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They Call Me Assassin
The hardest-hitting free safety in football reveals that, although he loves combat, he hates the injuries that result from his powerful charges, and he calls for changes in the game's rules to afford players better protection
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
3 people are currently reading
138 people want to read
About the author
Jack Tatum
4 books5 followersDefensive back for Oakland Raiders. Paralyzed New England Patriot Darryl Stingley.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 8, 2013
Read this book as a kid and I have been a Raiders fan since....."Just Win, Baby!" Commitment to Excellence
December 7, 2012
one of the funniest, realest books you'll ever read. highly recommended for everybody, even if you've never watched a second of football in your life. tatum's analytical approach to violence and effectiveness is astonishing
November 26, 2010
After Jack retired from the NFL he is being ranked as the sixth hardest-hitting defensive back in league history ... 1-5 must still be serving time? Go Bucks!
June 18, 2013
As a raiders fan, this is a must read.
February 18, 2013
I do Love the game of football and this book was a fascinating read of how Football use to be. I liked his personally values of school and the love of the game. The game today is nothing like the good old days. Mr. Tatum does explain his reasoning behind the hard hitting and his personal views on how to change the game to make it better.
April 29, 2014
This book was the foundation for how I viewed being a safety (or corner).
Read as a child, I thought picking it up now would be pedestrian...but nothing can be further from the truth. This book was just enjoyable now as it was when I read as a wee boy.
Read as a child, I thought picking it up now would be pedestrian...but nothing can be further from the truth. This book was just enjoyable now as it was when I read as a wee boy.
April 1, 2008
If you don't like Football don't read this. If you do but you aren't an Oakland Raider fan this may hurt your feelings. I loved it.
August 28, 2018
Jack Tatum's assessment of his career and of what he called "an accident" when Daryl Stingley was paralyzed was hard to read. I do respect he built his career by what appears to be sheer grit and determination. Despite that, I had a hard time understanding him when he felt he was blameless when it came to the injuries and pain he inflicted. he came across as someone too smart to really believe that. Some part of the book also jump around as there does not seem to be a flow. it is all in the first person, so there is an overabundance of the word "I". some parts also describe events that Jack was not even present. It is very opinionated, and at the same time, standoffish. I don't feel I got to know the real Jack at all. To bad. That is why I read the book. I recommend passing on this book.
March 26, 2023
This is one of the first books I read for pure pleaser. Mr. Tatum is one scary fellow, and especially with a football helmet on. Required reading for any football fan. The timeframe, experiences, and playing style will never be matched.
July 28, 2016
What's the Walt Whitman line about contradicting one's self? Jack Tatum embodied that notion. Primarily remembered as a vicious tackler who paralyzed a man on an NFL field, Tatum embraces that image even as he shows his more "human" (for lack of a better word) side in his autobiography, They Call Me Assassin.
Part self-history, part no-punches-pulled assessment of his NFL peers, and part plea for some semblance of sanity in professional football, They Call Me Assassin can feel a bit dated in 2016, but parts of the book remain eerily resonant. Tatum spends a fair amount of time suggesting rule changes that might make football safer for its players while retaining the essence of the sport. As one reads his suggestions for making knockoffs safer -- an issue the NFL struggles with to this day -- one wonders whether we'll still be dealing with these issues in another 35 years, or whether the sport will altogether cease to exist.
Coauthor Bill Kushner does an able job bringing Tatum's voice to the forefront, and the forthright and fascinating looks at Tatum's upbringing in the New Jersey ghetto, his college recruiting experiences, his time at Ohio State under Woody Hayes, and his experiences in the NFL are treated with equal doses of bare-bones honesty and subtly irreverent humor. While a lot of the prominent names in the book might be unfamiliar to people who aren't fans of the Oakland Raiders, there's a little bit of everything here for most NFL fans, and Tatum's almost total lack of respect for Franco Harris makes for a running theme that's delightful for anyone who gets even a little annoyed by the Pittsburgh Steelers or their fans.
They Call Me Assassin ultimately paints a rounded portrait of Tatum, a man who freely admitted to playing the game with a brutal intensity that sought to take advantage of the sport's savage nature to the full extent allowed by the league's rules. At the same time, he had a sense of compassion for his peers, and while he knew he had to live up to his billing as The Assassin to earn his paycheck, he felt some guilt for the harm he inflicted on others and encouraged league officials to look out for the best interests of their players. Tatum was a man who came from trying circumstances and wanted to build a better life for himself and his family. Football was his means for doing that, and this book gives insight into his quintessential American story.
Part self-history, part no-punches-pulled assessment of his NFL peers, and part plea for some semblance of sanity in professional football, They Call Me Assassin can feel a bit dated in 2016, but parts of the book remain eerily resonant. Tatum spends a fair amount of time suggesting rule changes that might make football safer for its players while retaining the essence of the sport. As one reads his suggestions for making knockoffs safer -- an issue the NFL struggles with to this day -- one wonders whether we'll still be dealing with these issues in another 35 years, or whether the sport will altogether cease to exist.
Coauthor Bill Kushner does an able job bringing Tatum's voice to the forefront, and the forthright and fascinating looks at Tatum's upbringing in the New Jersey ghetto, his college recruiting experiences, his time at Ohio State under Woody Hayes, and his experiences in the NFL are treated with equal doses of bare-bones honesty and subtly irreverent humor. While a lot of the prominent names in the book might be unfamiliar to people who aren't fans of the Oakland Raiders, there's a little bit of everything here for most NFL fans, and Tatum's almost total lack of respect for Franco Harris makes for a running theme that's delightful for anyone who gets even a little annoyed by the Pittsburgh Steelers or their fans.
They Call Me Assassin ultimately paints a rounded portrait of Tatum, a man who freely admitted to playing the game with a brutal intensity that sought to take advantage of the sport's savage nature to the full extent allowed by the league's rules. At the same time, he had a sense of compassion for his peers, and while he knew he had to live up to his billing as The Assassin to earn his paycheck, he felt some guilt for the harm he inflicted on others and encouraged league officials to look out for the best interests of their players. Tatum was a man who came from trying circumstances and wanted to build a better life for himself and his family. Football was his means for doing that, and this book gives insight into his quintessential American story.
November 19, 2015
"Chuck Foreman of the Minnesota Vikings is another great back who can do anything. I rate Foreman very high because of his daring and overall ability. He isn't a Walter Payton, but Foreman is a great back who makes the most of his ability. I can respect that in any athlete. Foreman doesn't have the power of a Payton or the speed of a Simpson, but he makes things happen. He has good size and plays an intelligent game. A running back like Foreman makes my position all the more challenging because I know he is a quality athlete with that blend of courage." --Jack Tatum
April 14, 2018
Great read from so many years ago tgat I had to pick it up again. still a great read...
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews