It’s been a difficult year for Cowboys great Drew Pearson. Months after his Hall of Fame snub, he’s sure - The Dallas Morning News

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Drew Pearson feels blessed. The 69-year old Pearson has his health and a list of items from his daughter to get for his grandson when he starts school in Colorado.

He speaks to his 70-year old sister, a nurse in New Jersey on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic helping care for people. It gives him encouragement better days are ahead.

This has been a difficult year publically for the former Cowboys wide receiver.

In January, he was denied entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His old teammate, safety Cliff Harris was elected into the centennial class the same day, Pearson was on television saying the voters, “broke my heart.”

Pearson said it took him 20 minutes to get over the pain of not hearing his name called. 

“It’s okay, I was okay with that,” Pearson said of his emotions being caught on camera. “That was real. Somebody should have been calling me giving me a contract for a reality TV show. That was reality TV at its finest.”

Pearson said when he’s at the grocery store, people tell him they’re own hearts were broken when he didn’t get in. But Pearson reminds them Harris waited a long time to hear his own name called. And now with the coronavirus pandemic slowing down in some states, it’s still uncertain if Harris and the Class of 2020 will be inducted at all. 

Pearson’s emotions raged as the only player from the All-70s team not inducted into the Hall of Fame to one as a grandfather defending his grandson.

In February, Toren Pittman, Pearson’s grandson, signed a national letter of intent to play safety Colorado. Pittman fell in love with the school as soon as he saw the campus, Pearson said. But Mel Tucker, was being sought after by Michigan State. Tucker wasn’t trying to leave Colorado for Michigan State. But after Cincinnati’s Luke Fickell declined an offer from Michigan State, the dirty game of college athletics struck.

Tucker left for Michigan State. 

It upset Pearson, who called Tucker a “con man” on Twitter and said the head coach “lied to my face.”

Pearson was working through his emotions as a protective grandpa.

Months later, Pearson is more understanding of Tucker’s position.

“He’s a good man,” Pearson said of Tucker. “I understand it wasn’t him, it was just the system. People throw that kind of money at you, what you’re going to do? You going to turn your back? You know if he turned that down, his wife, she’s an attorney, who graduated from Rutgers, she would have sued his butt if he turned that money down. He had no choice but to take it.”

Pearson has calmed down from the Hall of Fame snub and his grandson now playing for a different coach, Karl Dorrell, other than Tucker. Pearson said he’s heard good things about Dorrell. 

In this year of uncertainty for Pearson, it was interesting to see his Cowboys’ jersey number was going to someone else last month.

The Cowboys don’t retire numbers, but few wear 8, 12, 22 and 74 these days. Wearing No. 88 is an honor. Pearson was the first to make the number mean something. Michael Irvin was next. Dez Bryant followed up.

So when Jerry Jones decided 2020 first-round pick CeeDee Lamb was going to wear 88, could this have been another blow to Pearson?

“I’m okay with it, if it’s done for the right reasons, if it’s done to honor someone else, with all due respect, that’s not the right reason to distribute that number,” Pearson said. “The number is set up in a way it anoints the next person that Jerry Jones feels is worthy of that number.”

Some would love to reset 2020, especially as the summer months start with no baseball and NBA and NHL playoffs. There are no guarantees training camps will start on time in July. Pearson is understanding how difficult this world is for many. He donated his salary as the Chief Relationships Officer to the Frisco Fighters of the Indoor Football League after it was canceled in March because of the coronavirus. 

His personal appearances, like many legendary players have declined, and Pearson’s sports bar at DFW/Airport has slowed down due to less traffic. 

“I’m crying but look at their situation,” Pearson said of the workers at his sports bar, whom he called his teammates. “I know those people live from check-to-check from day-to-day and all of a sudden that’s cold and it’s affected everybody no matter what status you have or what you bring to the table.”

There’s hope 2020 gets better and Pearson regardless of the personal ups and downs, feels humbled and blessed.

“So many people stepping up,” Pearson said. “So many people on the other hand are going through tough times because they lost loved ones. If you’re still standing and moving and do all the things (that’s great) and thank God for the internet. I even learned how to do Zoom. You can still stay connected grandkids FaceTiming me. Man, this is cool. You feel blessed and fortunate you’re okay.”

Find more Cowboys stories from The Dallas Morning News here.

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It’s been a difficult year for Cowboys great Drew Pearson. Months after his Hall of Fame snub, he’s sure - The Dallas Morning News
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