COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Former Ohio State defensive player Jack Tatum has died, according to the university.
Nicknamed "The Assassin," Tatum died of a heart attack Tuesday in Oakland, according to friend and former Ohio State teammate John Hicks.
Tatum passed away at 9 a.m. PST Tuesday from a massive heart attack. It was noon EST.
Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel gave this statement on the passing of Jack Tatum: "We have lost one of our greatest Buckeyes. When you think of Ohio State defense, the first name that comes to mind is Jack Tatum. His loss touches every era of Ohio State players and fans."
Tatum was a two-time All American and National Defensive Player of the Year as a senior.
He was part of the 1968 Championship Team.
He helped the Buckeyes win two Big Ten titles and played in two Rose Bowls.
Jack Tatum, the All-Pro safety for the Oakland Raiders best known for his hit that paralyzed Darryl Stingley in an NFL preseason game in 1978.
The university also offered the following on Tatum's career.
"Defensive back 1968-70
Jack Tatum was one of the dominant defensive players and most intimidating forces in college football during his career at Ohio State. A three-year starter, a two-time All-American and the national Defensive Player of the Year as a senior, he was known for his tenacity and fierce style of play. The 6-1, 208-pound Tatum came to Ohio State as a running back, but moved to defense in the spring of his freshman year. He was a mainstay of the defense for the next three seasons as OSU rolled up a 27-2 record and won the 1968 national championship, two Big Ten titles and played in two Rose Bowls. The Oakland Raiders selected him in the first round of the 1971 NFL Draft. In his nine-year career, he was named to the Pro Bowl three times and was a member of the 1976 Super Bowl champion Raiders. He was inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1981 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004."
Additional information was not available immediately.
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