Drew Pearson (American football)
He caught the most famous pass in Dallas Cowboys history, a Hail Mary that cemented his place in NFL lore and defined clutch play.
Born 1951 (age 75)·American football player·Birthday: January 12·Baby Boomers
Biography
Drew Pearson's path to football immortality was anything but guaranteed. Undrafted out of Tulsa in 1973, he made the Dallas Cowboys roster through sheer force of will and precise route-running. He quickly became Roger Staubach's most trusted target, a receiver known for making critical catches in the biggest moments. His legend was forged on a frigid December day in 1975, when he hauled in Staubach's desperate, game-winning 'Hail Mary' pass against the Minnesota Vikings, a play that entered football vocabulary forever. For eleven seasons, 'Mr. Clutch' was the heart of the Cowboys' offense, a three-time All-Pro whose competitive fire was as notable as his statistics. His induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021 was a long-awaited validation of a career built on defying expectations and delivering when everything was on the line.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Drew was born in 1951, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Drew Was Born
The biggest hits of 1951
#1 Movie
Quo Vadis
Best Picture
An American in Paris
#1 TV Show
Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts
Drew's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1951Born
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1956Started school
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1964Became a teenager
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Could drive
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1969Could vote
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Turned 21
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1981Turned 30
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 40
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 50
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 60
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 70
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 75 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Caught the original 'Hail Mary' touchdown pass from Roger Staubach to win the 1975 NFC Divisional playoff game.
- Selected as a First-team All-Pro three consecutive seasons (1974, 1975, 1976).
- Named to the NFL's 1970s All-Decade Team as a wide receiver.
- Inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor in 2011 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
Did You Know?
He was originally signed by the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 1973.
Pearson wore jersey number 88, a number later made famous by Cowboys receivers Michael Irvin and Dez Bryant.
He founded Drew Pearson Companies, a successful marketing and promotions firm, after his playing career.
“They called it a Hail Mary because you say a Hail Mary and hope it works.”
