SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Jack Tatum, whose fierce hitting earned him the moniker "The Assassin" and made him a three-time Pro Bowl safety with the Oakland Raiders in the 1970s, died Tuesday of a heart attack, the team said.
Tatum, who had 37 interceptions during his 10 years in the NFL, died at an Oakland hospital at the age of 61.
"We are deeply saddened by the news of Jack Tatum's passing," the Raiders said in a statement on the NFL team's website (www.raiders.com). "Jack was a true Raider champion and a true Raider warrior.
"He was a great player and person and has been a big part of our lives since we drafted him in 1971 as a first round pick out of Ohio State."
Tatum, known for the vicious hits he applied on opposing pass receivers, played on the Raiders' 1976 Super Bowl championship team.
He was perhaps best known for his jarring tackle in a 1978 preseason game that paralyzed New England Patriots receiver Darryl Stingley, who died in 2007.
Tatum also had a role in one of the NFL's most memorable plays.
The play, which came to be known as the Immaculate Reception, gave the Pittsburgh Steelers a storybook victory over Tatum's Raiders in a 1972 divisional playoff game.
With time running out and Oakland leading 7-6, Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw heaved a pass in the direction of Tatum and Pittsburgh running back Frenchy Fuqua.
The ball bounced off one of them and was caught by Steelers running back Franco Harris, who made a fingertip catch of the ball just inches off the ground and completed a 60-yard run for the winning touchdown with five seconds remaining.
Tatum played his first nine NFL seasons with the Raiders before spending the 1980 campaign with the Houston Oilers.
He was a member of both the Raiders and college football's Hall of Fame.
"We have lost one of our greatest Buckeyes," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said in a statement. "When you think of Ohio State defense, the first name that comes to mind is Jack Tatum."
(Additional reporting by Gene Cherry)
(Writing by Larry Fine in New York, Editing by Steve Ginsburg; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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