We're counting down the days to kickoff with “99 Warriors,” the greatest Ohio State Buckeyes by jersey number, as voted by the staff of Eleven Warriors.
No. 32 Jack Tatum
Nicknamed The Assassin for his punishing hits, Jack Tatum is one of the top defenders in Ohio State history.
S Jack Tatum
1968-70
b. Nov. 18, 1948 (Cherryville, N.C.)
d. July 27, 2010 (Oakland, Calif.)
- 2x Consensus All-American (1969, 1970)
- 3x All-Big Ten (1968, 1969, 1970)
- 2x National Champion (1968, 1970)
A three-year starter at safety, Tatum earned All-Big Ten honors all three seasons and was named a consensus All-American as both a junior and a senior.
Tatum played at Ohio State for what was the most successful three-year stretch in Buckeye football history. He was an integral part of three-straight Big Ten championships in 1968, 1969 and 1970, and two of Ohio State's eight claimed national championships. During his three years at Ohio State, the Buckeyes went an absurd 27-2.
Tatum was selected in the first round of the 1971 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders with the No. 19 overall pick, and he emerged as a starter his rookie season. Tatum had a 10-year NFL career that included three Pro Bowl selections and a Super Bowl title.
He retired in 1980 after being released by the Oilers, and died in 2010 after a heart attack.
Tatum was inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1981, and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
