Fred Dryer
Encyclopedia
John Frederick "Fred" Dryer (born July 6, 1946 in Hawthorne, California
) is an American
actor
and former football
defensive end
in the National Football League (NFL)
. Dryer played 13 years in the NFL, playing 176 games, starting 166, and recording 104 career sacks with the New York Giants
and Los Angeles Rams
. Dryer is the only NFL player to score two safeties in one game.
Following his retirement from football, Dryer had a successful career as a film and television actor
, notably starring in the series Hunter. His height (6'6" or 1.98 m) and physique was useful for his action roles.
in Lawndale, California
, and then attended El Camino Junior College before transferring to San Diego State University (SDSU)
.
Dryer was inducted to the El Camino C.C. Athletic Hall Of Fame in 1988, as a charter member and was the Athlete of the Year for his 1966 performance on the football field. Dryer was also a 1966 Junior College
All-America
n
During Dryer's junior and senior seasons, in which he lettered both seasons, at San Diego State, the Aztecs had a combined record of 19-1-1. They were the College Division National Champions
in both seasons. In 1967 they topped both the Associated Press
and United Press International
polls as #1. In 1968 San Diego State was voted the champions by UPI and North Dakota State topped the AP
poll and thus the two schools shared the College-Division title.
Dryer was voted the outstanding defensive lineman on the team and as such was the recipient of the Byron H. Chase Memorial Trophy. One of Dryer's teammates was Carl Weathers
, who played Apollo Creed
in the first four films of the Rocky
series. In 1967 the Aztecs allowed 12.9 points a game on defense, which is still ninth in SDSU history. In 1967 and 1968 the Aztec run defense allowed just 80.1 and 100.1 yards per game, still fourth and fifth, respectively in school annals after nearly forty years.
Dryer was named to the Little All-America team in 1968 since at the time the school was 1-AA. Dryer played in the East-West Shrine Game
in San Francisco, the Hula Bowl
in Honolulu and the College All-Star Game
in Chicago
where the college stars played the world champion New York Jets
.
In 1988, Dryer was inducted into the San Diego State University Aztec Hall of Fame. In 1997 Dryer received college football's ultimate honor in being voted to the College Football Hall of Fame
and is one of only three SDSU Aztecs
in the collegiate Hall of Fame. When voted into the San Diego Sports Hall of Fame in 1998, Dryer joined athletes such as Ted Williams
, Dan Fouts
, Dave Winfield
, and Tony Gwynn
in receiving the preeminent recognition for a San Diego athlete.
in the first round of the 1969 NFL Draft
by the New York Giants
and won a starting job as a rookie. He was the starting right defensive end from 1969 through 1971. He led the team in quarterback sacks each of those three seasons with 8½ in 1969, 12 in 1970 and 8½ in 1971. He was among the defensive leaders in other categories as well. In 1969 he tallied 58 tackles (39 solo), six passes deflected and forced two fumbles and recovered two. The next season Dryer was an alternate to the Pro Bowl but could not play due to a bruised hip. He was Second-team All-NFC after recording 69 tackles (53 solo) four pass defections, three forced fumbles, while recovering two to go along with his 12 sacks. In 1971 he again led team with 8½ sacks, and totaled 62 tackles (33 solo). Dryer also deflected two passes, forced two more fumbles and recovered two for the third consecutive season.
Dryer was traded to the New England Patriots
in February 1972 for three draft choices (a first, second, and sixth), then on draft day of that year he was dealt to the Los Angeles Rams
for a first round draft pick and backup defensive end Rick Cash
. In his first year with the Rams he backed up left defensive end Jack Youngblood
making only four starts but playing in every game despite a broken hand and broken nose. His primary role in 1972 was to come in on likely passing downs and rush the passer. He had 40 tackles (17 solo) and 4½ sacks.
