Cowboys’ legend Drew Pearson spoke publicly Sunday for the first time about his election to the Pro-Football Hall of Fame after decades of waiting.
“Through the whole process, people have been asking me ‘Why aren’t you?’ And for a long time I thought my first name is ‘Why aren’t you,’" Pearson said during a Zoom press conference.
Pearson last played for the Cowboys’ in 1983 and despite the belief by many he was a clear Hall of Famer, he was passed over time and time again.
But with Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones and his quarterback Roger Staubach by his side, the call finally came last week.
“To have him there (Staubach), when I found out I was going to be in the Hall of Fame, I was a little upset because they kind of set me up,” Pearson said, with a laugh.
Many believe that Pearson encountered a perfect storm of factors that delayed his entry into the Hall of Fame. Dallas Morning News Cowboys’ writer David Moore said he believes contemporary wide receivers with more impressive stats and a Hall of Fame system that makes it more difficult to gain entry the longer you are left out are two of the more noteworthy.
“I just think it was the timing of it and he tumbled back in that cue and he had trouble pulling himself out of it,” Moore said. “He is one of the most beloved players in Cowboys history.”
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And despite the wait, Pearson said he was at peace with it and happy to have finally made it.
“This is the Pro Football Hall of Fame, you are going to wait as long as you need to wait for that opportunity,” Pearson said.
