Media release...
IRVING, Texas –– The National Football Foundation (NFF) Gridiron Club of Dallas Chapter announced today that legendary Dallas Cowboys and University of Tulsa wide receiver Drew Pearson will receive the chapter's 2019 Distinguished Texan Award.
The Distinguished Texan Award, the chapter's most prestigious award, pays tribute to an outstanding person who has maintained a lifetime of interest in the game of football and has been a significant contributor to the betterment of the sport in Texas. Pearson will accept the honor during the chapter's 11th Annual Awards Banquet on Sunday, March 24, at 6 p.m. CT at the Dallas/Addison Marriott Quorum by the Galleria.
Pearson was born and raised in South River, New Jersey, and began his football career at South River High School as one of the wide receivers for future College Football Hall of Famer Joe Theismann. He succeeded Theismann as the high school's quarterback as a junior and eventually earned a scholarship to The University of Tulsa (1969-72).
Pearson started four games as the Golden Hurricane quarterback during his sophomore season before switching to wide receiver. He would end his career among the top 10 receivers in school history as he caught 55 passes for 1,119 yards, six touchdowns and had a 20.3-yard average per reception. As a senior in 1972, he led the Hurricane with 33 receptions for 690 yards and three touchdowns
Pearson was inducted into the TU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1985 and has also been recognized as a University of Tulsa Distinguished Alumnus. He is also a member of the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.
In 11 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, Pearson rose from undrafted free agent rookie to one of the club's all-time leading receivers – from unknown to legend. Named to the All-Decade Team of the 1970s by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980, Pearson earned a niche as one of the top clutch receivers in football history.
During his career as a Cowboy, Pearson led the team in receptions and receiving yards for four consecutive seasons (1974-77) and recorded two 1,000-yard campaigns. His most memorable catches form a list of some of the greatest moments in Cowboys history – an 83-yard fourth-quarter touchdown reception to beat the Rams in the 1973 playoffs; a 50-yard scoring catch in the closing seconds to beat Washington on Thanksgiving Day in 1974; the 50-yard "Hail Mary" touchdown reception in the final 20 seconds to beat Minnesota in the 1975 playoffs; two touchdown catches in the final 3:40 at Atlanta in the 1980 playoffs, the second with 42 seconds left, to rally the Cowboys past the Falcons 30-27.
"The Original 88" became the Cowboys then all-time leader in receptions in 1980 when he passed Bob Hayes' mark of 365 catches and in 1983 surpassed Hayes' club top mark of 7,295 receiving yards. Pearson ended his career with 489 receptions for 7,822 yards and 48 touchdowns.
Pearson also left his mark in the NFL postseason record books with his receptions (67), placing him third, and his receiving yards (1,105) and touchdowns (eight), ranking him fourth all-time when he left the NFL – all club records at the time of his retirement – and he caught a pass in a club-record 22 consecutive playoff games.
An All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection in 1974, 1976 and 1977, he was a key member of the 1977 Super Bowl XII Championship squad while also guiding the Cowboys to two other Super Bowl appearances. He led the NFC in 1976 with 58 receptions and once held the club record for catching passes in 58 consecutive games. He served as an offensive captain on the team during the 1977, 1978, 1982 and 1983 seasons and helped the team win six division championships.
In 1979, Pearson and Tony Hill each posted 1,000 receiving yards to become the first NFC receiving duo to post 1,000-yard seasons, and along with Tony Dorsett's 1,000 rushing yards, it allowed the Cowboys to become the first team in NFL history to boast two 1,000-yard receivers and a 1,000-yard rusher in the same season.
Since retiring from the NFL, Pearson has had success as a broadcaster, coach and marketer. In 1985, he served as wide receivers coach for the Cowboys while also starting Drew Pearson Marketing Inc., a leading licensed and uniform apparel company that has received multiple awards and recognitions.
Pearson also served as head coach of the Dallas Texans in the Arena Football League (1991), vice president and general manager of the New York/New Jersey Hitmen in the XFL (2001) and general manager of the Allen Wranglers in the Indoor Football League (2011-12).