In 1973, Dryer started all 14 games on the right side and became the only NFL
player ever to have two safeties in the same game by dumping opposing passers in the end zone twice in the fourth quarter. He ended the season with 10 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and recovered 3 fumbles (all three were second on the top-ranked Rams defense). After the season he was a Second-team All-NFC pick by Pro Football Weekly. He finished the season with 39 tackles (21 solo) s passed knocked down, three forced fumbles and three fumbles recovered.
In 1974 he had 15 sacks, which co-led (with Youngblood) the NFL (unofficially, sacks were not officially recognized by the NFL until 1982) and was voted the Rams Outstanding Defensive Lineman and was named All-Pro
and All-NFC. Statistically, he had another solid year versus the run, totaling 49 tackles (34 solo) and two forced fumbles.
Dryer scored his first NFL touchdown in 1975 on a 20-yard interception return against Philadelphia
. After scoring his touchdown against the Eagles, Dryer promised that if he ever scored another, he would set his hair on fire in the end zone. Against the Eagles that day, he chose to celebrate by "rolling six", a touchdown celebration where the player scoring rolls the ball like an imaginary pair of dice with some of his teammates looking on. He ended 1975 with 12 sacks, behind only Jack Youngblood on and was voted All-NFC. Additionally, Dryer played in the 1975
Pro Bowl, was a Second-team All-Pro
selection as well. Statistically, Dryer was excellent against the run with 61 tackles (39 solo) and two passes deflection, two fumbles recovered to go along with the 20 yard TD interception.
Due to rule changes in NFL offensive line Dryer's play started to decline some. Always a small player, the new rules heavily favored larger players. Dryer coped with a 55-tackle, 5-sack season (33 solo). He did deflect two passes and for three fumbles in 1976 which were along the team leaders. In 1977 Dryer adopted a new diet and was winning praises from NFL sportwriters for the start he had. He recorded 35 tackles (28 solo) and 6 sacks. He also knocked down four passes, recovered three fumbles and caused one fumble. The next season, 1978 was much of the same. Dryer was the starting right defensive end on the NFL's #1 defense. Personally, he had 51 tackles (33 solo) and forced two fumbles, recovered three, blocked a kick and blocked one pass on route to a Ram record of 12-4.
He played in Super Bowl XIV
when the Rams met the Pittsburgh Steelers
after the 1979 season. That season he was honorable mention All-NFC after recording 49 tackles (31 solo) 10 sacks and three forced fumbles and recovered one. Against the New York Giants on October 28, 1979, Dryer recorded a career-high 5 sacks. In 1980 Dryer split time his right defensive end position with third-year player Reggie Doss
. They combined for 67 tackles (Dryer 31, 20 solo) and 12 sacks (Dryer 5½, Doss 6½).
Dryer ended his career with 104 career sacks, although since he played prior to 1982 when sacks became an official statistic they are not credited in the NFL record books. Dryer played on a tough Los Angeles Ram defense that during the decade of the 1970s, allowed fewer points, fewer total yards, fewer rushing yards, and sacked more quarterbacks than any other defense during that time-frame.
In January, 1981, Dryer made the cover of Interview magazine
, published by Andy Warhol
from the late 1960s through the early 1990s and was considered the very essence of "magazine chic". The magazine was noted for the full face Warhol-designed covers that featured prominent newsmakers. Dryer was the first and (probably) only NFL player to make the cover amongst people like Cher
, Sting, Truman Capote
, John Travolta
, Mick Jagger
, and many other "A" list celebs and the avant-garde
.
In 2003 the NFL Alumni presented Dryer with its Career Achievement Award which is presented to former NFL players "For Getting to the Top of His Field".
Down 20-7 in the fourth quarter, the Packers found themselves deep in their own territory when Dryer came storming in from the right side of the defense and chased down Green Bay quarterback Scott Hunter
, dropping him in the end zone for a safety. On the Packers' following possession near their own goal line, Dryer attacked again. He looped through the middle of the Packer's offensive line and dragged backup quarterback Jim Del Gaizo
down for his second safety of the game, setting a new NFL record.
