{"id":19001,"date":"2021-02-07T08:39:32","date_gmt":"2021-02-07T14:39:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=19001"},"modified":"2021-02-08T14:04:09","modified_gmt":"2021-02-08T20:04:09","slug":"drew-pearson-the-original-88-makes-the-nfl-hall-of-fame-also-making-the-hall-of-fame-charles-woodson-calvin-johnson-alan-faneca-bill-nunn-john-lynch-tom-flores-and-peyton-manning-will-now-be","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=19001","title":{"rendered":"Drew Pearson, The original #88, makes the NFL Hall of Fame, ALSO MAKING THE HALL OF FAME, Charles Woodson, Calvin Johnson, Alan Faneca, Bill Nunn, John Lynch, Tom Flores and Peyton Manning will now be getting busts in Canton, Ohio."},"content":{"rendered":"
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Cowboys WR Drew Pearson Elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame<\/h1>\n

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Pearson, a Cowboys Ring of Honor member and one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history, is the 20th person selected to the Hall of Fame based off their accomplishments with the Cowboys. Former head coach Jimmy Johnson and safety Cliff Harris were elected to the 2020 Hall of Fame “Centennial Class,” but the enshrinement ceremony was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Hall of Fame has rescheduled the 2020 Class ceremony for Aug. 7 in Canton, Ohio, followed by the 2021 Class enshrinement Aug. 8. Also, last year’s postponed Hall of Fame Game between the Cowboys and Steelers is slated for Aug. 5.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A revamped Enshrinement Week, dubbed “Twice the Fun in ’21,” clearly will have a Cowboys feel to it. And now Pearson, 70, will be part of the celebration, too.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Deservedly so.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Pearson is perhaps best known for his “Hail Mary” catch from Hall of Famer Roger Staubach in the Cowboys’ 1975 divisional playoff win over the Vikings. A legendary moment in NFL history, no doubt. But Pearson’s complete 11-year career with the Cowboys is Canton-worthy.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Undrafted out of Tulsa in 1973, Pearson emerged as a three-time Pro Bowler and leading receiver on the Cowboys’ 1977 Super Bowl championship team. Playing his entire 11-year in Dallas, Pearson ranks fourth on the franchise’s all-time list in catches (489) and receiving yards (7,822) and seventh in receiving touchdowns (48). A member of the NFL’s 1970s All-Decade team, he was inducted into the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor in 2011.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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As is tradition, Pro Football Hall of Fame president David Baker informed Pearson that he was joining the Class of 2021. Staubach and Cowboys owner\/general manager Jerry Jones (Class of 2017) were also present. The footage aired on NFL Honors.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“I’ve always wanted this for a long time,” Pearson told Baker. “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. And the legacy of that is amazing.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

