Earl was furious. He says he would've listened, knowing what he knows now and understands the sense of loss Floyd must be feeling. Players and ex players should be the only ones who give final approval to any rule changes. What he found, starting with several tests by a spinal surgeon in 1999, went much deeper. Feb 1, 2017 10:20 AM. In 1974, Tatum had six interceptions and in Super Bowl XI on January 9, 1977, Tatum knocked the helmet off Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Sammy White. "He said he couldn't walk," Jones said. Dunta Robinson and DeSean Jackson Both Knocked out 16 of 50 Probably one of the only plays in NFL history where two players are down for the count on one play; it doesn't seem like Dunta Robinson. The referees ruled that Tatum had touched the ball and therefore Harris's touchdown was permitted, allowing the Steelers to win the game. "There isn't a coach around who wouldn't want his free safety to be as hard-hitting as Tatum, although he was a rare find. The oft-rerun hit on Earl Campbell at the goal line when both players were basically knocked out on the play. No copyright infringement intended. NFL+ gives you the freedom to watch LIVE out-of-market preseason games, LIVE local and primetime regular season and postseason games on your phone or tablet, the best NFL programming on-demand, and MORE! He constantly gotten up time and time again from getting hit and played with countless injuries that he doesnt talk about. So do I. Its no wonder Taahmy is so great. The NFL just isnt as hard hitting as it used to be. Jealousy will get you nowhere. And, no, he shouldn't be viewed as a cold, ruthless villain for his crippling hit on New England's Darryl Stingley in 1978. 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. Fortunately, the surgery performed by Jones was the Hall of Famers last. 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. ", "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. "I think if people had known -- the doctors he was seeing at the time and the team doctors -- that he was really significantly stenotic, they wouldn't have let him play. I dont see the current stars calling out the old guys for their lack of athletism, size and strength so why do these old guys keep talking smack? Despite the dire warnings, Floyd begged to keep playing but finally had to relent. Campbell now speaks openly about the dangers of painkillers and his addiction. Youd probably see more of the 70s 80s and 90s players that could play in todays game than youd find players today that could play in the 70s, 80s and 90s. If believing that helps you through this weekend then Mazel Tov. Browse consumer ratings, consumer reviews, and consumer opinions of Earl Campbell on RateItAll.com. At the Heisman Trophy ceremony, he remained in his seat while his fraternity brothers lined up on stage behind the winner. Earl Campbell was a terrifying NFL running back for eight seasons. He is also special assistant to Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds, in charge of mentoring Longhorns athletes. It sounds like he may have taken a few too many to the head. Enter your email and password to log into Simply Safe Dividends. I can't do anything.'". Get on over here," he said. His reputation as the hardest hitting player of his era was well deserved as several of his hits on opposing receivers and running backs are still talked about today. We know how you play and do what you do,'" Floyd said. Brady would never make it in a more physical NFL. During his time in Austin, he averaged 5.8 yards per carry. Jack Tatum was born on November 18, 1949 (age 61) in Cherryville, North Carolina, United States. "I haven't gone nowhere yet," said Campbell . One of his sons was his inspiration to stop drinking his life away. They saw him only in the light cast by a single play, rather than for his complete body of work. Something like that.". The turf was the place that changed his life. 8 K-gun depth charge projectors. He has had both knees replaced. Campbell considers it the greatest honor of his career, both because of his love for "The University," as he respectfully calls it, and for his appreciation for Dahr, Randall and Rob Jamail, who Campbell says made a statement that change is possible at Texas, a school that was notoriously slow to integrate both on and off the football field. [4] A few weeks later, Tatum signed a three-year, six-figure contract with a $50,000 signing bonus. 