Drew Pearson

Drew Pearson (born January 12, 1951) is an American former professional football player who played wide receiver for 11 seasons in the National Football League with the Dallas Cowboys.

Raised in South River, New Jersey, Pearson attended South River High School, where he was one of the wide receivers catching passes from quarterback Joe Theismann. As a junior he succeeded Theismann as the starting quarterback. He also lettered in baseball and basketball, graduating in 1969.

Pearson accepted a football scholarship from the University of Tulsa, playing for the Golden Hurricane. As a sophomore in 1970, he served as the backup quarterback behind John Dobbs, starting four games and completing 36 of 86 passes (41.9%) for 423 yards, one touchdown and five interceptions. Converted to wide receiver as a junior in 1971, he finished second on the team with 22 receptions for 429 yards while leading the squad with a 19.5-yard average per reception and three receiving touchdowns. As a senior in 1972, he led a run-oriented offense with 33 receptions for 690 yards, averaging 20.9 yards per catch.

Pearson spent his entire 11-season professional career with the Dallas Cowboys. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.