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FRISCO, Texas \u2013 It’s time.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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No, it’s about time.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Heck, it’s past time.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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That’s for Drew Pearson’s coronation as the 20th member of the Dallas Cowboys franchise to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame when Saturday night’s announcement is officially made from Tampa, Fla., site of Sunday’s Super Bowl LV.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In fact, this had better happen, a long overdue correction of a 33-year injustice for one of the NFL’s all-time great wide receivers of his time, having spent his entire 11-year career with the Cowboys, signed as an undrafted rookie free agent from the University of Tulsa in 1973.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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If not, we should take his case to the Supreme Court, petitioning to indict the 48-member Hall of Fame voting committee on conspiracy charges for not having given this NFL first-team All-Decade wide receiver from the 1970s the required 80-percent approval (38 votes) for induction.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Now there is nothing more we can do to campaign for Pearson’s inclusion, and really nothing we say now \u2013 or he says now \u2013 can jinx his chances. Because of COVID-19 precautions, the committee members have already held their final discussions remotely and secretly cast their votes two weeks ago instead of doing so in person as usual the day before the Super Bowl is played.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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No one but the Hall of Fame knows the outcome. Not Drew, the lone Seniors Committee nominee this year. Not the 15 Modern-Era finalists. Nor Contributor finalist Bill Nunn or Coach finalist Tom Flores.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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They all await that knock on the door or phone call from Hall of Fame president Dave Baker on Saturday.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Pearson, who just turned 70 on Jan. 12, told me he’ll be in Tampa for Saturday’s reveal. And while nothing is ever certain during this process, Pearson’s selection should be a mere rubber stamp, the, uh, analytics tell us.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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From 2009-2019, 17 of the 19 Seniors Committee nominees have been confirmed. And the two who weren’t the first time around, Claude Humphrey and Dick Stanfel, eventually were selected the second time around.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Good gosh, they wouldn’t have the nerve \u2013 or oversight \u2013 to reject Drew again. Not after what happened with the Centennial Class of 2020 when it appeared Pearson would be a slam-dunk selection last year in Miami before Super Bowl LIV.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Only to be left in tears when he didn’t make the cut into the 20-member 2020 Centennial Class created to celebrate the NFL’s 100-year anniversary, a class that did include former Cowboys safety Cliff Harris and head coach Jimmy Johnson.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The rejection leaving Pearson saying on camera when learning of the disappointment, “They broke my heart.”<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Thus extending Pearson’s wait surely no more than another year after having waited now 37 since retiring following the 1983 season.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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And here is why this has been an inexcusable wait, a huge mystery, as researched by Hall of Fame Seniors Committee member Rick Gosselin.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u00b7 Of the 22 NFL first-team All-Decade selections from the 1970s, 21 reside in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The lone exception? Yep, Drew Pearson. In fact, Pearson had never been discussed as a finalist the Saturday prior to a Super Bowl until during last year’s expanded Centennial Class.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 There are 10 wide receivers who played primarily in the 1970s with a bust in the Hall of Fame rotunda. But not Drew.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 For eight decades, from 1930-2010, 17 receivers have been selected to an all-decade team. Why, 16 of those are in the Hall of Fame, Drew the lone exception.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 How about this one: All first-team all-decade offensive players from 1950 through 1990, a total of 56, have been enshrined in Canton, Ohio \u2026 you guessed it, with the exception of Pearson.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00b7 And since 2010, as proof the 48-member selection committee follows the Seniors Committee’s nominations, all 27 have been Cantonized.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Surely this cruel and unusual rejection of Pearson will come to an end Saturday night, the selection committee becoming dutifully responsible for preserving one of the great stories in NFL history, for, as I like to say, posterity sake in the Hall of Fame, when those of us who know them are no longer around to tell them.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Surely come to an end for a guy who played in three Super Bowls, winning one; never having played on a team with a losing record; was on the receiving end of what famously became known as Roger Staubach’s “Hail Mary” pass; the guy who first made the Cowboys No. 88 legendary with 489 career receptions for 7,822 yards and 48 touchdowns, with another 68 catches for 1,131 yards and eight touchdowns in 22 playoff games; and made NFL Draft history with his energized announcement of Cowboys’ 2017 second-round pick Chidobe Awuzie by trolling a booing Philadelphia crowd.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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This agonizing wait having been enough to make a man bitter as a few of the perceived neglected have been.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But leave it to Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter, who played 16 seasons in the NFL at a high level, with eight Pro Bowls and finished his career as the second all-time leading receiver to only Jerry Rice at the time but rejected four times before his Hall of Fame selection in 2013, to put the excruciating wait into perspective.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Especially after becoming bitter throughout the arduous process.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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“I learned a very valuable lesson,” Carter told NFL Network’s _Good Morning Football_ earlier this week of his long wait. “I waited another five years. But I’m going to tell the guys who are waiting: Once you get in, it’s not about when you got in. (It’s about) the memories that I have, the conversations that I have with Hall of Famers on a daily basis, the way the Hall of Fame calls on its players to do things and be associated with the game, they’ll help out kids. I don’t think about the waiting time.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“I think about the lesson that I should have learned. I should have taken the high road when I didn’t get in the first time. \u2026 But for me, the waiting has gone away with the sweet justice that every day I wake up as a Hall of Famer. \u2026 There are only 350 of us, 25,000 men have ever played this game, so you’re in a very, very elite class.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“That call is going to come one day, that knock on the door is going to come, and let me tell you, there is nothing in your life, I don’t care what you have done, that will prepare you for the pure joy of knowing that you have the accreditation of knowing you are one of the best football players in the world. So for me, it is well worth the wait. If they had made me wait two more years, it would have been worth it.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“So guys, try to be patient, but it’s well worth it.”<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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And you will be glad to know, the Cowboys’ Original No. 88<\/em> is heading into what just has to be a memorable Super Bowl Saturday with a healthy mental and emotional mindset after all these years of being overlooked, surely ready to receive that unforgettable Hall of Fame knock.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“After you’re in, it doesn’t matter when it comes,” Drew said the day before heading out to Tampa for what’s being anticipated as one of the sweeter and most deserving days of his life. “Man, when it does happen, it’s big.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“It’s still big to me. It’s still big to my family.”<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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No matter how much time it’s taken to get there.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Pro Football Hall of Fame 2021: Complete List of NFL Inductees to Canton<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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As the NFL<\/a> celebrated the top performers from the 2020 season, the Pro Football Hall of Fame revealed its newest inductees.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fifteen finalists<\/a> were selected from the modern era on Jan. 5, and three candidates came through the Coach, Contributor and Senior categories.<\/strong><\/p>\n

