Dale Hatcher American football player

Dale Hatcher (born April 5, 1963 in Cheraw, South Carolina) is a former American football punter for the Los Angeles Rams and the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He set a Clemson record for net punting in the contest with a 46.7 against Kentucky in 1981. In 1985, he was named Pro Bowl and AP All Pro First Team. He is best remembered as the punter in the first regular-season NFL game to be decided by a safety. On November 5, 1989 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Hatcher helped end the game as he tried to punt, only to have it blocked by Minnesota Vikings linebacker Mike Merriweather to give the Vikings a 23-21 win over the Rams. After his football career ended, Hatcher took a job working at Freightliner Custom Chassis in Gaffney, SC where he is still employed to this day.