For his efforts, Dryer was named the Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Week.
for SPORT
magazine. Fed up with the grandiose and self-important nature of the NFL's championship match, then-editor Dick Schaap
hired Dryer and Rams teammate Lance Rentzel
for this journalistic assignment. Donning costumes inspired by The Front Page
, "Scoops Brannigan" (Dryer) and "Cubby O'Switzer" (Rentzel) peppered players and coaches from both the Pittsburgh Steelers
and Minnesota Vikings
with questions that ranged from cliché
d to downright absurd. This became the inspiration for the eccentricities that surround Media Day at the Super Bowl
. Dryer also briefly served as a color analyst on CBS
's NFL coverage in 1981.
In the early 80's when producers/ creators Glen Charles
, Les Charles
and James Burrows
were developing the soon-to-be hit sitcom, Cheers
, Dryer, along with two other actors, was considered for the role of lead character, Sam Malone
. Ted Danson
ultimately won the role, but Dryer later appeared as sportscaster (and former Red Sox teammate of Sam's) Dave Richards in the episodes "Sam at Eleven", "Old Flames", "Love Thy Neighbor", and "'I' On Sports".
Dryer's best-known acting role came in the 1980s television
crime drama Hunter, in which he costarred with Stepfanie Kramer
. Dryer also starred in the action-thriller movie Death Before Dishonor
as well as Mike Land in the TV series Land's End (21 episodes, 1995–1996). He portrayed legendary DC Comics
military hero Sgt. Rock, during his appearance on Justice League
. Dryer got married in May 1983 (divorced in 1988) to actress and Playboy
centerfold Tracy Vaccaro, who also worked with him on Hunter and Land's End. Together, they have at least one daughter. Dryer still resides in Los Angeles and has his own production company (Fred Dryer Productions).
Fred Dryer is frequently mentioned in season two of Adult Swim
's Frisky Dingo
as presidential candidate Xander Crews's prospective running mate. There is also a collage of images of him in Simon's room.
In January 2009 Fred Dryer can be seen in a more intense role for cable TV commercial for SMS research company, which obliquely makes reference to his NFL record of two safeties in a game from 1973. Fred Dryer is also now a spokesman for the law service Injury Solutions.
Hawthorne, California
Hawthorne is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California. The city at the 2010 census had a population of 84,293, up from 84,112 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and former football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
in the National Football League (NFL)
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. Dryer played 13 years in the NFL, playing 176 games, starting 166, and recording 104 career sacks with the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
. Dryer is the only NFL player to score two safeties in one game.
Following his retirement from football, Dryer had a successful career as a film and television actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, notably starring in the series Hunter. His height (6'6" or 1.98 m) and physique was useful for his action roles.
College career
The son of Charles F. Dryer and Genevieve Nell Clark, Dryer began his football career at Lawndale High SchoolLawndale High School
Lawndale High School is one of three high schools in Lawndale, California. Lawndale High School was closed in 1981, and reopened in 1998. It is one of three schools in the Centinela Valley Union High School District. In 2009, Lawndale High was awarded the California Distinguished Award under the...
in Lawndale, California
Lawndale, California
Lawndale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 32,769 at the 2010 census, up from 31,711 according to the 2000 census...
, and then attended El Camino Junior College before transferring to San Diego State University (SDSU)
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
.
Dryer was inducted to the El Camino C.C. Athletic Hall Of Fame in 1988, as a charter member and was the Athlete of the Year for his 1966 performance on the football field. Dryer was also a 1966 Junior College
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n
During Dryer's junior and senior seasons, in which he lettered both seasons, at San Diego State, the Aztecs had a combined record of 19-1-1. They were the College Division National Champions
NCAA Division II national football championship
The NCAA Division II National Football Championship began in 1973. Prior to 1973, four regional bowl games were played in order to provide postseason action for what was then called the NCAA College Division and a poll determined the final champion....
in both seasons. In 1967 they topped both the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
polls as #1. In 1968 San Diego State was voted the champions by UPI and North Dakota State topped the AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
poll and thus the two schools shared the College-Division title.