From that group, Charles Woodson<\/a>, Calvin Johnson, Drew Pearson, Alan Faneca, Bill Nunn, John Lynch, Tom Flores and Peyton Manning<\/a> will now be getting busts in Canton, Ohio.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here’s a brief overview for the legends who will be entering the Hall.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Alan Faneca<\/strong><\/h1>\n
1 of 8<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers (1998-2007), New York Jets (2008-09), Arizona Cardinals (2010)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Accolades: Nine-time Pro Bowler; six-time All-Pro; Super Bowl XL champion<\/strong><\/p>\n

Offensive linemen generally don’t get a ton of glory, and that’s especially true for those who play on the interior of the line. For a decade, Alan Faneca did the dirty work inside for the Pittsburgh Steelers before enjoying brief spells with the New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals to conclude his career.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 44-year-old has waited patiently for the call from Hall of Fame President David Baker. This was his sixth year as a finalist. Eventually, his resume would be too good to ignore.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Faneca has been especially durable and started every regular-season game during the decade,” the Hall of Fame wrote when naming him a first-team guard for its 2000s All-Decade squad<\/a>. “He helped anchor lines that helped the Steelers (2001) and the Jets (2009) lead the NFL in rushing.”<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Tom Flores<\/strong><\/h1>\n
2 of 8<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Teams: Oakland Raiders (1960-66), Buffalo Bills (1967-69), Kansas City Chiefs (1969)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Accolades: 1966 Pro Bowler; four-time Super Bowl champion (one as a player, three as a coach)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tom Flores spent nine years in the AFL as a player, throwing for 11,959 yards and 92 touchdowns. He twice led the league in yards per completion.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Flores’ coaching career helped propel him to the Hall of Fame.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 83-year-old was a member of the Oakland Raiders’ staff when the team won Super Bowl XI under the guidance of John Madden. He subsequently succeeded Madden in 1979 and took the Raiders to two more championships.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Flores’ 83 wins are second-most<\/a> in franchise history behind Madden, and he’s third<\/a> in winning percentage (.610).<\/strong><\/p>\n

ESPN’s Jeff Legwold<\/a> noted Flores is only the second person in NFL history alongside Mike Ditka to win a Super Bowl as a player, assistant coach and head coach.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Calvin Johnson<\/strong><\/h1>\n
3 of 8<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Teams: Detroit Lions (2007-15)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Accolades: Six-time Pro Bowler; three-time All-Pro<\/strong><\/p>\n

