He competed in the 1936 and 1948 Summer Olympics as a hammer thrower; his other strong event was the non-Olympic weight throw, in which he broke the world record several times.
[6] In 1935 Dreyer broke his own world record in the 35-pound indoor weight throw with 57 ft 9 in (17.60 m)[8][9] and repeated as national champion in the event.
[1][10] The previous week he had thrown 181 ft 5+3⁄16 in (55.30 m) at the New England championships in Newport,[7] the best throw in the world that year.
[2][12][13] He only placed third in the hammer at that year's national championships,[10] losing to two other Rhode Island State alumni, William Rowe and Folwartshny.
[10] Dreyer's indoor weight throw streak ended in the Olympic year of 1948, when he placed third as Bob Bennett won and Sam Felton took second.
[22] At the Olympics in London Dreyer finished ninth, just as he had twelve years before; this time his best throw was 168 ft 6+3⁄8 in (51.37 m), three feet better than in Berlin.