Dryer was voted the outstanding defensive lineman on the team and as such was the recipient of the Byron H. Chase Memorial Trophy. One of Dryer's teammates was Carl Weathers
Carl Weathers
Carl Weathers is an American actor, as well as former professional football player in the United States and Canada. He is best known for playing Apollo Creed in the Rocky series of films...
, who played Apollo Creed
Apollo Creed
Apollo Creed is a fictional character from the Rocky films, initially portrayed as the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World. He was played by Carl Weathers. Many believe his character was modeled after Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali while Rocky Balboa was based on relatively unknown...
in the first four films of the Rocky
Rocky
Rocky is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and both written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It tells the rags to riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but kind-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
series. In 1967 the Aztecs allowed 12.9 points a game on defense, which is still ninth in SDSU history. In 1967 and 1968 the Aztec run defense allowed just 80.1 and 100.1 yards per game, still fourth and fifth, respectively in school annals after nearly forty years.
Dryer was named to the Little All-America team in 1968 since at the time the school was 1-AA. Dryer played in the East-West Shrine Game
East-West Shrine Game
The East–West Shrine Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game played each January since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners...
in San Francisco, the Hula Bowl
Hula Bowl
The Hula Bowl was an independently administered post-season invitational college football game held each year in Hawaii from 1947 to 2008. The game was last played at Aloha Stadium in the Hālawa district of Honolulu, Hawaii. At one point the longest-running sporting event in Hawaii, it had been...
in Honolulu and the College All-Star Game
College All-Star Game
The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played annually from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
where the college stars played the world champion New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
In 1988, Dryer was inducted into the San Diego State University Aztec Hall of Fame. In 1997 Dryer received college football's ultimate honor in being voted to the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
and is one of only three SDSU Aztecs
SDSU Aztecs
The San Diego State Aztecs are the collegiate athletics and sports teams for San Diego State University .San Diego State has organized programs for baseball, basketball, football, soccer, golf, gymnastics, rowing , softball, tennis, track, swimming, diving, women's volleyball, and water polo.The...
in the collegiate Hall of Fame. When voted into the San Diego Sports Hall of Fame in 1998, Dryer joined athletes such as Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
, Dan Fouts
Dan Fouts
Daniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987...
, Dave Winfield
Dave Winfield
David Mark Winfield is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is currently Executive Vice President/Senior Advisor of the San Diego Padres and an analyst for the ESPN program Baseball Tonight...
, and Tony Gwynn
Tony Gwynn
Anthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, Sr. , nicknamed Mr. Padre and Captain Video, is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is statistically one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the San Diego Padres...
in receiving the preeminent recognition for a San Diego athlete.
NFL career
Dryer was draftedNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
in the first round of the 1969 NFL Draft
1969 NFL Draft
The 1969 National Football League Draft was part of the Common Draft, the third and final year in which the NFL and American Football League held a joint draft of college players. The draft took place on January 28–29, 1969....
by the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and won a starting job as a rookie. He was the starting right defensive end from 1969 through 1971. He led the team in quarterback sacks each of those three seasons with 8½ in 1969, 12 in 1970 and 8½ in 1971. He was among the defensive leaders in other categories as well. In 1969 he tallied 58 tackles (39 solo), six passes deflected and forced two fumbles and recovered two. The next season Dryer was an alternate to the Pro Bowl but could not play due to a bruised hip. He was Second-team All-NFC after recording 69 tackles (53 solo) four pass defections, three forced fumbles, while recovering two to go along with his 12 sacks. In 1971 he again led team with 8½ sacks, and totaled 62 tackles (33 solo). Dryer also deflected two passes, forced two more fumbles and recovered two for the third consecutive season.