2022 NFL Enterprises LLC. [10][11] He finished his pro career with them, playing all 16 games that year, and recorded a career-high seven interceptions to finish with a career total of 37 interceptions with 736 return yards. "Most of the people playing against him were worried about getting hurt, him running over them," Wade Phillips said. He left tacklers and pieces of his tearaway jersey on the field behind him. He was popularly known as "the Assassin" because of his playing style. He was named the AP Rookie of the Year, AP Offensive Player of the Year, and was named to the All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams. This has nothing to do with jealousy its just the facts. They just let people dunk the ball uncontested. Tatum earned three Pro Bowl selections throughout his NFL career. "That's essentially a spinal cord inflammation, a transient inflammation usually, where it jolts the spinal cord and it usually happens because you've got some preexisting stenosis and narrowing," Spoonamore said, noting that there are now medical staffers who would check a player after a hit like that rather than just taking their word for it. [1] Soon after the game, sportswriters started to compare him to Chicago Bears linebacker Dick Butkus because of his hard-hitting skills, and he became the starting free safety in his rookie year. He addressed this in his bio A Football Life. Football didnt do that to him. Earl was such a beast that in todays NFL, he would be the one getting called for unnecessary roughness every time he carried the ball. But he never told doctors about what he felt on the play or mentioned it until now. The allusion is to Campbell's greatest hit, or at least his favorite. [8] The two never spoke with one another after that day,[8] although Stingley related in a 2003 Boston Globe interview that he had forgiven Tatum. Quite the opposite. Todays players are on a level of size and impact that the old timers cant understand. In a game against the Green Bay Packers on September 24, 1972, he returned a fumble 104 yards for a touchdown. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. How many Super Bowls did Jack Tatum win? Jack Tatum's Hit Paralyzes Darryl Stingley. Feb 1, 2017 1:28 PM "As bad as it would have been for me not to be an athlete, I think when they tell a young man that they can't do something because of stenosis, I think they should really take a hearing to what the doctors are saying," Campbell said. Hes an inspiration for others to follow. He cried when the Giants folded him in 2007 and 2011. [3] In the storied rivalry between Ohio State and Michigan, Tatum and his fellow Buckeyes won in 1968 by the score of 5014, lost in 1969 by 2412, and won again in 1970 by 209. Big/strong? Earl Campbell is perhaps the greatest football player ever to play in Houston, and with the Super Bowl in Houston this week hes getting plenty of attention. [2], He holds the record for the longest fumble return in NFL history. Jack Tatum (The Assassin) 1948-2010 R.I.P. To facilitate this goal, he created the Ohio-based Jack Tatum Fund for Youthful Diabetes, which finances diabetes research. Campbell has endured great pain since his playing days ended in 1985. "In college and pro football, I never had nothing but a doctor telling me to turn your head to the right and cough," Campbell said. That also means that if you suffer a hangnail (really, turf toe or something along those lines) and try to play through it, YOU WOULDNT PLAY WELL. It might have been more scrappy back then, but the skill and finesse take front stage now. Feb 1, 2017 10:20 AM Tatum, a safety who embodied the Oakland Raiders mystique and was called "The Assassin" for his brutal hits, died of a heart attack at 61. Following the death of Michael Jackson from physician-administered painkillers, Jones became introspective about his role in Campbell's abuse and the likelihood that Campbell, too, could die. Wade Phillips, then the Oilers' defensive line coach for his father, head coach Bum Phillips, said he hadn't even seen Campbell play yet. __________________________________. 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. Hundreds more players today would not even be playing, yesteryear the creme de la creme less not more teams. . [4], Tatum died in Oakland on July 27, 2010, after a heart attack. How many games has Brady missed due to injury aside from the acl/mcl tear? PoY 1978 AP Off. When I was standing on my head in my end zone, nobody knew this, but I was thinking, Somethings wrong. He became a two-time All-American for the Longhorns, leading the nation with 1,744 rushing yards as a senior in an undefeated 1977 regular season on his way to winning the Heisman. Earl Campbell ran from the rose fields of Tyler to become one of the greatest running backs of all time, only to discover that the same body that made him a superhero contained its own kryptonite. I dont play because my head hurt. He was 61. BD 2 - Tour Documentary orange and blue own the nfl says: Brady would never make it in a more physical NFL. "They were trying to save me from possibly harming myself.". Bills survive to beat Dolphins, advance to divisional round, Lamar Jackson: My knee remains inflamed and unstable, Sammy Watkins hopes Lamar Jackson decides to play, Report: Lamar Jackson not looking good for Sunday, NFL selects Atlanta for potential Bills-Chiefs AFC Championship. Look at Tatum lay into. 