Tab Thacker
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Talmadge Layne Thacker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | March 10, 1962 Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | December 28, 2007 (aged 45) Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | North Carolina State University | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Actor, Wrestler | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 450 lb (204 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Talmadge Layne "Tab" Thacker (March 10, 1962 – December 28, 2007) was an American wrestler and actor.
Early life
[edit]Thacker was on the football, basketball, track, and wrestling teams while at West Forsyth High School in Clemmons, North Carolina. He started wrestling as a freshman in high school, where he placed fourth and third at the North Carolina state championships in 1979 and 1980.[1][2] Thacker would then go on to win the 1980 Junior Greco-Roman wrestling national championship, before enrolling at NC State.[3]
College
[edit]As a wrestler at NC State, Thacker was a three-time NCAA Division I All-American and won a national title his senior year. His three All-American trips to the podium consisted of finishing 8th as a sophomore in 1982, 6th as a junior in 1983, and winning the national championship as a senior in 1984. He was also a four-time Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) champion for the Wolfpack. Thacker finished his college career 92-11-1, ranking second in NC State history with an .889 winning percentage and 54 pins. He majored in criminal justice while at NC State.
Professional career
[edit]He began his film career after Clint Eastwood noticed him in Time magazine and noted the 6-foot-4 and 450-pound (1.93 m, 204 kg) Thacker's size. Thacker went on to appear in several films including City Heat, Wildcats, two of the Police Academy films, and Identity Crisis.
After leaving Hollywood, Thacker returned to Raleigh, North Carolina, where he opened a remodeling business and operated several nightclubs. He later became a bail bondsman.
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | City Heat | Tuck | |
| 1986 | Wildcats | Phillip Finch | |
| 1987 | Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol | Thomas 'House' Conklin | |
| 1988 | Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach | ||
| 1989 | Identity Crisis | I.Q. | (final film role) |
Death
[edit]A North Carolina native, Thacker died in Raleigh, North Carolina on December 27, 2007, at the age of 45 after years of failing health. He developed diabetes and had a foot amputated some years before he died. He was buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
References
[edit]- ^ 3/28/1979 - Vol. 9 Issue #10 - Scheib COY, Danaho WOY, All-State Team. North Carolina Wrestling Coaches Association. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
- ^ 4/3/1980 - Vol. 10 Issue #9 - Trinity wins State Tourn., All-State Issue. North Carolina Wrestling Coaches Association. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
- ^ Former National Champion Tab Thacker Passes Away. gopack.com Retrieved January 30, 2022.
External links
[edit]- Tab Thacker at IMDb
- "NCAA wrestling champ, "Police Academy" actor from N.C. dies", The Charlotte Observer, 27 December 2007
- Tab Thacker, 45; NCAA wrestler cast in films. The Los Angeles Times, 30 December 2007