DIED
A brutal assault when he was 26 broke his neck and put him in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. It also helped spark a shift on the professional football field, where New England Patriots receiver Darryl Stingley took the intentional hit from Oakland Raider Jack Tatum during a 1978 exhibition game. Tatum, who defended his play, saying "My best hits border on felonious assault," was not penalized, never apologized and later wrote books billing himself as an "NFL assassin." Stingley visited paralyzed players, started a nonprofit group for inner-city kids and forgave Tatum. "It was only after I...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
