Oakland/LA/Las Vegas Raiders: S Jack Tatum
Woof. He wasn’t called “The Assassin” for nothing. Furthermore, no player can deliver a vicious hit on Earl Campbell and have Campbell even be afraid of getting hit like that again. But Jack Tatum knew what he was doing and was not afraid to dish a blow that could make his opponents weary of entering his territory yet again. The Super Bowl hit against the Vikings only reaffirmed that.
Unfortunately, the hit on Darryl Stingley of the Patriots is often the first thing that comes to mind when asked about the Jack Tatum experience from opposing players. It was sad, but Tatum never set out to ruin someone’s career or life. It was an unfortunate accident; his head coach, the late John Madden, cosigned it. The Raiders were villains in those days, and Tatum was among them. He, like many hard hitters, deserves more credit for his accomplishments.