Total Pro Sports
The Dallas Cowboys are in mourning following the passing of former tight end Pettis Norman, who is understood to have died peacefully in his sleep on Monday.
The former tight end joined the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 1962 and spent nine years with the team, establishing himself as a dependable receiving target and a formidable blocker. He joined the San Diego Chargers after registering 124 receptions for 1,672 yards for Dallas and tallied another 870 yards before hanging it up in 1973.
Norman was 86.
Also a civil rights advocate, Norman helped desegregate team roommate assignments and fought for equality in Dallas. He kept pushing for change long after leaving football and launched several businesses under PNI industries, founding the Dallas Together Forum to fight for the hiring of minorities and economic inclusion.
“We mourn the passing of former tight end and civil rights advocate Pettis Norman,” the Cowboys said in a statement on 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.”
The late NFL star published his autobiography, ‘The Pettis Norman Story: A Journey through the Cotton Fields, to the Super Bowl, and into Servant Leadership,’ in 2021. The book details his upbringing in rural Georgia, his time in the NFL, and his battles as a civil rights leader.
“He was a good man,” Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach said of Norman. “He got the job done as a player, but more importantly, he was a positive force in overcoming discrimination.”
Pettis Norman’s family remembers him as a man of “selfless leadership” and “deep commitment to his community.”
He passed away while surrounded by his wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
We at TPS extend condolences to Norman’s family, friends, loved ones, and the Cowboys organization.
May he rest in peace.