Calvin Johnson’s career totals don’t jump off the page in a Hall of Fame context. The 35-year-old is 47th in receptions (731), 32nd in receiving yards (11,619) and 23rd in touchdown receptions (83).<\/strong><\/p>\n

Looking at his overall numbers only tells part of the story, though.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Johnson only spent nine seasons in the league, abruptly walking away during the 2016 offseason. The Detroit Lions’ futility<\/a> was a factor in his decision, as was the general wear and tear<\/a> he had put on his body.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Make no mistake, Megatron was a HOF-caliber wideout. He twice led the NFL in receiving yards, and his 86.1 yards per game rank second behind Atlanta Falcons star Julio Jones<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Johnson isn’t a direct parallel to Barry Sanders because Sanders retired within striking distance of Walter Payton’s all-time rushing record. His standing among the greats wasn’t in doubt.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the case of both players, though, Lions fans were left to wonder what might have been if the front office had assembled a better roster around the offensive dynamos.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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John Lynch<\/strong><\/h1>\n
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Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1993-2003), Denver Broncos (2004-07)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Accolades: Nine-time Pro Bowler; two-time All-Pro; Super Bowl XXXVII champion<\/strong><\/p>\n

For nearly a decade, John Lynch has been eagerly anticipating the moment he would be told he’s a Hall of Famer. The legendary safety has been on the ballot for nine years and a finalist on eight occasions. Now, the 49-year-old can start making room in his closet for a gold jacket.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lynch’s time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers might have been good enough to get him into the Hall of Fame eventually. He was a key contributor on what was one of the NFL’s most dominant defenses from the late 1990s through the early 2000s.<\/strong><\/p>\n

His four-year run with the Denver Broncos put him over the top. He was a Pro Bowler in each of those seasons and helped the team reach the AFC Championship Game in 2005.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Peyton Manning<\/strong><\/h1>\n
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Teams: Indianapolis Colts (1998-2011), Denver Broncos (2012-15)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Accolades: 14-time Pro Bowler; seven-time All-Pro; five-time MVP; two-time Offensive Player of the Year; 2012 Comeback Player of the Year; Super Bowl XLI, 50 champion<\/strong><\/p>\n

From the moment his career ended after the Denver Broncos’ win in Super Bowl 50, Peyton Manning was a lock for the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. He was a Hall of Famer on the basis of his 13 years with the Indianapolis Colts, and his four-year run in Denver padded his already-sizable legacy.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2013, he threw for 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns, both of which remain single-season records. He was 37 and enjoying the most prolific year through the air in NFL history. And he did it a few years after it looked like his career was in jeopardy due to multiple neck surgeries<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

