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Mike Toone
Sports Lore – Editor
I’m sure most of us can name a few sports
players that later found success on the screen and tube.
In the coming months we will write about a few of them.
If you have a favorite one let us know about them.
The first one we will spotlight was a
football player and in the Hall Of Fame. Not "the" Hall
of Fame, but a hall none the less. Fred Dryer played
for San Diego State University. It was there that he
played in two Small College National Championships.
In his senior year he earned All-American Honors. He
also got the attention of the big boys. So while he
entered the pros first he later entered the National
Collegiate Athletic Association Hall of Fame.
As for the pros the New York Giants drafted,
and then kept him, from 1969 – 70. In 1971 he was traded
to the Los Angeles Rams and played only with them until
1981. In his prime he was one of the best defensive
ends performing. However, as he got older; and players
got younger, it became time to think of what to do next?
Even more risky then making it onto a
professional sports team is the likely hood of making
a living acting. He had actually been in one forgettable
film while still playing football. The name of it was
The American Raspberry, with the last word being the
greeting viewers gave it. Despite that set back, Dryer
went to acting school and when the teacher thought he
was ready he hit the sidewalk. He gave a script reading
anywhere, and to any person, that would let him. Of
course being a known name from football in the Hollywood
area helped to open doors. It was no guarantee you would
stay inside.
The readings led to bit acting, not cameo
roles, on some of the popular shows at the time. One
would be televisions’ CHIPS and another the Laverne
and Shirley Show. There was also a part in a miniseries
called Starmaker. All this lead to a handful of made
for television movies. To name a few would be The Kid
From Nowhere, Something So Right, and Fantastic World
of DC Collins. He also came inches from a television
touchdown show called "Cheers".
It was close but in the end producers
went with Ted Dawson to play the role of Sam Malone.
Dryer got second best with reoccurring roles as Sam’s
ex-teammate. By this time Dryer’s acting efforts had
attracted the interest of producers once showed by football
coaches for his grid iron efforts. It was time to put
him in the starting line up. A show called "Hunter"
needed a star.
Dryer was perfect for the part, and it
worked. From 1984 till 1991 he wasn’t Fred Dryer, Ram’s
Defensive End, he was Sgt. Rick Hunter. Seven years
is a long run, and it may have lasted longer. However,
with cable exploding more channels needed more shows.
The era of thirty-minute shows was booming. One-hour
shows, like Hunter, were drying up. Despite that Hunter
went into syndication where even in 2005 it is shown
somewhere almost every day.
It was during the Hunter days that Dryer
also learned more of skills that go on behind the camera.
After Hunter was over he formed Fred Dryer Productions
and has produced a number of projects mostly for television.
One of his most well known is "Land’s End" that ran
from 1995 to 1996. That does not mean everyone has forgotten
his football days.
After all does not everyone remember October
21, 1973? That was the day the Rams beat the Packers
24 to 7. It was also the day Fred Dryer became the first
professional football player to record two safeties
in one game. In 1973 he also led the league in safeties.
And some thought he was just an actor!
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