Ex-Patriots WR Stingley, paraylzed since 1978 hit, dies at 55

[KG]

CHICAGO -- Former New England Patriots receiver Darryl Stingley, who was paralyzed after a hard hit during an NFL exhibition game nearly 30 years ago, has died. He was 55.

Darryl Stingley says he finally got past the tough question: Why me? (AP)
Stingley was pronounced dead at Northwestern Memorial Hospital early Thursday after he was found unresponsive in his Chicago home, according to Tony Brucci an investigator with the Cook County medical examiner's office.

An autopsy was scheduled. The cause of death was not immediately available.

Stingley played football until August 12, 1978, when the 26-year-old receiver went up for a pass during an exhibition game and was hit from behind by Oakland Raiders' safety Jack Tatum. The hit broke Stingley's neck and left him a quadriplegic.

Stingley was born and raised in Chicago. He was a star running back at John Marshall High School. He attended Purdue on a football scholarship.

In 1973, he was a first-round draft pick of the Patriots.

MORE>>> http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10109987

[soleft]

1. Was that the worst onfield injury during a game?

I know at least one player has died during or right after practice during training camp, and of course Joe Theisman's injury was pretty traumatic, Doug Bird broke his neck but walked again. I can't remember if Tatum ever apologized or made piece with the hit. I know he had rep that preceded this play, don't remember is the play itself was dirty.

[sniffa]

2. very dirty pLay

he never apoLogized (unLess he did so in recent years.. is he even aLive?); in fact, he bragged about it.

i think he was the onLy pLayer from the raiders who didn't visit him in the hospitaL.

i think the move he used was caLLed, "the bone" - sLamming the forearm bone into the unprotected portion of the neck.

nice guy.

oh, and i seemingLy know a Lot about this because as a kid, i had stingLey's autobiography and read it a ton of times.

[maveric]

3. Tatum was a thug who went my the name "Hitman".

Even had a book about himself where he showed no remorse for that dirty hit.
RIP Darryl. He could have been a great one.

[sniffa]

5. assassin, not hitman

and hey Look at what a sweLL guy he is:

In 1997, Tatum asked the NFLPA if they could give him a catastrophic injury pension for having to live through the Stingley incident but the league declined after thinking it wasn't a catastrophic injury.<16>

:puke:

[maveric]

6. I stand corrected. You are right my friend.

He was a tue thug though.

[NewJeffCT]

9. Because of that one play

The NFL banned a lot of those types of dirty hits.

[sniffa]

12. remember chuck ceciL?

i used to Love watching him spear peopLe.

[SteppingRazor]

13. Tatum's still alive — and, ironically, in a wheelchair n/t

[NewJeffCT]

8. worst onfield?

I don't think so - there have been some deaths in the boxing ring, and in auto racing, though I'm one that does not consider that a sport (Dale Erhnhardt (sp))

I think some hockey guy got his throat slashed by a skate once, but I don't think he died.

There were probably some pretty serious injuries prior to the better helmets coming along in football, too.

[Oeditpus Rex]

4. I hated Tatum, and the Raiders, after that hit

Tatum later wrote (yeah, right) a book, "They Call Me 'Assassin'," in which he described how the Raiders' defense took pride in hits that put a guy out of a game. I later learned that this is commonplace in football, but at that age I considered the Raiders barbaric motherfuckers.

[maveric]

7. And their fans are worse.

When the Raiders play here in San Diego its always a violent affair. There have been stabbings,shootings,beatings, etc... some have resulted in deaths.
There used to be an alcohol ban at Qualcomm Stadium for Raider games only.
Thugs through and through.

[Oeditpus Rex]

11. I had a line about their fans in my OP

but I deleted it. :scared:

I heard about the alcohol ban, and I'm not too surprised. I've seen one Raiders fan site that's borderline satanic.

[Little Wing]

10. I didn't know that was during an exhibition game

That Tatum guy should have been thrown in fucking prison for grievous assault