By the time all was said and done, Manning finished with 71,940 yards and 539 touchdowns. Those were the all-time marks when he retired but have since been bested by Tom Brady and Drew Brees<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Brady’s six Super Bowl rings probably end any discussion about the greatest quarterback of all time, but Manning may have done more to single-handedly redefine<\/a> the position.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Bill Nunn<\/strong><\/h1>\n
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Bill Nunn officially joined the Pittsburgh Steelers as a scout in 1970, and he helped the franchise build a dynasty across the subsequent decade.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In running down his resume, the Hall of Fame wrote<\/a> how Nunn was a driving force behind the selection of John Stallworth, Mel Blount and Donnie Shell from historically Black colleges and universities. He also scouted Jack Lambert at Kent State. Those four players all have Hall of Fame busts.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Beyond honoring Nunn, his selection will make more fans aware of how much his work factored into Pittsburgh’s four championships during the 1970s. He remained with the Steelers as they lifted the Vince Lombardi Trophy in 2005 and 2008.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Drew Pearson<\/strong><\/h1>\n
7 of 8<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Team: Dallas Cowboys (1973-83)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Accolades: Three-time Pro Bowler; three-time All-Pro; Super Bowl XII champion<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before Michael Irvin, Dez Bryant<\/a> or CeeDee Lamb, Drew Pearson was synonymous with the No. 88 jersey for the Dallas Cowboys.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pearson set a blistering pace to start his career, racking up three All-Pro nods through his first five years. He finished with 489 receptions for 7,822 yards and 48 touchdowns.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pearson was also on the receiving end for one of the NFL’s most memorable desperation heaves<\/a>, hauling in a 50-yard touchdown pass against the Minnesota Vikings in the 1975 NFC Divisional Round. He made the phrase “Hail Mary” part of football vernacular.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 70-year-old helped the Cowboys continue to be a perennial championship threat, appearing in 22 playoff games over 11 seasons. He lifted the Vince Lombardi Trophy as Dallas defeated the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XII.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Charles Woodson<\/strong><\/h1>\n
8 of 8<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Teams: Oakland Raiders (1998-2005; 2013-15), Green Bay Packers (2006-12)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Accolades: Nine-time Pro Bowler; four-time All-Pro; 1998 Defensive Rookie of the Year; 2009 Defensive Player of the Year; Super Bowl XLV champion<\/strong><\/p>\n

Through his first four years, Charles Woodson seemed to be on a special track. He was a four-time Pro Bowler, a two-time All-Pro and the 1998 Defensive Rookie of the Year. It wasn’t until 2008 that he made his next Pro Bowl appearance, though.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Toward the end of his first run in the Bay Area, his reputation was outpacing his performance.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Things changed when he joined the Green Bay Packers in 2006. The 1997 Heisman Trophy winner reasserted himself as one of the league’s best cornerbacks, leading the NFL in interceptions in 2009 and 2011.<\/strong><\/p>\n

When the Packers went on to win the Super Bowl in 2010, they had a solid offense led by Aaron Rodgers<\/a>. Thanks in part to Woodson’s contributors, the defense was even better. The team allowed the fifth-fewest passing yards that season.<\/strong><\/p>\n

MORE ON THE DREW PEARSON HALL OF FAME SELECTION<\/p>\n

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Cowboys’ Staubach and Jerry Jones tricked Drew Pearson into Hall of Fame moment<\/h1>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n
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Drew Pearson had to wait 33 years to get his invite to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Once his ticket was finally stamped, though, he had to wait another two weeks to tell anyone.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"Drew <\/span> \u00a0\u00a0<\/span> <\/span>The 70-year-old Cowboys legend was announced as a Hall of Famer<\/a> as part of the weekend\u2019s Super Bowl festivities, with Michael Irvin introducing a video package during NFL Honors<\/em> that featured Pearson\u2019s official welcome to Canton by the Hall\u2019s president and chief executive officer David Baker.<\/strong>But the moment required Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Pearson\u2019s longtime quarterback Roger Staubach, and a few key players within the Cowboys organization to engage in a little cloak-and-dagger misdirection in order to maintain the surprise.<\/strong>It started with a letter Pearson received in January from the club\u2019s public relations director Rich Dalrymple. According to the note, Jones was requesting a meeting with the pair at either end of the iconic \u201cHail Mary\u201d play of 1975<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cHe said he didn\u2019t know what it was about,\u201d Pearson recalled Sunday, as per the team website<\/a>, \u201cbut he thought it had something to do with real estate and the businesses going on at The Star. I figured this was logical, because Roger and Jerry are involved in a business deal with a high-rise condominium there, and I thought maybe they wanted to include me in this deal.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pearson says he and Staubach arrived at The Star at the same time and were ushered to a meeting room just inside the facility\u2019s main entrance. Jones was already waiting.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe come in, he says a few words, and they\u2019re talking, and the next thing you know, you hear that knock on the door,\u201d Pearson said. \u201cJerry tells me to go open the door, so I open the door and bam! The doorway was filled with Mr. David Baker. It brought me to tears.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Former Cowboys WR Drew Pearson is going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame pic.twitter.com\/3nWIakispf<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jon Machota (@jonmachota) February 7, 2021<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

