THEY CALL ME ASSASSIN

by Jack with Bill Kushner Tatum ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 30, 1979

Tatum makes it easy to hate Jack Tatum. The three-time all-American free safety for Ohio State and all-Pro for the Oakland Raiders revels in his ability to intimidate opponents with a style that is ""mean and nasty."" Facing a choice between an easy interception or smashing the receiver, ""I drove my helmet into his ribs."" He prides himself on being a hitter: ""When you hit someone with your best shot and he is still able to think, then you're not a hitter."" He and teammate George Atkinson have a contest--two points for a knockout, one point for a limp-off. All this is justified, says Tatum, because he is paid to do it, it's legal, and he takes no ""cheap shots."" But comparing his kayos to a boxer's is faulty--boxers defend themselves, receivers do not--and the argument of legality pales when his victim, Daryle Stingley, is paralyzed for life. Still Tatum puts across the spirit of the game and the ups and downs of the players. The greatest pressure he felt in football was not in the Superbowl, but in deciding among competing recruiters. Woody Hayes--who won Tatum by recruiting his mother--is depicted as violent, emotional, complex; he is ""different,"" says Tatum. There's a recap of Raiders history, a rundown of nicknames (Pinky, Pelican Jaw, Ghost, and Dr. Death--thought to be the team doctor by ""Fog"" Philyaw), and a rating of Tatum's peers at each position (Daryle Lamonica, gun shy; Namath, at best a fair quarterback; Bert Jones, ""a little boy in a man's body""). Finally, to outlaw the style that has made him famous, Tatum proposes doing away with the zone, the quick slant, and blitzing. Grim and gory--but honest.

Pub Date: Nov. 30, 1979

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Everest

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1979

Categories: NONFICTION