Buckskin86
Moderator
Coleman, Tatum More Than Just Fellow Buckeyes
Thursday, July 29, 2010
By Ray Didinger
CSNPhilly.com
BETHLEHEM, Pa. ? Kurt Coleman was saddened this week when he learned that Jack Tatum had died at age 61. Coleman, a rookie safety with the Eagles, had a special bond with the former Oakland Raider.
Both men went to Ohio State and earned All-America honors at the safety position. But more than that, both were involved in tragic collisions on the field. In 1978, a Tatum hit left New England receiver Darryl Stingley paralyzed. In 2006, a Coleman tackle in spring practice caused a similar injury to teammate Tyson Gentry.
?I already knew Jack ? we had met before,? Coleman said, ?but after that [incident] we talked again. He told me it was part of the game and those things happen. You never want to see anyone hurt, but it happens sometimes.?
The pro scouts were concerned about Coleman?s size, which is why he fell in the draft. He does look smaller than the height and weight listed on the program. But he didn?t miss a game in college, and if you look at the best safeties in the league, most are 5-10 or 5-11. So how much does size matter, really?
Jack Tatum, for example, was 5-10 and weighed maybe 205, but there was no harder hitter in the league.
?[Tatum] was done playing before I was born,? the 22-year-old Coleman said, ?but I know all about him. I?ve seen the films and heard the stories. He?s a legend at Ohio State. He put down the stones for every generation of players that followed. We walked on that path.
?When I met Jack and we talked, he stressed the fact that football was all about heart and intensity. If you have that, you can play.?
Coleman, Tatum More Than Just Fellow Buckeyes
Upvote
0