The Hardest Hittin Safties EVER!

[ravidubey]

I have to agree with the poster on the last page, Kenny Easley was crushing people back in the 80's.

There was a time in the early to mid-80's where he and Ronnie Lott were considered the unquestioned best in the game. Leonard Smith of the Cardinals was always underrated during the same time period. Easley may have still dominated late in his career had it not been for painkillers ultimately giving him kidney disease.

 

[Juke99]

Tatum was a wusssssssss....... :laugh1:

Yep...what a wussssssssss.....

 

[Drederick Tatum]

Yep...what a wussssssssss.....

Wasn't that Sammy White in the SB, where they carted him off in a stretcher just after this vicious hit by Jack Tatum. They took him and the ball on the stretcher, they couldn't pry it out of his hand after the hit. I don't know if they ever found his helmet though.

 

[ravidubey]

Wasn't that Sammy White in the SB, where they carted him off in a stretcher just after this vicious hit by Jack Tatum. They took him and the ball on the stretcher, they couldn't pry it out of his hand after the hit. I don't know if they ever found his helmet though.

Bet Tatum wishes they had better video tape of him hitting Frenchy Fuqua in the 1972 playoffs during Bradshaw's final desperate pass. Rooney to this day claims he "batted it down". Fuqua has said he'll never tell what really happened which to me means he illegally batted the ball backwards, not Tatum (who of course denies touching the ball).

 

[Drederick Tatum]

If you look at the velocity at which the ball was shot up in the air after contact I think it would be safe to say the ball wasn't batted.

 

[Deep_Freeze]

Interesting thing about Earl is he really looked for contact. My uncle played against him in the NFL, so I have heard many stories from him about Earl. Instead of going out of bounds, he would run into the 2 guys at the sideline instead. Just took too much abuse, a little less and his career would have lasted so much longer.

 

[YN1SCOTT]

I am not talking about the best Safties ever, just the hardest hitting ever, the guys you just don't want to get caught going over the midldle by. These are the guys that would knock themselves unconscious while trying to do the same to you.


1. Jack Tatum
2. Ronnie Lott
3a. Steve Atwater
3b. Rodney Harrison
4a.Donnie Shell
4b.Roy Williams
5. Geroge Atkinson
6. Gary Fencik
7. John Lynch
8. Darren Woodson
9a. Brian Dawkins
9b. Kenoy Kennedy
10. Cliff Harris

I agree! TATUM was unreal. And at that time he was able to use any means necessary to take you down. Even the great Earl Campbell went down by one hit from TATUM (still scored a touchdown/but went down)!!

 

[Jarv]

I agree! TATUM was unreal. And at that time he was able to use any means necessary to take you down. Even the great Earl Campbell went down by one hit from TATUM (still scored a touchdown/but went down)!!

Yeah, but did he horse collar him...The good old days...When did the facemask penalty start ? Anyone know. They didn't were them much before the 50'-60's..

 

[Silver Surfer]

Barely glimpsed Atkinson so I can't comment, but I saw a lot of Fencik and while I thought he was good I never pegged him as a serious hitter. Maybe it was because the other guys on those awesome Bear defenses overshadowed him a bit, but I just don't hold him in the same regard physically as Roy Williams who's a monster.

Roy is simply breaking people at an astonishing rate.

Actually, I thought Doug Plank was a bigger hitter than Fencik. I remember hearing stories about him annoying teammates by mashing people in practice and blowing up the pile when guys were just kinda holding each other up.

 

[YN1SCOTT]

Wasn't that Sammy White in the SB, where they carted him off in a stretcher just after this vicious hit by Jack Tatum. They took him and the ball on the stretcher, they couldn't pry it out of his hand after the hit. I don't know if they ever found his helmet though.

Yo I love that PIC! He was the only man I watch take on Earl Campbell and take him down ONE on ONE! Campbell still got the touchdown (he only had about a yard to go) but TATUM took him on and hammered him. He would take you out by any mean necessary.


TATUM TATUM TATUM TATUM!!!!!!!

 

[YN1SCOTT]

Yeah, but did he horse collar him...The good old days...When did the facemask penalty start ? Anyone know. They didn't were them much before the 50'-60's..

