nothing to apologize for. To apologize would have meant he did something wrong or illegal. Was he sad that he was paralyzed? yes. but he wasnt going to take responsibility for it. He shoudnt have had to.

[juanros71]

@klane904 ive heard that(not sure if darryl stingley himself or his family) denied tatum a visit to his hospital room

but its part of the game he needs to be in HOF he warned everybody all the time do NOT go down the middle and stingley made that mistake and jack tatum just did what jack tatum was famous for,,HITTING

[FatTurtleGaming]

@klane904 Hes Such a Punk Faggot

[copper4eva]

@klane904

I think he did try to go to the hospital to apologize but Stingleys family just wouldn't let him. I'm not sure about that BTW.

[iMajorBlood]

@klane904 He did go to the hospital to visit him but Stingly's family refused to let him in

[MAB9413]

@klane904 he was doing his job, would you apologize if you typed the best business report and your co-worker got fired because yours was better?

[bucnomore11]

@klane904 i've seen him say he regretted the outcome. cocksmoker

[highspinal]

Jack burns in hell eternally at this current moment. He didn't know, and to this moment in time he didn't care.He was just another thug from the hood. Actions have consequences.

[bbrettfa]

The music on this video is creepin me out. And who else saw the sketch with charlie murphy talking about flippin stingleys chair over lol 

[MsLovee55]

@bbrettfa i did..thats why i watched

[jiffinbigles]

@bbrettfa lol that's why I'm here, and yeah, wtf is up with this music

[DJ4000VOLT]

@bbrettfa i was just watchn that

[danielcrs8]

He was a hard hitter, and this is football. I'm sorry for Stingley, of course, but Jack Tatum is still one of the greatest football players.

[tokesalot42069]

lol they shoulve atleast let him make a public apology

[waroberson3017]

Jack Tatum was THE MAN. Played football the way it should be played. IF you wanted to go across the middle against the Raiders, just remember, that is the "Land of the Assassin"!

[jaw1987cchs]

@waroberson3017

yup. just like he said on the feared tacklers video i posted... something along the lines of.. i want a receiver thinking of me when they go out there to catch the ball...

""I like to believe that my best hits border on felonious assault."" Jack Tatum

he was a great player and best of all, a buckeye!

[tokesalot42069]

@jaw1987cchs he sounds fuckin sick in the head man did he even apologize for paralyzing darryl stingley

[BigkKinny]

@tokesalot42069 He tried, but Stingley's family didnt let him

[shiron236]

@BigkKinny He can make a public apology, but he didn't.

[gradeschoolbeatdown]

Never thought I'd hate a football player so much. Tatum was a dumbass booger.

[jaw1987cchs]

@gradeschoolbeatdown

despite what he did he was still a great player. those hits were legal back then.

[kenfo0]

@jaw1987cchs I don't see what is "illegal" about it now.Tatum didn't put his head down or do anything I can see to deliberately harm stingley. Crossing the middle against a zone is treacherous...what FB fan doesn't know that? Stingley, naturally, ducked his head to "protect" himself; likely the cause of the injury.

It is a sad and tragic event for Stingley, and a reminder to be thankful every day for what you DO have, instead of being petty about what you DON'T have.

[jaw1987cchs]

@kenfo0

Amen. People want to criticize old school players for their hits, however back then those hits were perfectly legal. On the upside, its because of Jack Tatum (mostly) that helmet to helmet hits are as illegal as they are. Its unfortunate that Stingley has to be an example for football... Or Earnhardt Sr. has to be an example for NASCAR. But they paid the ultimate sacrifice so that others wont have to suffer the same fate.

[kenfo0]

@jaw1987cchs what I was saying is tatum's hit was not illegal today. he made no attempt to spear or do anything cheap. unfortunately, stingley instinctively lowered HIS head to "protect" himself. You can clearly see his head hit tatum's shoulder pad. I don't see how this can be stopped right now...it's not as if you can mandate "no crossing patterns against a zone" or "don't tackle the receiver if he's coming towards you.". Maybe a device like a pretensioning seatbelt that supports the neck?

[jaw1987cchs]

@kenfo0

i know what your talking about bud, trust me ive been pushed the same argument as you for a long time. as far as something to support the neck... there really isnt much you can do. closest thing is the neck roll on the back of the neck attached to the pads but that doesnt help a violent jolt due to foward momentum of your head. and you cant attach the helmet to the pads to keep it stationary because a football player has to have the ability to rotate his head from his 9 to his 3.

[jaw1987cchs]

@kenfo0

And your absolutely right... Be thankful for what you have today, because God above knows it might not be here tomorrow.

[KRamEr7318]

if i die young, i wanna die by a hit from jack tatum. quick, and by the offspring of god.

[jaw1987cchs]

@KRamEr7318

lol ive seen people get shot slower than he hits.

[dahobo1994]

put him in a wheelchair for the rest of his life

[Rannell]

Boy with this music this really makes me wanna cry :(

Oh yeah by the way , whats the song?

[jaw1987cchs]

@Rannell

ya know thats a great question. but i dont have a clue. i kept searching thru the youtube audio swap list and found one suiting. but i dont think i can find the name of it anywhere.