An active broadcaster in the Dallas market, Pearson has appeared as a sports reporter on NBC 5, a co-host on FOX Sports Net's "Cowboys Weekly" and as a co-host for the Dallas Cowboys Postgame Show on KVIL/KLUV Radio. During the season, he can be seen on NBC 5's "Out of Bounds with Newy Scruggs."
A member of the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor, Pearson is enshrined in multiple halls of fame, including the Texas Sports, Oklahoma Sports, Pop Warner Football, New Jersey Sports, University of Tulsa and Texas Black Sports.
He has received multiple honors, including an honorary doctorate from Wiley College (Marshall, Texas), the NFL Alumni Career Achievement Award, the University of Tulsa Distinguished Alumni Award, an NCAA Silver Anniversary Award and the NFL Alumni Dallas Chapter Legends Award.
An avid motivational speaker, Pearson has appeared at countless events, including engagements hosted by Microsoft and Southwest Airlines. He has also authored two books: "Hail Mary: The Drew Pearson Story" and "Remembering Texas Stadium."
Pearson has donated his time to multiple organizations, including the American Cancer Society, the ARC of Dallas, the Texas Business Leaders for Educational Choice, the University of Tulsa Board of Trustees and Wednesday's Child.
The March 24 event will also recognize the best high school and collegiate student-athletes in North Texas and distribute a number of scholarships. Award-winning sportscaster Scott Murray will serve as the evening's emcee for the 11th consecutive year. The event will also provide the stage for the presentation of several other awards to those who have made an impact on the game both on and off the field as well as the high school coach of the year honors.
Past recipients of the Distinguished Texan Award include NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell (2017), longtime Dallas sports talk radio staple Norm Hitzges (2016), Dallas businessman and former Texas Tech quarterback John Scovell (2015), former University of Texas athletics director DeLoss Dodds (2014), College Football Hall of Famer and longtime Dallas Cowboys director of pro scouting John Wooten (2013), longtime Dallas Cowboys personnel director Gil Brandt (2012), TCU head coach Gary Patterson (2011), Dallas Cowboys owner, president and general manager and NFF Board Member Jerry Jones (2010) and College Football Hall of Fame coach Grant Teaff (2009).
IRVING, Texas –– The National Football Foundation (NFF) Gridiron Club of Dallas Chapter announced today that legendary Dallas Cowboys and University of Tulsa wide receiver Drew Pearson will receive the chapter's 2019 Distinguished Texan Award.
The Distinguished Texan Award, the chapter's most prestigious award, pays tribute to an outstanding person who has maintained a lifetime of interest in the game of football and has been a significant contributor to the betterment of the sport in Texas. Pearson will accept the honor during the chapter's 11th Annual Awards Banquet on Sunday, March 24, at 6 p.m. CT at the Dallas/Addison Marriott Quorum by the Galleria.
Pearson was born and raised in South River, New Jersey, and began his football career at South River High School as one of the wide receivers for future College Football Hall of Famer Joe Theismann. He succeeded Theismann as the high school's quarterback as a junior and eventually earned a scholarship to The University of Tulsa (1969-72).
Pearson started four games as the Golden Hurricane quarterback during his sophomore season before switching to wide receiver. He would end his career among the top 10 receivers in school history as he caught 55 passes for 1,119 yards, six touchdowns and had a 20.3-yard average per reception. As a senior in 1972, he led the Hurricane with 33 receptions for 690 yards and three touchdowns
Pearson was inducted into the TU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1985 and has also been recognized as a University of Tulsa Distinguished Alumnus. He is also a member of the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.
In 11 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, Pearson rose from undrafted free agent rookie to one of the club's all-time leading receivers – from unknown to legend. Named to the All-Decade Team of the 1970s by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980, Pearson earned a niche as one of the top clutch receivers in football history.
During his career as a Cowboy, Pearson led the team in receptions and receiving yards for four consecutive seasons (1974-77) and recorded two 1,000-yard campaigns. His most memorable catches form a list of some of the greatest moments in Cowboys history – an 83-yard fourth-quarter touchdown reception to beat the Rams in the 1973 playoffs; a 50-yard scoring catch in the closing seconds to beat Washington on Thanksgiving Day in 1974; the 50-yard "Hail Mary" touchdown reception in the final 20 seconds to beat Minnesota in the 1975 playoffs; two touchdown catches in the final 3:40 at Atlanta in the 1980 playoffs, the second with 42 seconds left, to rally the Cowboys past the Falcons 30-27.
