Drew Pearson waited 33 years for this.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Saturday night that Pearson has earned election in the Class of 2021. Pearson was the lone senior candidate on the ballot.
Pearson thought he would earn a bust in the Centennial Class, which the Hall of Fame announced Jan. 15, 2020. The former Cowboys receiver was visibly angry when his name was not among the 13 names read.
Pearson is one of 145 players to earn first-team all-decade honors from 1960 to 2000, and one of only two of those 145 all-decade first-team players not in the Hall of Fame. Former Packers safety LeRoy Butler is the other.
Pearson made the 1970s all-decade team.
He caught 489 passes for 7,822 yards and 48 touchdowns, retiring as the Cowboys’ all-time leading receiver. In 1977, he led the league with 870 receiving yards, the last time a player has led the league in receiving yards with fewer than 1,000.