Fred Williamson

Frederick Robert Williamson, born on March 5, 1938, in Gary, Indiana, is an American actor, filmmaker, and former professional football player known by his nickname “The Hammer.” He attended Froebel High School in Gary, where he excelled in track and football, graduating in 1956. Williamson continued his education at Northwestern University on a track and field scholarship, where he also played college football as a defensive back and earned a degree in architecture. His aggressive playing style on the field led to his enduring nickname. After his college career, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the San Francisco 49ers before being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, playing one season in the National Football League in 1960.

Williamson moved to the Football League, playing four seasons for the Oakland Raiders from 1961 to 1964 and earning AFL All-Star honors in 1961, 1962, and 1963. He then played three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs from 1965 to 1967, where he was an AFL champion in 1966. Famously, before Super Bowl I, Williamson stated he would knock Green Bay Packers receivers Carroll Dale and Boyd Dowler out of the game. He concluded his eight-season pro football career in 1967, accumulating 36 pass interceptions in 104 games. After signing with the Montreal Alouettes in 1968 but not playing a league game, he retired from professional football.

Following his football career, Williamson transitioned into acting, making guest and supporting appearances on television and in films. His first leading role came in the 1972 blaxploitation Western “The Legend of Nigger Charley.” He starred as Tommy Gibbs in the 1973 crime drama “Black Caesar” and its sequel “Hell Up in Harlem.” In 1974, he established his own production company, Po’ Boy Productions, and began directing and producing films, creating over 40 movies to date. He relocated to Rome, Italy, in the mid-1970s, continuing to produce action films. Williamson remains active in the film industry, both in front of and behind the camera, with recent roles including Frost in “From Dusk Till Dawn” (1996) and Captain Doby in “Starsky & Hutch” (2004).