By now, Baker\u2019s door knocks announcing Hall of Fame selections have become the stuff of legend. But they usually happen in a hotel in the Super Bowl host city, with the anxious nominees sequestered with family and waiting for the news. COVID-19 forced a change to this routine, and had Baker jetting around the country for the past two weeks to make his in-person invitations to the Class of 2021 inductees ahead of time.<\/strong><\/p>\n

And that meant Pearson had to sit on the biggest news of his football life, pretending right up until the end that he didn\u2019t know if he\u2019d be left out in the cold once again. Pearson said on Friday morning<\/a> he was traveling to Tampa to await word in a hotel room with his grandson.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still nervous,\u201d Pearson said via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram<\/em><\/a>. \u201cBut I am being cautious. I am not taking anything for granted.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

He even joked that if he got snubbed, as he did in 2020, he\u2019d just head off to Cabo.<\/strong><\/p>\n

But the three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver, it seems, had faked everyone out one last time. He already knew he was in. He had to sign a non-disclosure agreement to keep the announcement a secret until Saturday night\u2019s NFL Honors <\/em>broadcast.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIf that\u2019s the hardest thing I had to do to get into the Hall of Fame, I\u2019ll do it,\u201d Pearson said. \u201cAnd I did it happily.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

The extra time may have given him a chance to think about the bronze bust that will soon be sculpted for Canton to reside in the Hall of Fame Gallery. Pearson hinted that his bust will feature the trademark Afro he sported during his 1973-1983 tenure with the team.<\/strong><\/p>\n

BREAKING: @88DrewPearson<\/a> has been elected to the Class of 2021!#PFHOF21<\/a> | @dallascowboys<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Xi6J41A7gv<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) February 7, 2021<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And if his viral moment at the mic announcing the Cowboys\u2019 2017 second-round draft pick<\/a> is any indication, his enshrinement speech will be one for the ages.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It has been, after all, 33 years- and two weeks- in the making.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt has lifted a weight off my shoulder for me and my family and my teammates,\u201d Pearson said<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s the Pro Football Hall of Fame. You are going to wait as long as you need to wait. I am 70 years old. I will enjoy it. The wait was well worth it when you get the word. It\u2019s still a big deal.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bigger, even, than being inducted into the Cowboys Ring of Honor in 2011. Now, Drew Pearson\u2019s legend will live on in Canton, as Baker told him, \u201cfor the rest of time.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Even if it took a whole lot of extra time to get there.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just excited that it happened,\u201d Pearson said. \u201cTo me, it didn\u2019t matter when it happened. Yeah, I was disappointed a few times and wondered why. But I know it\u2019s a tough process. I survived that process, and I\u2019m a Pro Football Hall of Famer. That\u2019s all that matters.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cowboys WR Drew Pearson Elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame Pearson, a Cowboys Ring of Honor member and one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history, is the 20th person selected to the Hall of Fame based off their accomplishments with the Cowboys. Former head coach Jimmy Johnson and safety Cliff Harris were […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19006,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2405,11,8,1314,1456,1156,2416,13,2404,14,104,124,1,39,12,7,9,10],"tags":[3573,3574,3572],"class_list":["post-19001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-business","category-entertainment","category-global-business-entrepreneurs","category-global-news-updates-and-more","category-global-sports","category-hall-of-fame","category-health","category-high-school-sports","category-most-commented","category-ncaa","category-ncaa-football","category-news","category-nfl","category-scitech","category-sports","category-us","category-world","tag-1951-age-70-south-river","tag-drew-pearson-cowboys-ring-of-honor","tag-personal-information-born-january-12","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19001","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19001"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19001\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/19006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19001"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19001"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}