My Favorite Super Bowl Memory: An Unthinkable Catch and Ferocious Tackle

My favorite Super Bowl memory stands as one of the greatest plays, both offensive and defensive, in Super Bowl history. This memorable play occurred in Super Bowl XI on January 9, 1977, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, in a game where the AFC champion Oakland Raiders (16-1) routed the NFC champion Minnesota Vikings (13-3-1), by a score of 32-14. This extraordinary play involved the Oakland Raiders' 3x Pro Bowl safety Jack "The Assassin" Tatum, one of the most feared tacklers in NFL history, and Minnesota Vikings' wide-receiver Sammy White, the 1976 NFL Rookie of the Year.

With Oakland leading 19-7 in the fourth quarter, Minnesota had the ball on its own 38-yard line, faced with third down and eleven, an almost certain passing situation. Minnesota wide-receiver Sammy White was flanked wide right, three yards behind the line of scrimmage at the Minnesota 35-yard line. Anticipating a pass, Oakland safety Jack Tatum, who two years later would paralyze New England Patriots' wide-receiver Darryl Stingley, positioned himself on the Oakland 40-yard line, 22 yards from the line of scrimmage. After Minnesota quarterback Fran Tarkenton took the snap, White sprinted 10 yards to the Minnesota 45-yard line and then cut toward the middle of the field, finishing a 20-yard post pattern at the Oakland 45-yard line. As an unwitting White reached above his head to receive Tarkenton's pass, Tatum launched himself toward White, delivering one of the most ferocious hits in NFL history. The top of Tatum's helmet struck White's chin, knocking White's helmet from his head and separating the helmet from its chin strap; White's helmet rolled seven yards to midfield and the chin strap flew several feet into the air. Just as memorable as Tatum's savage hit, White managed to hold on to the ball, resulting in an unthinkable 19-yard completion and Minnesota first-down.

In a game which saw Oakland win its first Super Bowl and Minnesota lose its fourth, this remarkable play is an indelible Super Bowl memory and easily my favorite of all-time.

Sources:

"Sammy White: Career Highlights," vikings.com
Schudel, Matt. "Jack Tatum dies; Oakland Raiders 'Assassin' was 61," The Washington Post
"Super Bowl 11 Jack Tatum Hit," Youtube
"Super Bowl XI play-by-play," USA Today
"Top Ten Most Feared Tacklers," Youtube