Position: Defensive Back
Years: 1968-1970
Place of Birth: Cherryville, NC
Date of Birth: Nov 18, 1948
Place of Death: Oakland, CA
Date of Death: Jul 27, 2010
Jersey Number: 32
Height: 5-10
Weight: 200
High School: Passaic, NJ (Passaic HS)
His nickname was "Assassin". Although he possessed supreme coverage skills, Jack Tatum is best remembered as one of the hardest hitters in all of football history. Today when defensive backs are measured for their talents, they're compared to the Ohio State great. A unanimous First Team All-America selection in 1970 and consensus pick in 1969, Tatum earned First Team All-Conference honors three times and was named National Defensive Player of the Year in 1970. A three-year starter, Tatum led the Buckeyes to a 27-2 record, two National Championships and at least a share of three Big Ten Conference titles. Following his OSU career, he was selected in the first round of the 1971 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. Tatum played in the NFL for 10 seasons, nine with Oakland and one with Houston, and was a three-time Pro Bowl selection. Returning to Oakland following his NFL career, Tatum has remained extremely active. He has written three books, is a real estate and land developer and is part owner of O.T.'s Barbecue Sauce in Pittsburg, California. Tatum has also spent time working for the NFL's Uniform Code Enforcement police, which fines players who violate the league's strict uniform policy.
