Pettis Norman, a trailblazing 12-year NFL veteran who spent the majority of his career with the Dallas Cowboys, has died at the age of 86.
Norman spent nine years with the Cowboys and was on the franchise’s first team to reach a Super Bowl — a Super Bowl V loss to the Baltimore Colts. Norman, who played his final three seasons with the San Diego Chargers, served in the Texas Army National Guard during his first seven NFL seasons.
Norman was renowned for his work as a civil rights advocate. In the 1990s, he founded the Dallas Together Forum, an initiative that worked with Dallas CEOs to improve minority hiring and awarding of contracts to women and minority-owned businesses by Dallas companies.
“We mourn the passing of former tight end and civil rights advocate Pettis Norman,” the Cowboys said Monday. “Known for his selfless leadership, commitment to community, and dedication to creating equal opportunity, we were incredibly proud and grateful to share his remarkable story recently.”
Norman’s work as a civil rights advocate began in college when he was part of lunch counterprotests in an effort to help promote integration. On the field, Norman’s success at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte was noticed by Cowboys scout Gil Brandt, who would go on to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Norman was drafted in the 16th round of the 1962 AFL Draft by the Dallas Texans, but Brandt was able to sign Norman to the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent.
In Dallas, Norman helped convinced Cowboys Hall of Fame coach Tom Landry to no longer assign hotel rooms based on race. Off the field, Norman became the first Black official at a bank in Dallas.
“Pettis encouraged all of the players to open up bank accounts,” former Cowboys running back Calvin Hill said. “He encouraged us to establish credit. He encouraged us to get involved in the community.”
Norman also enjoyed successful careers in the business and broadcast worlds.
“I tried to do whatever I could do help change the kinds of things that society had operated under for such a long time,” Norman said.
As a player, Norman averaged an impressive 13.6 yards per catch during his NFL career. In 1970, he started in each of the Cowboys’ games while helping the franchise capture its first NFC title.
Norman’s impact — both on and off the field — with the Cowboys was evident when Landry traded him to the Chargers prior to the start of the 1971 season. Landry personally visited with Norman (who was working at the bank) to inform him of the news.
“He came in … we sat down and just chatted for a couple of seconds or so,” Norman recalled. “He said, ‘I’ve had to do the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do in football. … I’ve had to involve you in a trade. And let me just tell you, this is the most difficult trade.'”
While his time with the Cowboys ended that day, Norman’s impact inside and outside of Dallas continues to be felt to this day. His alma mater, for example, has named its most prestigious sports award the Pettis Norman Male and Female Athlete of the Year Award in his honor.