Dryer was traded to the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
in February 1972 for three draft choices (a first, second, and sixth), then on draft day of that year he was dealt to the Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
for a first round draft pick and backup defensive end Rick Cash
Rick Cash
Richard Francis Cash is a former American football defensive lineman in the National Football League. He was a 10th round selection in the 1968 NFL Draft out of Northeast Missouri State University by the Green Bay Packers...
. In his first year with the Rams he backed up left defensive end Jack Youngblood
Jack Youngblood
Herbert Jackson "Jack" Youngblood, III is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League for fourteen seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He was a five-time consensus All-Pro and a seven-time Pro Bowl...
making only four starts but playing in every game despite a broken hand and broken nose. His primary role in 1972 was to come in on likely passing downs and rush the passer. He had 40 tackles (17 solo) and 4½ sacks.
In 1973, Dryer started all 14 games on the right side and became the only NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
player ever to have two safeties in the same game by dumping opposing passers in the end zone twice in the fourth quarter. He ended the season with 10 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and recovered 3 fumbles (all three were second on the top-ranked Rams defense). After the season he was a Second-team All-NFC pick by Pro Football Weekly. He finished the season with 39 tackles (21 solo) s passed knocked down, three forced fumbles and three fumbles recovered.
In 1974 he had 15 sacks, which co-led (with Youngblood) the NFL (unofficially, sacks were not officially recognized by the NFL until 1982) and was voted the Rams Outstanding Defensive Lineman and was named All-Pro
1974 All-Pro Team
The following is a list of players that were named to the Associated Press All-Pro Team, the Newspaper Enterprise Association All-Pro team and the Pro Football Writers Association, and Pro Football Weekly All-Pro teams in 1974. Both first- and second- teams are listed for the AP, NEA, and PFWA teams...
and All-NFC. Statistically, he had another solid year versus the run, totaling 49 tackles (34 solo) and two forced fumbles.
Dryer scored his first NFL touchdown in 1975 on a 20-yard interception return against Philadelphia
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. After scoring his touchdown against the Eagles, Dryer promised that if he ever scored another, he would set his hair on fire in the end zone. Against the Eagles that day, he chose to celebrate by "rolling six", a touchdown celebration where the player scoring rolls the ball like an imaginary pair of dice with some of his teammates looking on. He ended 1975 with 12 sacks, behind only Jack Youngblood on and was voted All-NFC. Additionally, Dryer played in the 1975
1976 Pro Bowl
The 1976 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on January 26, 1976 at Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The final score was NFC 23, AFC 20. Billy Johnson of the Houston Oilers was the game's MVP. The referee was Fred Silva....
Pro Bowl, was a Second-team All-Pro
1975 All-Pro Team
The following is a list of players that were named to the Associated Press All-Pro Team, the Newspaper Enterprise Association All-Pro team and the Pro Football Writers Association, and Pro Football Weekly All-Pro teams in 1975. Both first- and second- teams are listed for the AP, NEA, and PFWA teams...
selection as well. Statistically, Dryer was excellent against the run with 61 tackles (39 solo) and two passes deflection, two fumbles recovered to go along with the 20 yard TD interception.
Due to rule changes in NFL offensive line Dryer's play started to decline some. Always a small player, the new rules heavily favored larger players. Dryer coped with a 55-tackle, 5-sack season (33 solo). He did deflect two passes and for three fumbles in 1976 which were along the team leaders. In 1977 Dryer adopted a new diet and was winning praises from NFL sportwriters for the start he had. He recorded 35 tackles (28 solo) and 6 sacks. He also knocked down four passes, recovered three fumbles and caused one fumble. The next season, 1978 was much of the same. Dryer was the starting right defensive end on the NFL's #1 defense. Personally, he had 51 tackles (33 solo) and forced two fumbles, recovered three, blocked a kick and blocked one pass on route to a Ram record of 12-4.
