Fred Dean

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Fred Dean's trade to the San Francisco 49ers in 1981 was a turning point for the franchise. He had been a standout with the San Diego Chargers, where he was a two-time first-team All-Pro and part of the Bruise Brothers defensive front. But a contract dispute with Chargers' owner Gene Klein led to his departure. Dean 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. Originally set to make $75,000 that season, the 49ers renegotiated his contract to reportedly near $150,000 a year. The Chargers' defense would not be the same afterwards, and in 2013, U-T San Diego called the Chargers trading Dean "perhaps the biggest blunder in franchise history." With the 49ers, Dean's impact was immediate. In what had been a game of possum, 49ers head coach Bill Walsh told John Madden, "Fred (Dean) just got here... If he plays, he won't play much." But he played the whole game against the Cowboys, recording two sacks. 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 4+1⁄2 times. San Francisco, which was 3–2 when Dean arrived, won 13 of their final 14 games, including the playoffs.

In Their Own Story

The 1983 season saw Fred Dean at his most dominant. On November 13, 1983, during the 49ers' 27–0 shutout of the New Orleans Saints, Dean recorded a then-NFL record of six sacks in a single game. That season, he recorded a career-high 17+1⁄2 sacks to lead the NFC. Dean was also a key player on the 1984 squad that won Super Bowl XIX. He was reunited with his former Charger teammates Gary "Big Hands" Johnson, Louie Kelcher, and Billy Shields, who were acquired by the 49ers. Dean ended his NFL career with 93 unofficial sacks, according to the Professional Football Researchers Association.

Reader's Guide

Fred Dean played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1981 through the 1984 season, winning two Super Bowls with the team (Super Bowl XVI and Super Bowl XIX). He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008. He is also a member of the 49ers Hall of Fame. After his football career, Dean was a minister in his hometown, Ruston. Dean died from COVID-19 while being airlifted from a hospital in West Monroe, Louisiana, to Jackson, Mississippi, on October 14, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was 68. Dean is one of at least 345 NFL players to be diagnosed after death with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is caused by repeated hits to the head.

Did You Know?

• Fred Dean was a two-time first-team All-Pro and a four-time Pro Bowler.
• He was traded to the 49ers in 1981 due to a contract dispute with Chargers' owner Gene Klein.
• Dean recorded a then-NFL record of six sacks in one game on November 13, 1983, against the New Orleans Saints.
• He was named the UPI NFC Defensive Player of the Year in 1981 with 12 sacks while playing in only 11 games for the 49ers.
• Dean died from COVID-19 on October 14, 2020, at age 68.