[5][6] Dacre came to attention as a sprinter in 1980, when he defeated Grant Anderson, who had represented New Zealand at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games, in a 60-metre race, recording a time of 7.2 seconds.
[9] Later that year, in November, Dacre lowered his personal best for the 200 metres to 21.62 seconds at an inter-club meet at Queen Elizabeth II Park in Christchurch.
[17] Dacre considered sitting out the following season, but changed his mind and made what The Press newspaper called a "sensational return to competition" when he competed at an inter-club meet at Queen Elizabeth II Park in December 1984, against medical advice.
[17] Dacre continued his comeback,[18][19] and was subsequently selected in the Canterbury team for the 1985 national athletic championships in Dunedin,[20] where he won the senior men's 100-metre title in a time of 10.84 seconds, running into a strong headwind.
[24] During three years at Utah State, Dacre did not get much game time in his role as a wide receiver,[24] a tough ask with teammates like Solomon Miller (Superbowl winner with the New York Giants) Kendal Smith (Cincinnati Bengals) and Pat Newman (New Orleans Saints) also on the Roster although he was thought to be the fastest player on the Aggies' roster.
[25] During football training, Dacre recorded a best time of 4.29 seconds over 40 yards (37 m), ranking him as the second-fastest athlete for the distance in the United States.
[24] During the mid late 1990s Dacre embarked on an American football coaching career at the University of Colorado under the guidance of Rick Nueheisel later following Neuheisel to the University of Washington In 2000/2001 was on staff at the Oklahoma Wranglers of the Arena Football League After he returned to New Zealand, Dacre's explosive power over a short distance led to his being recruited to the New Zealand bobsledding team, replacing hammer thrower Philip Jensen, despite having no previous experience in the sport.
[34] At the conclusion of the Olympic bobsleigh competition, Dacre stated that he "love[d] the sport" and that his intention was to attend driving school, and reconsider if he would return to American football.