The San Francisco 49ers will wear a helmet decal during Sunday night’s game against the Los Angeles Rams in honor of Hall of Fame defensive end Fred Dean, who passed away on Oct. 14 at age 68.
A Louisiana native who played collegiately at Louisiana Tech, Dean was selected by the then-San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 1975 NFL Draft. He spent a little more than six seasons with the Chargers, leading the franchise to division titles in 1979 and 1980.
Dean was traded to San Francisco midway through the 1981 season due to a contract dispute, as he contended he made the same amount of money as his brother-in-law, a truck driver. The 49ers went on to win 13 of their final 14 games after his acquisition, including Super Bowl XVI.
Though sacks did not become an official statistic until 1982, Dean is credited with 93 sacks in 141 career games (82 starts). He was a four-time Pro Bowl selection (1979-81 and 1983) and two-time All-Pro (1980-81).
Dean, who also led San Francisco to a win in Super Bowl XIX, retired following the 1985 season. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2009.
Kickoff for tonight’s game between the 49ers and Rams is set for 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.
Photos courtesy of @49ers on Twitter.
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