He was raised in Riverdale, California, in the San Joaquin Valley. He was a star player at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA before being drafted by the Green Bay Packers.
Though not Hispanic, Autry's parents named him "Carlos" after a Louisiana politician admired by his father. The couple soon divorced, however, and Autry's mother took him to be with her family in central California. Carlos Autry now became Carlos Brown. Autry played sports in high school and earned a scholarship to the University of the Pacific where he played quarterback and then tight end on the football team. He attracted attention in the 1975 football draft and wound up playing for the Green Bay Packers. He started three games as quarterback but his efforts were disappointing and coach Bart Starr cut him from the team in 1977. Autry then moved into acting and played small parts in "North Dallas 40" and "Popeye" under the name Carlos Brown. While filming "Southern Comfort" in Louisiana in 1981 he again made contact with his father and afterwards decided to change his name back to Autry. He also dropped the "Carlos" and began to use his middle name -- Alan. His acting career peaked when he played a small-town Mississippi policeman in the "Heat of the Night" TV series which ran from 1988 to 1995. Later, Autry moved into politics and was elected mayor of Fresno, California, in 2000. In 2004, he was re-elected.