He played in Super Bowl XIV
Super Bowl XIV
Super Bowl XIV was an American football game played on January 20, 1980 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1979 regular season...
when the Rams met the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
after the 1979 season. That season he was honorable mention All-NFC after recording 49 tackles (31 solo) 10 sacks and three forced fumbles and recovered one. Against the New York Giants on October 28, 1979, Dryer recorded a career-high 5 sacks. In 1980 Dryer split time his right defensive end position with third-year player Reggie Doss
Reggie Doss
Reggie Doss is a former American Football defensive end who played ten seasons in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Rams....
. They combined for 67 tackles (Dryer 31, 20 solo) and 12 sacks (Dryer 5½, Doss 6½).
Dryer ended his career with 104 career sacks, although since he played prior to 1982 when sacks became an official statistic they are not credited in the NFL record books. Dryer played on a tough Los Angeles Ram defense that during the decade of the 1970s, allowed fewer points, fewer total yards, fewer rushing yards, and sacked more quarterbacks than any other defense during that time-frame.
In January, 1981, Dryer made the cover of Interview magazine
Interview (magazine)
Interview is an American magazine which has the nickname The Crystal Ball Of Pop. It was founded in late 1969 by artist Andy Warhol. The magazine features intimate conversations between some of the world's biggest celebrities, artists, musicians, and creative thinkers...
, published by Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
from the late 1960s through the early 1990s and was considered the very essence of "magazine chic". The magazine was noted for the full face Warhol-designed covers that featured prominent newsmakers. Dryer was the first and (probably) only NFL player to make the cover amongst people like Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
, Sting, Truman Capote
Truman Capote
Truman Streckfus Persons , known as Truman Capote , was an American author, many of whose short stories, novels, plays, and nonfiction are recognized literary classics, including the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's and the true crime novel In Cold Blood , which he labeled a "nonfiction novel." At...
, John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
, Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
, and many other "A" list celebs and the avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
.
In 2003 the NFL Alumni presented Dryer with its Career Achievement Award which is presented to former NFL players "For Getting to the Top of His Field".
Record game
Fred Dryer's record-setting game on October 21, 1973, at Los Angeles was a 24-7 win over Green Bay.Down 20-7 in the fourth quarter, the Packers found themselves deep in their own territory when Dryer came storming in from the right side of the defense and chased down Green Bay quarterback Scott Hunter
Scott Hunter (American football)
James Scott Hunter is a former professional American football quarterback in the National Football League. He played for the Green Bay Packers, the Buffalo Bills, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Detroit Lions...
, dropping him in the end zone for a safety. On the Packers' following possession near their own goal line, Dryer attacked again. He looped through the middle of the Packer's offensive line and dragged backup quarterback Jim Del Gaizo
Jim Del Gaizo
Jim Del Gaizo was a professional American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, and New York Giants. His career in the National Football League lasted five seasons .-Early life:...
down for his second safety of the game, setting a new NFL record.
For his efforts, Dryer was named the Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Week.
Scoring
- LA - FG Ray 44
- LA - Jackson 46 pass from Hadl (Ray kick)
- GB - B. Smith 23 pass from Lane (Marcol kick)
- LA - FG Ray 40
- LA - L. Smith, 1 run (Ray kick)
- LA - Safety, Dryer tackled Hunter in end zone
- LA - Safety, Dryer tackled Del Gaizo in end zone
Acting career
Prior to the start of his show business career, Dryer flexed his acting muscles when he helped cover Super Bowl IXSuper Bowl IX
Super Bowl IX was an American football game played on January 12, 1975 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1974 regular season. It would be the last pro game at legendary Tulane Stadium...
for SPORT
Sport (magazine)
Sport is a free French and London-based weekly sports magazine. It specialises in football, rugby, and tennis, together with handball in France and cricket in London...
magazine. Fed up with the grandiose and self-important nature of the NFL's championship match, then-editor Dick Schaap
Dick Schaap
Richard Jay Schaap was an American sportswriter, broadcaster, and author.-Early life and education:...
hired Dryer and Rams teammate Lance Rentzel
Lance Rentzel
Thomas Lance Rentzel is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and the Los Angeles Rams from 1965 to 1974.-Early years:...
for this journalistic assignment. Donning costumes inspired by The Front Page
The Front Page
The Front Page is a hit Broadway comedy about tabloid newspaper reporters on the police beat, written by one-time Chicago reporters Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur which was first produced in 1928.-Synopsis:...
