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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – There’s only one word that can describe Drew Pearson’s enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame — FINALLY.
The legendary Dallas Cowboys wide receiver received the call that he’s awaited for over 30 years. He joins the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2021.
During the NFL Honors show on CBS 11, the announcement was made with a video showing Pearson receiving the message in person from Pro Football Hall of Fame President Carl David Baker. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and his former teammate Roger Staubach were also with Pearson when he learned the news.
A member of the legendary No. 88 Club in Dallas now becomes a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Congratulations to Drew Pearson. pic.twitter.com/hPCWx4Z5Eg
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) February 7, 2021
“I’ve always wanted this for a long time. And to have Roger [Staubach] here and Mr. [Jerry] Jones… I promise I’ll live up to what the Hall of Fame is all about. And now you’re giving me a chance at immortality. The legacy of that is amazing,” Pearson said in the video.
Pearson was part of the Super Bowl winning Cowboys team in the 1970s that included hall of famers Staubach and Tony Dorsett. He’s been eligible after his retirement in 1983, but the call to the Hall of Fame has always eluded him.
His reaction to not being selected last year went viral as he held a watch party on Jan. 15, 2020 for the NFL’s announcement show. Former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson and Pearson’s former teammate Cliff Harris were part of that class.
“You put your hands into fate, your fate in the hands of people and you trust them to do it right… it hurts. They broke my heart,” Pearson said emotionally during that watch party.
Now, Pearson will be able to celebrate the long-awaited news as he puts the final cap on his NFL career.
He began his historic career as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Tulsa in 1973. He spent 11 years in the NFL, all as a member of the Cowboys.
He made many game-winning catches, but his most famous was the 50-yard “Hail Mary” catch from Staubach to seal a 1975 playoff victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
Pearson helped lead the famous 1970s Dallas team to three Super Bowl appearances and a win in Super Bowl XII at the end of the 1977 season. He also made three Pro Bowls and was named first-team All-Pro three times.
He was also the only member of the 1970s All-Decade team who wasn’t in the Hall of Fame.
The formal enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame is scheduled for Aug. 8, 2021 in Canton, Ohio. The Class of 2020 will also be enshrined at the same time because last year’s event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers are also scheduled to play that weekend for the annual Hall of Fame preseason game.
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