17 "He's a very humble player," safety Grant Delpit said. Soon, he was accompanying his father to player meetings, learning fundamentals and techniques of playing defensive back. And I never forced him into doing it. It was a simple thing that had nothing to do with how great he’s going to be at LSU. Quarterback Joe Burrow, the Heisman Trophy winner and soon-to-be No. That was 1978. His dad wasn't able to return to Chicago for several months. "I talked to the coaching staff at LSU at that time," says Neil Weiner, the head football coach of the Dunham School. Darryl Stingley lived until he was 55, dying in 2007 from complications that were a result of being a quadriplegic. Former Patriots receiver Darryl Stingley, paralyzed from a game injury, appears in this Dec. 2, 1992, photo. You only need to hear his name. "My father always told me, just like I tell Derek, 'You go out and play the game the way it's supposed to be played,'" Stingley Sr. says. "Everyone was trying to explain to me that my dad was paralyzed and couldn't move," Derek said. God teaches us to love.”. If you think about it while playing, you'll go out there and play scared and that's not something you want to do.". There’s no bitterness toward Tatum and no hesitation in his play. During his high school career he had 27 career interceptions. 'I don't see how a defense can stop us': LSU looks ready for a championship party, Author of seven books on college football. A story that's gaining more attention for its own merits with every passing season. [18][19] Tatum reached out to Stingley several times, including while promoting his own autobiography. [15], 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. Nor, in time, his son's. “Strapped into the gurney and looking at the ceiling of the ambulance, I remember thinking, ‘Wow, this is probably the same sight my dad saw when he was being taken away,’ ” he recalled. When he saw his father in a hospital room for the first time, he jumped on the bed and crawled onto his chest. The hit broke two of Darryl's vertebrae and left him paralyzed from the neck down. As Stingley stretched for an errant pass, he and Tatum collided. He'll close with the most important words. ESPN Recruiting ranked him as the No. LSU quarterback Joe Burrow is a unanimous selection as the offensive player of the year on The Associated Press All-Southeastern Conference fo…. 1 cornerback and 18th-best player overall in the 2019 ESPN 300. That was his first day of practice.". "Things can happen like that.". 1 defense in the red zone, and he had an interception against one of our top receivers. That made it all the more interesting three weeks ago when Stingley attempted a drill called "Building a V." Clark says it’s a difficult drill for athletes at any level, and he introduced it to Stingley when the two first got together. Stingley later served as executive director of player personnel for the Patriots. You can't think about what happened to me. Derek Stingley Sr. was 7 when everything changed at home in Chicago. It's become an inevitable narrative fans and the press will associate with his family, but he'd rather look forward. Derek Stingley Sr., right, stands for a photo with his son Derek Stingley Jr., left, during a 7-on-7 football session at Central High School on June 8.