Dale Hatcher

{{Short description|American football player (born 1963)}}

{{Use American English|date=June 2023}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Dale Hatcher

| number = 3, 5, 7

| position = Punter

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1963|4|5}}

| birth_place = Cheraw, South Carolina, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 2

| weight_lb = 209

| high_school = Cheraw

| college = Clemson

| draftyear = 1985

| draftround = 3

| draftpick = 77

| pastteams =

• Los Angeles Rams ({{NFL Year|1985|1989}})
• Green Bay Packers ({{NFL Year|1990}})*
• Los Angeles Rams ({{NFL Year|1991}})
• San Francisco 49ers ({{NFL Year|1992}})*
• Miami Dolphins ({{NFL Year|1993}})

| highlights =

• First-team All-Pro (1985)
• Pro Bowl (1985)
• NFL punting yards leader (1987)
• PFWA All-Rookie Team (1985)
• National champion (1981)
• First-team All-American (1984)
• First-team All-ACC (1984)

| statlabel1 = Punts

| statvalue1 = 490

| statlabel2 = Punting yards

| statvalue2 = 19,606

| statlabel3 = Punt average

| statvalue3 = 40.0

| pfr = HatcDa20

}}

Roger Dale Hatcher (born April 5, 1963) is an American former professional football player who was a punter in the National Football League (NFL).

Hatcher was born and raised in Cheraw, South Carolina and played scholastically at Cheraw High School.{{cite web| url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HatcDa20.htm |title=Dale Hatcher Stats |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |access-date=May 28, 2024}} He played college football for the Clemson Tigers,{{cite web| url=https://www.nfl.com/players/dale-hatcher/ |title=Dale Hatcher Stats |website=NFL.com |access-date=May 28, 2024}} where, as a senior, he was honored by Gannett News Service as a first-team All-American.{{cite news |title=Flutie, Byars lead Gannett All-Americans |newspaper=The Journal-News (White Plains, NY) |author=Joel S. Buchsbaum |page=D11 |date=December 2, 1984 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/163075296/ |via=Newspapers.com}}{{open access}}

Hatcher was selected in the third round of the 1985 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams.{{Cite web |title=1985 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1985/draft.htm |access-date=October 10, 2023 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} He had an outstanding rookie season, averaging 43.2 yards per punt and being selected to the Pro Bowl, as well as Associated Press first-team All-Pro.{{Cite web |url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/playerh/hatc00400.html |title=Dale Hatcher Stats |website=Pro Football Archives |access-date=May 28, 2024 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231011031540/https://www.profootballarchives.com/playerh/hatc00400.html |archive-date=October 11, 2023}} He spent five more seasons with the Rams, and finished his career with the Miami Dolphins in 1993.

Hatcher's blocked punt decided the first overtime 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. Teammate Jim Everett threw for the only three touchdowns of the game for the Rams as the Vikings' only other points were Rich Karlis' record-tying seven field goals.

After his professional football career ended, Hatcher took a job working at Freightliner Custom Chassis in Gaffney, South Carolina.