Fred Dean

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Frederick Rudolph Dean<ref name="NYT"/><ref name=pfhof/> (February 24, 1952 – October 14, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). A two-time first-team All-Pro and a four-time Pro Bowler, he won two Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008.

Dean played college football for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. He was selected in the second round of the 1975 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers. He was traded to San Francisco in 1981 due to a contract dispute. He is a member of both the Chargers Hall of Fame and 49ers Hall of Fame.

Early lifeEdit

Dean was born in Arcadia,<ref name=pfhof/> the seat of Bienville Parish in north Louisiana. He grew up Template:Convert east in Ruston, where he attended the all-Black, segregated Lincoln High School. After integration, he moved as a junior to Ruston High, where he graduated.<ref name=pfhof>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

College careerEdit

Dean was a standout at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, having spurned an opportunity to play for legendary coach Eddie Robinson at nearby Grambling State University, which at the time was sending African American players to the NFL on a yearly basis, as well as Southeastern Conference power LSU, where former Ruston High star Bert Jones was the starting quarterback (at the time of Dean's recruitment, LSU did not have an black player in its program).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Playing mostly as an end,<ref name=thomas_07302008/> Dean excelled as a defensive lineman for the Bulldogs and was a four-time all-conference selection and two-time conference defensive player of the year in the Southland Conference.<ref name=shreveport_07112017>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=nff_05122009/> He was an All-American as a senior in 1974.<ref name=nff_05122009>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Professional careerEdit

San Diego ChargersEdit

Dean was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 1975 NFL draft with the 33rd overall pick. Chargers coach Tommy Prothro initially projected him as a linebacker but eventually relented to Dean's wish to remain a lineman.<ref name=thomas_07302008/> As a rookie, he had seven sacks and registered his career-high of 93 tackles.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He recorded Template:Frac sacks in 1978.<ref name=thomas_07302008/> In 1979, the Chargers won the AFC West division while leading the AFC in fewest points allowed (246).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Dean had nine sacks in 13 games and was named to the All-AFC team.<ref name="InSeasonTrade"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The Chargers again won the AFC West in 1980, with Dean teaming with fellow 1975 Charger draftees Gary "Big Hands" Johnson and Louie Kelcher as the Chargers led the NFL in sacks (60).<ref name=foxsports_08112010/><ref name=espn_03292009/> Dean had missed the first two games of the season after not reporting, but still finished the season with Template:Frac sacks.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He and Johnson were named first-team All-Pro, with Kelcher being named second-team All-Pro. The trio along with Leroy Jones formed a defensive front that was nicknamed the Bruise Brothers.<ref name=foxsports_08112010>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=espn_03292009>Template:Cite news Template:Subscription required</ref>

San Francisco 49ersEdit

In 1981, Dean was traded to the San Francisco 49ers due to a contract dispute with Chargers' ownership.<ref name=cnnsi_01282001/> He complained that he was the lowest-paid sixth-year defensive lineman in 1980 and that his salary was below the average of all defensive linemen.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Dean contended that he was making the same amount of money as his brother-in-law who was a truck driver.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Originally set to make $75,000 that season,<ref name=zimmerman_11021981/> the 49ers renegotiated his contract to reportedly near $150,000 a year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Chargers' defense would not be the same afterwards, and Don "Air" Coryell's Chargers teams are now most remembered for its high-scoring, pass-oriented offense that did not have enough defense to make it to a Super Bowl. In 2013, U-T San Diego called the Chargers trading Dean "perhaps the biggest blunder in franchise history".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> "I can't say how much it affected us, because we did make it to the AFC championship game," said Johnson of the Chargers without Dean. "But I could say if we had more pass rush from the corner, it might've been different".<ref name=thomas_07302008>Template:Cite news</ref>

With San Francisco, Dean was used as a pass-rush specialist, playing only when the 49ers switched from a 3–4 defense to a 4–3 or a 4–2 nickel.<ref name=zimmerman_11021981/><ref name="NYT"/> He joined the team mid-season for Game 6 against the Dallas Cowboys.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After only a couple of practices, he played and was still able to record two sacks and apply pressure and repeatedly hurry Danny White in a 45–14 win by the 49ers. His performance was noted by author Tom Danyluk as "the greatest set of downs I have ever seen unleashed by a pass rusher".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In what had been a game of possum, Bill Walsh, the 49er head coach, said to John Madden, who covered the game, "Fred (Dean) just got here... If he plays, he won't play much".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> But he played the whole game.<ref name="WholeGame">Template:Cite news</ref>

Two weeks later at home against the Los Angeles Rams, the 49ers won 20–17 for their first-ever win against the Rams at home in Candlestick Park, as Dean sacked Pat Haden Template:Frac times.<ref name=zimmerman_11021981>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Dean was named the UPI NFC Defensive Player of the Year with 12 sacks while playing in 11 games for the 49ers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The 49ers went on to win Super Bowl XVI that year, and Steve Sabol (NFL Films) is quoted in 2006 as saying that Dean's acquisition was the last meaningful in-season trade, in that it affected the destination of the Lombardi Trophy.<ref name="InSeasonTrade">Template:Cite news</ref> San Francisco, which was 3–2 when Dean arrived, won 13 of their final 14 games, including the playoffs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 1983, Dean recorded a career-high Template:Frac sacks to lead the NFC and recorded a then-NFL record of six in one game, setting that mark during the 49ers’ 27–0 shutout of the New Orleans Saints on November 13, 1983.<ref name=pfhof_bio>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Dean was also a key player on the 1984 squad than won Super Bowl XIX. He was reunited with his former Charger teammates Johnson, Kelcher and Billy Shields, who were acquired by the 49ers.<ref name=cnnsi_01282001>Template:Cite news</ref>

LegacyEdit

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Dean's uniform with the San Francisco 49ers at the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Dean ended his NFL career with 93 unofficial sacks, according to the Professional Football Researchers Association.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Dean was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008,<ref name=pfhof_bio/> when his bust, sculpted by Scott Myers, was unveiled.<ref name="HOFBust">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="ScottMyers">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="FredPam">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was also named to both the Chargers' 40th and 50th anniversary teams and inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news Template:Cbignore</ref><ref name=2010mg>Template:Cite book</ref>

Dean was inducted into the Louisiana Tech University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.<ref name=shreveport_07112017/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2009, Dean was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.<ref name=nff_05122009/>