He accepted a football scholarship from the University of Tulsa. As a sophomore in 1970, he was the backup quarterback behind John Dobbs. He started four games, making 36 out of 86 completions (41.9%), for 423 passing yards, one touchdown and 5 interceptions.
As a junior in 1971, he was converted into a wide receiver. He was second on the team with 22 receptions for 429 yards. He led the team with an average of 19.5 yards per reception and 3 receiving touchdowns.
As a senior in 1972, he led a run-oriented offense with 33 receptions for 690 yards (20.9 yards per reception) and 5 touchdowns. He finished his college career with 55 receptions for 1,119 yards, 8 touchdowns and a 20.3-yard average per reception.
In 1974, Stowe asked to be traded and Pearson became the full-time starter opposite Golden Richards. He led the team with 62 receptions and 1,087 yards, while also catching 2 touchdowns. He would keep leading the team in receiving until 1978, when Tony Hill took over the number one role at wide receiver.
In 1979, he and Tony Hill—along with Tony Dorsett—helped the Cowboys become the first team in NFL history to have two 1,000-yards wide receivers and a 1,000-yard running back, when he recorded 55 receptions, 1,026 yards and 8 touchdowns. Pearson and Hill also became the first wide receiver tandem in Cowboys history to record 1,000-yard receiving seasons in the same year.
In 1982, he delivered a key downfield block during Tony Dorsett's NFL record 99-yard touchdown run.
In 1983, he passed Hayes as the franchise leader in receiving yards.
On March 22, 1984, at 1:30 a.m. Drew fell asleep while driving, and crashed his car against a parked tractor-trailer. Drew's brother Carey was killed; Drew himself sustained a career-ending liver injury in the crash.[6]
Pearson helped the Cowboys to three Super Bowl appearances and a victory in Super Bowl XII in 1978. He also scored a touchdown in Super Bowl X. Pearson was known as "Mr. Clutch" for his numerous clutch catches in game-winning situations, especially the Hail Mary reception from Roger Staubach that sealed the victory over the Vikings in a 1975 playoff game, one of the most infamous plays in NFL history. He also caught the game-sealing touchdown in a 1973 playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams and the game-winning touchdown pass from reserve quarterback Clint Longley in the 1974 Thanksgiving game against the Washington Redskins. All three plays were named among the Top 75 plays in NFL history by NFL Films in 1994. Pearson figured prominently in a fourth play on that list, throwing the final block to clear Tony Dorsett's path to the end zone on his 99-yard touchdown run in 1983. In addition in the 1980 playoff game at Atlanta, Pearson's clutch receptions helped win that game in a comeback by the Cowboys.
He rose to become one of the NFL's greatest wide receivers, earning career records of 489 receptions and 7,822 receiving yards, along with 189 rushing yards, 155 yards returning kickoffs, and 50 touchdowns (48 receiving and two fumble recoveries). Pearson was named one of the Top 20 Pro Football All-Time wide receivers, he was also recognized for his achievements by being named to the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team. Despite this fact, he was the only player from the team to not be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame at the time, including the only one from the offensive first team category.[7]
In 1984, he was named to the Dallas Cowboys' 25th-anniversary team.
In 2009, on the NFL Network show "NFL's Top 10", in the episode titled "Greatest Dallas Cowboys", he is number 10 on the list, although the update in 2016 where Drew was not on the list and was replaced by Randy White as #10 as well.
Pearson was named as a senior finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the Class of 2020 as a part of its "Centennial Slate" of 20 senior finalists. However, he fell just shy of getting inducted. The following year, he was named the lone senior finalist for the class of 2021.[10]
Super Bowl XII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1977 season. The Cowboys defeated the Broncos 27–10 to win their second Super Bowl. The game was played on January 15, 1978, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. This was the first Super Bowl in a domed stadium, and the first time that the game was played in prime time in the Eastern United States.
Super Bowl XIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1978 season. The Steelers defeated the Cowboys by the score of 35–31. The game was played on January 21, 1979, at the Miami Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, the fifth and last time that the Super Bowl was played in that stadium.