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. But now . Thats a severe whiplash, which can cause spinal cord injury, especially with spinal stenosis.. Texas' doctors did multiple MRIs until they were able to find the exact positioning of his neck, and then they saw it: spinal stenosis. JACK TATUM HITS EARL CAMPBELL A collision between two of the strongest of an era is a standoff #JackTatumDocumentary #EarlCampbell #HoustonOilers #NFL #Football #raiders #silverandblack #lasvegashair. He cries to the ref when a pass rusher falls at his ankles You don't even have to look elsewhere to consider how Campbell's condition might have been handled today. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. Campbell never saw Tatum, who was obscured by his linemen and arrived at full speed, meeting him at the goal line with the crown of his helmet delivering a brutal blow right under Campbell's chin. With the medical technology available at the time, there certainly weren't any reasons to suspect any physical imperfections for Campbell. He was right, but Campbell waited, and for four seasons, he dominated the SWC. The so-called hits he takes now pale in comparison to the 70s and 80s. Just not as physical as it used to be. People really don't know the truth about it.". By TheRaiderWay Jul 27, 2010, 11:55am PDT. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. The two that instantly come to mind are the ones delivered by Nate Clements and Elvis Dumervil. Jones told ESPN, after looking at the Tatum hit, Campbell is lucky. He played 10 seasons, from 1971 through 1980, with the Oakland Raiders and Houston Oilers in the National Football League. His hands are a swollen mess and shake, and his knees are so bad he hardly ever leaves that chair. Brady would have been folded. "But, I mean, playing ball ". But during his senior year of high school in California, Floyd was having the game of his life with more than 30 tackles when he collided with an offensive lineman, pinning his chin against his chest. 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). Its great that theyre teaching guys about the CTE and the tackling and all that, he said. "I'm sure they're excited to have Earl Campbell in their office and doctor on him. The Raiders and New England Patriots faced off in a preseason game on August 12, 1978. Campbell started the company in 1991 with $150,000 and built it into the ninth-biggest sausage manufacturer in the country, selling more than 11 mil- lion pounds per year in 38 states. Jack Tatum, who died Tuesday at the age of 61, will go to his grave as one of the National Football League's all-time villains. Tatum did not begin playing football until he entered his sophomore year at Passaic High School, where he played as a running back, fullback and defensive back and was selected first-team All-State. But this doctor started me and I don't know, hell, it just happened so fast with the surgeries. He still would have made an impact. Feb 1, 2017 10:20 AM The man was a legitimately talented. [14], Tatum was honored by Passaic High School during their 2008 season. Yes, Tatum did deliver the hit in a 1978 preseason game that left Darryl Stingley a quadriplegic. 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. Archie Manning was a far Superior athlete than either of his 2 QB kids and he got murdered in the 70s as his kids would have too. Early years. He was renowned for his incredible natural strength and massive legs that had literally knocked defenders unconscious when they tried to hit him at the hip. Not only is it perfectly executed, it forces a turnover and completely changes the momentum of the game. John David Tatum (November 18, 1948 July 27, 2010) was an American football safety. "[4] According to Stingley in his 1983 autobiography, Happy To Be Alive, Tatum never made any effort to apologize or to see him after the incident. In 1977, his senior season, he averaged 6.5 yards, gained 1,744 yards, and won the first Heisman Trophy in Texas football history. Jones enlisted Campbell's sons, Christian and Tyler, to confront him, knowing they had the best chance of getting his ear. At Texas football games, he was always in a golf cart or riding on a scooter. The man was a legitimately talented football player. 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. Contract with a $ 50,000 signing bonus 2007 and 2011 hit and played with countless injuries that he doesnt about. Perfectly executed, it forces a turnover and completely changes the momentum of the as... Would 've listened, knowing what he felt on the play or mentioned it until now the momentum the! 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