Nah that was the one helmet to helmet on the goal line

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Yo I love that PIC! He was the only man I watch take on Earl Campbell and take him down ONE on ONE! Campbell still got the touchdown (he only had about a yard to go) but TATUM took him on and hammered him. He would take you out by any mean necessary.


TATUM TATUM TATUM TATUM!!!!!!!

Wow, you could not be more wrong. I agree that Tatum could bring it but Take out Earl Campbell? No, that didn't happen.

I remember that game like it was yesterday. Monday night game I think, 1979. Campbell takes the handoff at the 2. Off RT as I recall. Tatum has a running start and the two meet at about the 1 yard line. The collision is bone jarring. I saw an article awhile back from Ted Hendricks talking about that play. He discribes the fact that his job, on that play, was to take out all blocking thus leaving a clear path for Tatum to stop the ball carrier. Hendricks talks about just that and goes on to say that he was on the ground but could feel the impact of Tatum and Campbell. The sound of the impact basically drowned everything else out. When the play was over, Earl had backed into the endzone after being turned around by the hit from Tatum. Earl scored on that play but also pulled his groing muscle. Tatum was not so lucky. Tatum feel in a heap on the goal line. He had injured his neck. Tatum would never recover from that impact and he eventually retired from football after that 79 season. Tatum was a hitter but Earl was the man.

 

[CowboyChris]

i would put our own Darren Woodson on that list over Cliff Harris, Woody was a converted LB to S out of college, he could flat out lay some people out!

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

i would put our own Darren Woodson on that list over Cliff Harris, Woody was a converted LB to S out of college, he could flat out lay some people out!

I would not. Harris was at a whole different level. Not sure how much you watched Harris play but I would not say that Woodson was the same kind of hitter Harris was.

 

[Zaxor]

I would not. Harris was at a whole different level. Not sure how much you watched Harris play but I would not say that Woodson was the same kind of hitter Harris was.

I remember lots and lots of receivers getting alligator arms because of Cliff...

Cliff wasn't interseted so much in the tackle as he was in bringing pain

 

[Zaxor]

Wow, you could not be more wrong. I agree that Tatum could bring it but Take out Earl Campbell? No, that didn't happen.

I remember that game like it was yesterday. Monday night game I think, 1979. Campbell takes the handoff at the 2. Off RT as I recall. Tatum has a running start and the two meet at about the 1 yard line. The collision is bone jarring. I saw an article awhile back from Ted Hendricks talking about that play. He discribes the fact that his job, on that play, was to take out all blocking thus leaving a clear path for Tatum to stop the ball carrier. Hendricks talks about just that and goes on to say that he was on the ground but could feel the impact of Tatum and Campbell. The sound of the impact basically drowned everything else out. When the play was over, Earl had backed into the endzone after being turned around by the hit from Tatum. Earl scored on that play but also pulled his groing muscle. Tatum was not so lucky. Tatum feel in a heap on the goal line. He had injured his neck. Tatum would never recover from that impact and he eventually retired from football after that 79 season. Tatum was a hitter but Earl was the man.

that is how I remember it also...

I seem to remember R. White a.k.a. the Manster and Earl meeting on a thanksgiving day...care to remember who won that one

 

[lane]

1. jack tatum
2. ronnie lott
3. david fulcher
4. dave duerson
5. roy williams
6. ds-49
7. scott case
8. cliff harris
9. john lynch
10. darren woodson
11. steve atwater
12. deron cherry
13. kenny easley
14. chuck cecil
15. wes hopkins

 

[Zaxor]

1. jack tatum
2. ronnie lott
3. david fulcher
4. dave duerson
5. roy williams
6. ds-49
7. scott case
8. cliff harris
9. john lynch
10. darren woodson
11. steve atwater
12. deron cherry
13. kenny easely
14. chuck cecil
15. wes hopkins

hard list to argue with just as the other was...ole scott case wasn't much for coverage but he would sure hit ya

 

[jamez25]

Steve Sabol's Top All-time hits : http://www.sportingnews.com/magazine/articles/19991027/188747-p.html

 

[CanadaBoys]

Tatum paralyzed a guy..... that puts him at the top of my most feared list.

Lott is def #2 in my book too.

Right now I'd have to give it to Roy probably. I've seen Dawkins drop the hammer on quite a few people though. (Vick in the playoffs a couple years ago on the TD that was called back and Ike Hilliard, whom everyone nails consistently.)