Tab Thacker

Talmadge Layne "Tab" Thacker (March 10, 1962 – December 28, 2007) was an American wrestler and actor.

Early life Thacker was on the football, basketball, track, and wrestling teams while at West Forsyth High School in Clemmons, North Carolina. At the North Carolina wrestling state championships, he placed fourth in 1979 and third in 1980. Thacker would then go on to win the 1980 Junior Greco-Roman wrestling national championship, before enrolling at NC State.

College 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 eighth as a sophomore in 1982, sixth 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 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 Year Title Role Notes1984 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 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 is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.