Born and raised in Placentia, California, Dressel played scholastically at El Dorado High School.
[1] He played collegiately for the Stanford Cardinal,[2] where, as a senior, he was honored by the Gannett News Service as a third-team All-American.
[3] Dressel was selected by the Houston Oilers in the third-round of the 1983 NFL draft,[4] and started 30 of 32 games his first two years.
In 1987 he played in one game for the San Francisco 49ers as a replacement player during the NFLPA strike.
[5] Dressel recorded 111 pass receptions for 1098 yards and 8 touchdowns during his 9 years in the NFL.