, "Scoops Brannigan" (Dryer) and "Cubby O'Switzer" (Rentzel) peppered players and coaches from both the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
and Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
with questions that ranged from cliché
Cliché
A cliché or cliche is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken on a more technical meaning,...
d to downright absurd. This became the inspiration for the eccentricities that surround Media Day at the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
. Dryer also briefly served as a color analyst on CBS
NFL on CBS
The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:...
's NFL coverage in 1981.
In the early 80's when producers/ creators Glen Charles
Glen Charles
Glen Gerald Charles was born on February 18, 1943 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He attended the University of Redlands, California and earned a B.A. in English. Charles began his professional life as an advertising copywriter, but moved into television. He began his television career with his brother, Les...
, Les Charles
Les Charles
Les Charles was born in Henderson, Nevada. He attended the University of Redlands, California and earned a B.A. in English. Charles began his professional career as a high school English teacher, but moved into television....
and James Burrows
James Burrows
James Edward Burrows is an American television director who has been working in television since the 1970s.-Biography:...
were developing the soon-to-be hit sitcom, Cheers
Cheers
Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
, Dryer, along with two other actors, was considered for the role of lead character, Sam Malone
Sam Malone
Sam "Mayday" Malone is a fictional character on the American television show Cheers, portrayed by Ted Danson. The central character of the series, Sam is a former relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox Major League Baseball team who owns Cheers and tends bar there. He is a recovering alcoholic and...
. Ted Danson
Ted Danson
Edward Bridge “Ted” Danson III is an American actor best known for his role as central character Sam Malone in the sitcom Cheers, and his role as Dr. John Becker on the series Becker. He also plays a recurring role on Larry David's HBO sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm and starred alongside Glenn Close...
ultimately won the role, but Dryer later appeared as sportscaster (and former Red Sox teammate of Sam's) Dave Richards in the episodes "Sam at Eleven", "Old Flames", "Love Thy Neighbor", and "'I' On Sports".
Dryer's best-known acting role came in the 1980s television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
crime drama Hunter, in which he costarred with Stepfanie Kramer
Stepfanie Kramer
Stepfanie Kramer is an American actress, writer, and singer/songwriter. She is probably best known for her role as the tough-minded detective, "Sgt...
. Dryer also starred in the action-thriller movie Death Before Dishonor
Death Before Dishonor
Death Before Dishonor is a 1987 American action film directed by Terry Leonard.-Plot:Gunnery Sergeant Burns is in charge of the Marine Security Guard detachment at a United States embassy in the Middle East...
as well as Mike Land in the TV series Land's End (21 episodes, 1995–1996). He portrayed legendary DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
military hero Sgt. Rock, during his appearance on Justice League
Justice League (TV series)
Justice League is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 2001 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics...
. Dryer got married in May 1983 (divorced in 1988) to actress and Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
centerfold Tracy Vaccaro, who also worked with him on Hunter and Land's End. Together, they have at least one daughter. Dryer still resides in Los Angeles and has his own production company (Fred Dryer Productions).
Fred Dryer is frequently mentioned in season two of Adult Swim
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
's Frisky Dingo
Frisky Dingo
Frisky Dingo is an American animated cartoon series created by Adam Reed and Matt Thompson for Adult Swim. The series revolved around the conflict between a supervillain named Killface and a superhero named Awesome X, and much of the show's humor focuses on parodying superhero and action movie...
as presidential candidate Xander Crews's prospective running mate. There is also a collage of images of him in Simon's room.
In January 2009 Fred Dryer can be seen in a more intense role for cable TV commercial for SMS research company, which obliquely makes reference to his NFL record of two safeties in a game from 1973. Fred Dryer is also now a spokesman for the law service Injury Solutions.