Fry attended Elder High School before moving on to the University of Kentucky, where he was coached by Paul "Bear" Bryant.

In 1950, he was named the starting offensive end as a sophomore and contributed to Kentucky's best season under Bryant,[2] finishing with an 11–1 record and a 13–7 upset in the Sugar Bowl over the eventual national champions the University of Oklahoma, also ending the Sooners' 31-game winning streak.

As a senior, he was moved to the offensive tackle position and earned his second straight third-team All-SEC honors.

[3] He became a starter at left tackle as a rookie, before spending the next two years out of football while serving his military service.

He returned in 1956 and maintained his starting role for four straight seasons, even though at the time he was one of the lightest offensive linemen in the NFL.