Fred Dryer
A hard-nosed NFL defensive end who sacked quarterbacks for 13 seasons before tackling a second career as the star of a long-running TV cop drama.
Born 1946 (age 80)·American football player and actor·Birthday: July 6·Baby Boomers
Biography
Fred Dryer's story is one of two distinct, successful acts. First, he was a formidable defensive end in the NFL, playing 13 seasons for the New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams. At 6'6", he was a relentless pass rusher, known for his intensity and durability, playing in 176 consecutive games. He retired with over 100 career sacks and still holds the quirky record of scoring two safeties in a single game. Then, with the same focused energy, he pivoted to acting. After small roles in films and TV, he landed the lead in 'Hunter,' a gritty NBC police drama that ran for seven seasons. As Detective Sergeant Rick Hunter, Dryer embodied a tough, rule-bending cop, making the show a staple of 1980s primetime. His transition from the gridiron to Hollywood soundstages remains one of the most complete career shifts in professional sports.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Fred was born in 1946, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Fred Was Born
The biggest hits of 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Fred's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1946Born
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1951Started school
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1959Became a teenager
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Could drive
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1964Could vote
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Turned 21
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1976Turned 30
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 40
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 50
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 60
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 70
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 80
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played 13 seasons as a defensive end in the NFL for the New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams, recording over 100 career sacks.
- Starred as Detective Sergeant Rick Hunter in the hit NBC police drama 'Hunter,' which aired for seven seasons from 1984 to 1991.
- Holds the unique NFL record of scoring two safeties in a single game, achieved in 1973 against the Green Bay Packers.
Did You Know?
He was a first-round draft pick (13th overall) by the New York Giants in the 1969 NFL Draft.
He played college football at San Diego State University, where he was a teammate of future NFL star Haven Moses.
He turned down a role in the film 'The A-Team' to star in 'Hunter.'
“You either sack the quarterback or you explain to the coach why you didn't.”
