N/S Hall of Famer and Louisiana native Fred Dean passes away. (1 Viewer)

[Merl]

Fred Dean, Hall of Fame DE for 49ers and Chargers, dies at 68; ex-teammate said he had COVID-19

The two-time Super Bowl champion pass-rusher was 68 years old

www.cbssports.com

 

[Saint Greg]

Louisiana Tech Hall of Famer as well.....RIP.

 

[Saintman2884]

Probably one of the greatest, most intense but at the same time, one of the most underrated DE's of his generation and one of the few good or great defensive players on a explosive, powerful "Air Coryell" Chargers offenses of the late 70's/early 80's. He wasnt the only great D-linemen, there was Gary "Big Hands" Johnson and Louis Kershaw but because if you were a defensive player on the 1980s Chargers teams, you were a second-class citizen. That's the unfortunate truth outspoken, former over-achiever FB Chargers FB Hank Bauer once said and that bitter, grating truth is also why those Chargers never made it to a SB and gradually the only good defensive players they did have were traded away or allowed to walk to other teams where they won SBs.

If Fred Dean or Gary "Big Hands" Johnson hadn't left San Diego for Niners by the mid-80s, they would've simply stayed on competitive, yet ultimately disappointing teams that bottomed out by mid-80's. Chargers could've also kept a lot of their top players, like John Jefferson, Dean, Kershaw if their then-owner, Gene Klein, wasnt so cheap and willing to pay those star All-Pro players better contracts instead of trading them after contract negotiations broke down.

Chargers fans in San Diego throughout the team's existence had a lot of fun, exciting memorable players, teams, but they tended more often then not were saddled with cheap, stubborn, obstinent, egotistical and unreasonable owners and even GMs, who mistreated, lowballed, or quarreled over petty issues like AJ Smith did with Marty Schottenheimer that led to him being fired 1 month after losing to New England in the 2006 AFC Divisional Playoffs. Better, more responsible owner or less egotistical, self-centered GM they might have won or appeared in a few more SBs and perhaps would still be in San Diego.

FWIW, of all the Air Coryell Chargers teams: historians, football analysts always like to focus on the 1981 Chargers as the best of them all. I disagree, the 1981 unit may have been the most explosive, but the 1979 and 1980 teams were more complete teams that had more depth and better defenses. I think if San Diego could've gotten past Oakland in the 1980 AFCCG, that's the best chance they would've had to win a SB. The 1979 squad may have been best, but they lacked the experience, and probably focus to beat the last of those great "Steel Curtain" 1970's Steelers teams and Freezer Bowl historical wind-chills aside, Cincinnati was probably the better team that year irregardless if their game were played in San Diego or Antarctica. And neither one of those teams would've beaten Montana's Niners in Super Bowl XVI.

 

[OneBigEasy!!]

RIP

Fred Dean

 

[pruitt1997]

I saw Dean play a few games when Tech played in Lake Charles. I liked his play, but wished he wasn't doing it to my Cowboys.

 

[TribuneUK]

Probably one of the greatest, most intense but at the same time, one of the most underrated DE's of his generation and one of the few good or great defensive players on a explosive, powerful "Air Coryell" Chargers offenses of the late 70's/early 80's. He wasnt the only great D-linemen, there was Gary "Big Hands" Johnson and Louis Kershaw but because if you were a defensive player on the 1980s Chargers teams, you were a second-class citizen. That's the unfortunate truth outspoken, former over-achiever FB Chargers FB Hank Bauer once said and that bitter, grating truth is also why those Chargers never made it to a SB and gradually the only good defensive players they did have were traded away or allowed to walk to other teams where they won SBs.

If Fred Dean or Gary "Big Hands" Johnson hadn't left San Diego for Niners by the mid-80s, they would've simply stayed on competitive, yet ultimately disappointing teams that bottomed out by mid-80's. Chargers could've also kept a lot of their top players, like John Jefferson, Dean, Kershaw if their then-owner, Gene Klein, wasnt so cheap and willing to pay those star All-Pro players better contracts instead of trading them after contract negotiations broke down.