"The Original 88" became the Cowboys then all-time leader in receptions in 1980 when he passed Bob Hayes' mark of 365 catches and in 1983 surpassed Hayes' club top mark of 7,295 receiving yards. Pearson ended his career with 489 receptions for 7,822 yards and 48 touchdowns.
Pearson also left his mark in the NFL postseason record books with his receptions (67), placing him third, and his receiving yards (1,105) and touchdowns (eight), ranking him fourth all-time when he left the NFL – all club records at the time of his retirement – and he caught a pass in a club-record 22 consecutive playoff games.
An All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection in 1974, 1976 and 1977, he was a key member of the 1977 Super Bowl XII Championship squad while also guiding the Cowboys to two other Super Bowl appearances. He led the NFC in 1976 with 58 receptions and once held the club record for catching passes in 58 consecutive games. He served as an offensive captain on the team during the 1977, 1978, 1982 and 1983 seasons and helped the team win six division championships.
In 1979, Pearson and Tony Hill each posted 1,000 receiving yards to become the first NFC receiving duo to post 1,000-yard seasons, and along with Tony Dorsett's 1,000 rushing yards, it allowed the Cowboys to become the first team in NFL history to boast two 1,000-yard receivers and a 1,000-yard rusher in the same season.
Since retiring from the NFL, Pearson has had success as a broadcaster, coach and marketer. In 1985, he served as wide receivers coach for the Cowboys while also starting Drew Pearson Marketing Inc., a leading licensed and uniform apparel company that has received multiple awards and recognitions.
Pearson also served as head coach of the Dallas Texans in the Arena Football League (1991), vice president and general manager of the New York/New Jersey Hitmen in the XFL (2001) and general manager of the Allen Wranglers in the Indoor Football League (2011-12).
An active broadcaster in the Dallas market, Pearson has appeared as a sports reporter on NBC 5, a co-host on FOX Sports Net's "Cowboys Weekly" and as a co-host for the Dallas Cowboys Postgame Show on KVIL/KLUV Radio. During the season, he can be seen on NBC 5's "Out of Bounds with Newy Scruggs."
A member of the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor, Pearson is enshrined in multiple halls of fame, including the Texas Sports, Oklahoma Sports, Pop Warner Football, New Jersey Sports, University of Tulsa and Texas Black Sports.
He has received multiple honors, including an honorary doctorate from Wiley College (Marshall, Texas), the NFL Alumni Career Achievement Award, the University of Tulsa Distinguished Alumni Award, an NCAA Silver Anniversary Award and the NFL Alumni Dallas Chapter Legends Award.
An avid motivational speaker, Pearson has appeared at countless events, including engagements hosted by Microsoft and Southwest Airlines. He has also authored two books: "Hail Mary: The Drew Pearson Story" and "Remembering Texas Stadium."
Pearson has donated his time to multiple organizations, including the American Cancer Society, the ARC of Dallas, the Texas Business Leaders for Educational Choice, the University of Tulsa Board of Trustees and Wednesday's Child.
The March 24 event will also recognize the best high school and collegiate student-athletes in North Texas and distribute a number of scholarships. Award-winning sportscaster Scott Murray will serve as the evening's emcee for the 11th consecutive year. The event will also provide the stage for the presentation of several other awards to those who have made an impact on the game both on and off the field as well as the high school coach of the year honors.
Past recipients of the Distinguished Texan Award include NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell (2017), longtime Dallas sports talk radio staple Norm Hitzges (2016), Dallas businessman and former Texas Tech quarterback John Scovell (2015), former University of Texas athletics director DeLoss Dodds (2014), College Football Hall of Famer and longtime Dallas Cowboys director of pro scouting John Wooten (2013), longtime Dallas Cowboys personnel director Gil Brandt (2012), TCU head coach Gary Patterson (2011), Dallas Cowboys owner, president and general manager and NFF Board Member Jerry Jones (2010) and College Football Hall of Fame coach Grant Teaff (2009).
