Darryl Stingley Darryl Floyd Stingley ( September 18 , 1951April 5 , 2007 ) was an American professional football wide receiver whose career was cut short by an injury . He played his entire career with the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He died from heart disease and pneumonia complicated by quadriplegia . Early life . Stingley was born to Hilda M . Stingley and raised on Chicago ' s West Side . He was a standout running back at John Marshall High School . He was offered and accepted a football scholarship to Purdue University , where he was converted into a wide receiver . He was a first - round draft pick of the New England Patriots in 1973 , along with John Hannah of the University of Alabama and Sam Cunningham of the University of Southern California . Professional career . Stingley had 110 receptions for 1 , 883 yards and 14 touchdowns in 60 regular - season games for the New England Patriots . He also had 28 carries for 244 yards and two touchdowns , 19 punt returns for 136 yards and eight kickoff returns for 187 yards . He had over 500 combined yards rushing , receiving and returning both punt and kickoffs in 1973 and 1975 . He finished his career with 2 , 450 combined yards rushing , receiving and returning both punts and kickoffs . He ran for a 23 - yard touchdown in the Patriots ' 42 - 3 win over the Baltimore Colts on October 6 , 1974 . Stingley both ran for a 34 - yard touchdown and caught a 21 - yard touchdown pass in their 21 - 17 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on September 18 , 1977 , his 26th birthday . He is one of only three Patriots players who has caught a touchdown pass on his birthday , and is the only wide receiver to run for a touchdown and have a touchdown reception on his birthday . Injury . In a preseason game against the Oakland Raiders at Oakland Coliseum on August 12 , 1978 , Stingley was hit by Raiders defensive back Jack Tatum . As Stingley and Tatum collided , Stingley lowered his helmet , which collided with Tatum ' s shoulder pad . The hit compressed Stingley ' s spinal cord , breaking his fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae . He eventually regained limited movement in his right arm , but spent the rest of his life as a quadriplegic . The injury came just after Stingley had finished negotiating a contract extension that would have made him one of the highest paid receivers in the NFL . The new contract was to be announced when the Patriots returned from the West Coast . Instead , it was never signed . Although controversial , the hit was not against NFL rules at the time , as it was not helmet - to - helmet contact ( it was a shoulder - to - helmet contact ) . No penalty was called on the play . Today , however , the NFL has banned all blows to the head or neck of a defenseless player , and has disallowed players to launch themselves in tackling defenseless players . The incident became a symbol of violence in football . Stingley reportedly described it as a " freak accident " . Because Stingley was a young player at the height of his career , his horrific injuries attracted significant public attention . Partly in response to Stingley ' s injuries , the NFL changed its rules and conventions to curtail aggressive plays . Stingley told the " Chicago Tribune " that he approved of more restrictive officiating , saying " It has opened the game up to allow receivers to get downfield . And it has made the game more exciting . " Tatum ' s coach , John Madden , and many of his teammates extended their sympathies to Stingley . Madden ' s post - game rush to the hospital was the beginning of a close friendship . In fact , during his visit Madden found himself the lone visitor in the hospital . No one from the Patriots was there , until Madden called their team and the team ' s charter plane , in takeoff mode , finally returned to the gate . Raiders offensive guard Gene Upshaw also befriended Stingley , and later was instrumental in securing benefits for disabled players through the NFL Players ' Association . A settlement was reached with the NFL , under which the Patriots agreed to pay for all of Stingley ' s medical expenses for the rest of his life as well as his and his children ' s education . Post - football activities . On May 9 , 1992 , having completed his remaining 24 credit hours through a correspondence course program , Darryl Stingley received his bachelor of physical education from Purdue University . Stingley and Tatum never reconciled . Tatum contacted Stingley while writing his own autobiography , and HBO invited both men to appear on the 25th anniversary of the accident . Stingley refused after he learned of the title of Tatum ' s book : " Final Confessions of NFL Assassin Jack Tatum " . Stingley believed Tatum ' s efforts to contact him were nothing more than profit - motivated publicity stunts . However , in a 1992 article in " Jet " , Darryl said that he had forgiven Jack a long time ago . But he also said that Jack had had opportunities to contact him over the years and never really made an effort . As might be expected , the situation was complicated . Stingley later served as executive director of player personnel for the Patriots . Stingley co - authored a 1983 memoir , " Happy to Be Alive " , with Mark Mulvoy . In 1993 he started a nonprofit organization to help troubled youth in west Chicago . Stingley raised three sons - Darryl Jr . , John S . , a Chicago detective and Derek Stingley , who played defensive back for the Albany Firebirds in the Arena Football League Death . On April 5 , 2007 , Stingley died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago after being discovered unresponsive in his home . His death was attributed to heart disease and pneumonia complicated by quadriplegia . The Cook County Medical Examiner listed Stingley ' s cause of death as an accident .