Lance Dwight Alworth, nicknamed "Bambi", is an American former professional football wide receiver who played for the San Diego Chargers of the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL) and Dallas Cowboys of the NFL. Often considered one of the greatest wide receivers of all time, he played for 11 seasons, from 1962 through 1972, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978. He was the first player inducted whose playing career was principally in the AFL. Alworth is also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. His teammates called him Bambi because he had a baby face and could run like a deer.
Jerry Lee Rice is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 20 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He won three Super Bowl titles with the San Francisco 49ers before two shorter stints at the end of his career with the Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks. Nicknamed "World" because of his superb catching ability, his accomplishments and numerous records, Rice is widely regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in NFL history. His biography on the official Pro Football Hall of Fame website names him "the most prolific wide receiver in NFL history with staggering career totals". In 1999, The Sporting News listed Rice second behind Jim Brown on its list of "Football's 100 Greatest Players". In 2010, he was chosen by NFL Network's NFL Films production The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players as the greatest player in NFL history.
Michael Jerome Irvin is an American sports commentator and former professional football player. He played his entire 12-year career as a wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). In 2007, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Preston James Pearson is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys. He played college basketball for the Illinois Fighting Illini.
Billy Joe DuPree is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Michigan State University.
Michael McColly "Butch" Johnson is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos. He played college football for the UC Riverside Highlanders and was selected in the third round of the 1976 NFL Draft.
Lee Harold Carmichael is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles (1971–1983) and one season for the Dallas Cowboys (1984). Carmichael was the Director of Player Development and Alumni for the Eagles from 1998 to 2014, and a Fan Engagement Liaison from 2014 to 2015, before retiring again in 2015.
Leroy Anthony Hill Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL), playing 10 seasons for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Stanford University.
Miles Jonathon Austin III is an American football coach and former wide receiver who was the wide receivers coach for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played in the NFL for 10 seasons, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys. Austin played college football at Monmouth, where he set the school's record for receiving yards.
Michael Ray Renfro is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Houston Oilers and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Texas Christian University.
Kelvin Brian Martin is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 1987 NFL Draft. He won Super Bowl XXVII with the Cowboys against the Buffalo Bills, giving him his only Super Bowl title. He played college football for the Boston College Eagles before playing ten seasons in the NFL from 1987 to 1996 for the Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks, and Philadelphia Eagles.
Ronald "Jingle Joints" Sellers is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles, twice earning All-American honors. Despite being limited to a total of 30 games of regular season eligibility, Sellers still holds Florida State career record for most 200-yard receiving games. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1988. He played pro ball for the AFL's Boston Patriots in 1969, when he was an AFL All-Star, then for the NFL's Patriots, Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins.
Douglas Max Donley is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears. He was selected in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State University.
Otto Stowe is a former American football wide receiver who played four seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, and Miami Dolphins. He played college football at Iowa State University.
The 1977 Dallas Cowboys season was their 18th in the National Football League (NFL). The club appeared twice on Monday Night Football. Rookie running back Tony Dorsett rushed for 1,007 yards and became the second member of the Cowboys to have a 1,000-yard rushing season. Dallas scored 345 points, which ranked first in the NFC, while its defense only gave up 212 points. Dallas finished with a 12–2 record. The Cowboys made it to their fourth Super Bowl and beat the Denver Broncos to capture their second Super Bowl title. They were the first team from the NFC East Division to win two Super Bowls. Their 15–2 (.882) record remains the highest single-season winning percentage in franchise history.
The 1978 Dallas Cowboys season was their 19th in the National Football League (NFL). For the third consecutive season, the Cowboys finished in first place in the NFC East. The Cowboys scored 384 points, which ranked first in the league, while the defense only gave up 208 points, 3rd best in the league. Twice, the Cowboys appeared on Monday Night Football.
The 1981 New York Giants season was the franchise's 57th season in the National Football League. The Giants qualified for the playoffs for the first time in 18 years with a 9–7 record, which placed them third in the National Football Conference East Division. The Giants qualified for the postseason thanks to an overtime victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the last game of the season, coupled with a loss by the Green Bay Packers. In the Wild Card playoffs, the Giants defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 27–21 in Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium. New York's season ended with a 38–24 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional round. The 49ers would go on to win Super Bowl XVI.
Kelvin Mack Edwards is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Dallas Texans of the Arena Football League (AFL). He played college football at Liberty University.
References
↑ The Ultimate New Jersey High School Year Book. 1998.
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