[1][2] Tatum was voted to three consecutive Pro Bowls (1973–1975) and played on one Super Bowl-winning team in nine seasons with the Raiders.

He was selected by the Raiders in the first round of the 1971 NFL draft, with whom he earned a reputation as a fierce competitor and one of the hardest hitters ever to play the game.

Tatum was also noted for his involvement in the Immaculate Reception play during a 1972 playoff game versus the Pittsburgh Steelers.

[1] Tatum was born in Cherryville, North Carolina, and grew up in Passaic, New Jersey, where he had little interest in playing sports in his early years.

[1] Tatum was used by the Buckeyes to cover the opposing team's best wide receiver, but he also was used occasionally as a linebacker due to the nature of his hits and his innate ability to bring down even the biggest fullback or tight end.

He first became known to college football observers as a sophomore when he helped limit All-American Leroy Keyes during a 13–0 upset against the Purdue Boilermakers during the early part of the 1968 season.

[6] In Super Bowl XI, on January 9, 1977, Tatum knocked the helmet off Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Sammy White.

"[2][7] Tatum was involved in one of the more significant plays in National Football League history, the Immaculate Reception, during the AFC divisional playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 23, 1972.

With 22 seconds left in the game, Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw threw a pass to running back John "Frenchy" Fuqua.

[2] The ball fell into the hands of Steelers running back Franco Harris, who ran it 42 yards for the game-winning touchdown.

[5] The play is famous because NFL rules at the time prohibited a receiver from batting the ball to another player of the same team.

The referees ruled that Tatum had touched the ball and therefore Harris's touchdown was permitted, allowing the Steelers to win the game.

[8] The impact severely damaged Stingley's spinal cord and left him with incomplete quadriplegia for the rest of his life.

[3] The incident affected Tatum personally, and for several years, according to close friend John Hicks, made him "somewhat of a recluse".

[11][12] He finished his pro career with them, playing all 16 games that year, and recorded a career-high seven interceptions in the season.

[1] Tatum eventually faced his own disability challenges, as all five toes on his left foot were amputated in 2003 due to a staph infection caused by diabetes.

[8] Steve Grogan, Stingley's teammate when asked to make a comment about Tatum's death, stated: "I have a hard time trying to find something nice to say....

[3] Along with future Pro Football Hall of Famer Willie Brown, safety George Atkinson and cornerback Skip Thomas, Tatum was part of the "Soul Patrol" secondary.