Top-5 Raiders not enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame

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9 Jan 1994: A Los Angeles Raiders fan waves a helmet and flag during a playoff game against the Denver Broncos at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. The Raiders won the game, 42-24. Mandatory Credit: Al Bello /Allsport /

Jack Tatum, Safety

The Assassin.

During his time with the Raiders, Jack Tatum displayed the kind of violent football that would likely force him out of the game today. There was not bigger hitter in the NFL when Tatum was stalking wide receivers in the Raiders secondary, and he should be immortalized in Canton for what he brought to the game.

A first round pick of the Raiders back in 1971, Tatum spent nine seasons with the team, helping them to win Super Bowl XI against the Minnesota Vikings. In that game, Tatum hit Vikings wide receivers Sammy White so hard that it knocked his helmet off, and being that it was on the biggest stage in football, it is one of those plays that symbolized his style of play.

Tatum would end up going to three straight Pro Bowls as a member of the Raiders, and may be the most feared safety to ever play the game. Of course, his legacy is marred with tragedy, as the hit he made on Darryl Stingley in the 1978 preseason paralyzed the wide out, and is one of the more horrifying plays in NFL history.

Unfortunately, Tatum passed away in 2010 due to a heart attack, as his post-NFL career was riddled with health issues. There is no denying his imprint on the game, and he should have a bust signifying his impact on the history of the NFL.

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