Chargers fans in San Diego throughout the team's existence had a lot of fun, exciting memorable players, teams, but they tended more often then not were saddled with cheap, stubborn, obstinent, egotistical and unreasonable owners and even GMs, who mistreated, lowballed, or quarreled over petty issues like AJ Smith did with Marty Schottenheimer that led to him being fired 1 month after losing to New England in the 2006 AFC Divisional Playoffs. Better, more responsible owner or less egotistical, self-centered GM they might have won or appeared in a few more SBs and perhaps would still be in San Diego.

FWIW, of all the Air Coryell Chargers teams: historians, football analysts always like to focus on the 1981 Chargers as the best of them all. I disagree, the 1981 unit may have been the most explosive, but the 1979 and 1980 teams were more complete teams that had more depth and better defenses. I think if San Diego could've gotten past Oakland in the 1980 AFCCG, that's the best chance they would've had to win a SB. The 1979 squad may have been best, but they lacked the experience, and probably focus to beat the last of those great "Steel Curtain" 1970's Steelers teams and Freezer Bowl historical wind-chills aside, Cincinnati was probably the better team that year irregardless if their game were played in San Diego or Antarctica. And neither one of those teams would've beaten Montana's Niners in Super Bowl XVI.

Great history lesson, thanks!

 

[St.Dan]

Probably one of the greatest, most intense but at the same time, one of the most underrated DE's of his generation and one of the few good or great defensive players on a explosive, powerful "Air Coryell" Chargers offenses of the late 70's/early 80's. He wasnt the only great D-linemen, there was Gary "Big Hands" Johnson and Louis Kershaw but because if you were a defensive player on the 1980s Chargers teams, you were a second-class citizen. That's the unfortunate truth outspoken, former over-achiever FB Chargers FB Hank Bauer once said and that bitter, grating truth is also why those Chargers never made it to a SB and gradually the only good defensive players they did have were traded away or allowed to walk to other teams where they won SBs.

If Fred Dean or Gary "Big Hands" Johnson hadn't left San Diego for Niners by the mid-80s, they would've simply stayed on competitive, yet ultimately disappointing teams that bottomed out by mid-80's. Chargers could've also kept a lot of their top players, like John Jefferson, Dean, Kershaw if their then-owner, Gene Klein, wasnt so cheap and willing to pay those star All-Pro players better contracts instead of trading them after contract negotiations broke down.

Chargers fans in San Diego throughout the team's existence had a lot of fun, exciting memorable players, teams, but they tended more often then not were saddled with cheap, stubborn, obstinent, egotistical and unreasonable owners and even GMs, who mistreated, lowballed, or quarreled over petty issues like AJ Smith did with Marty Schottenheimer that led to him being fired 1 month after losing to New England in the 2006 AFC Divisional Playoffs. Better, more responsible owner or less egotistical, self-centered GM they might have won or appeared in a few more SBs and perhaps would still be in San Diego.

FWIW, of all the Air Coryell Chargers teams: historians, football analysts always like to focus on the 1981 Chargers as the best of them all. I disagree, the 1981 unit may have been the most explosive, but the 1979 and 1980 teams were more complete teams that had more depth and better defenses. I think if San Diego could've gotten past Oakland in the 1980 AFCCG, that's the best chance they would've had to win a SB. The 1979 squad may have been best, but they lacked the experience, and probably focus to beat the last of those great "Steel Curtain" 1970's Steelers teams and Freezer Bowl historical wind-chills aside, Cincinnati was probably the better team that year irregardless if their game were played in San Diego or Antarctica. And neither one of those teams would've beaten Montana's Niners in Super Bowl XVI.

A poster after my heart with all the history right there! The Coryell Chargers -- more specifically then-owner Gene Klein -- screwed up royally by letting Dean and WR John Jefferson get out the door. Much like Finks/Mora did with players like Mel Gray and Morten Andersen, he didn't want to pay them market value (of course, no free agency yet, but still....). The '79 Chargers were upset at home by the Oilers because, as some legend has it, the Oilers D figured out Fouts' signals at the line. Fouts for his part had a terrible day and was picked off three or four times by Vernon Perry, whom Bum later brought to the Saints as part of his reclamation projects we all dealt with as fans. It sas an upset b/c Earl Campbell and Dan Pastorini were injured and didn't even play.

In '80, they lost a shootout/tennis match with the Raiders when the Raiders scored on a fluky deflected pass on the first or second play of the game. Had to play catchup the rest of the way. And of course the historically cold weather in Cincy did them in in '81 after expending so much energy for the "Epic in Miami" the previous week.