Pettis Burch Norman (born January 4, 1939) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was a

tight end The tight end (TE) is an offense (sports), offensive position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football. It is a hybrid that combines the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a receiver (football), receiv ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) for the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...

and the

San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...

. He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

at Johnson C. Smith University.

Early life

Norman was born in

Lincolnton, Georgia Lincolnton is a city and the county seat of Lincoln County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,480 at the 2020 census. It contains numerous houses and historic districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Both the cit ...

on January 4, 1939 to Fessor and Elease "Eloise" Norman (née Booker) as the youngest of ten children. He was ten years old when his father died, and his family moved to

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...

. He attended Biddlesville Elementary School, Northwest Junior High, and

West Charlotte High School West Charlotte High School (also called Dub-C or WC) is a comprehensive high school in west Charlotte, near Beatties Ford Road in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is state-funded. History West Charlotte High School was founded in 1938. The original ...

, where he made the team in his junior season and became a standout starter in his final year. He enlisted in the

Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

but was granted a release before attending boot camp due to a

scholarship offer from Johnson C. Smith University, a Historically Black University, by then coach Eddie McGirt, without ever having seen him play. He was named the starter and team MVP at

split end A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense, WR gets its name from the player being split ...

as a freshman. He was a two-way player and became a two-time All-CIAA selection. As a senior he had a game with 5 receptions for 133 yards, 2

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...

s and was credited with 14 tackles. Norman also lettered in

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

, once posting a 9.7 seconds 100-yard dash.

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

Norman was selected by the Dallas Texans in the 16th round (123rd overall) of the 1962 AFL Draft, but wasn't chosen in the

NFL Draft The NFL draft, officially known as the Annual Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the most common source of player recruitment in the National Football League. Each team is given a position in the drafting order in reve ...

due to the Texans spreading rumors that they had already signed him to a contract. This situation influenced him to join the

1962 The year saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is often considered the closest the world came to a Nuclear warfare, nuclear confrontation during the Cold War. Events January * January 1 – Samoa, Western Samoa becomes independent from Ne ...

as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

. He was used mostly on

special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their position. Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...

during his first two seasons and wore #84 throughout his Dallas Cowboys career. In

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cove ...

, he was initially used as a

and started 6 games, before being moved to

because he excelled in blocking. The next year, he became a full-time starter and manned the Cowboys

position for nearly a decade. In

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...

and

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

, Norman split the

job with Franklin Clarke. He played in the

1967 NFL Championship Game The 1967 NFL Championship Game, commonly referred to as the Ice Bowl, was the 35th NFL championship, played on December 31 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It determined the NFL's champion, which met the AFL's champion in Super Bo ...

, often referred to as the "Ice Bowl." against the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

Lambeau Field Lambeau Field () is an outdoor athletic stadium in the East North Central states, north central United States, located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The home field of the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL), it opened in 1957 Green ...

in sub-zero temperatures. The Dallas Cowboys lost 21–17 in the last minutes of the game, due in large part to

Bart Starr Bryan Bartlett Starr (January 9, 1934 – May 26, 2019) was an American professional football quarterback and head coach for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson T ...

quarterback sneak A quarterback sneak is a play in gridiron football in which the quarterback, upon taking the center snap, runs forward or dives ahead while the offensive line is also surging forward. Despite the "sneak" moniker, this version of a quarterback dra ...

play. When Ditka joined the Cowboys in

1969 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1969th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 969th year of the 2nd millennium, the 69th year of the 20th century, and the ...

after having been a 4 time

All-Pro All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list t ...

with the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

, Norman remained the starter, but split playing time with Ditka to provide great blocking and leadership along the

offensive line In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line ( ...

. Norman also started in

Super Bowl V Super Bowl V was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 1970 Baltimore Colts season, Baltimore Colts and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion 1970 Dallas Cowboys season, Dallas Cowboys ...

, which was a loss to the

Baltimore Colts The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team that played in Baltimore from 1953 to 1983, when owner Robert Irsay moved the franchise to Indianapolis. The team was named for Baltimore's history of horse breeding and racing. It w ...

. The sports announcer Jack Buck during his two-year stint covering the Cowboys, famously referred to him on the air as Norman Pettis, prompting Blackie Sherrod, a sportswriter in Dallas, to write: "Dallas fans are tired of Pettis Norman constantly being referred to as Norman Pettis by broadcaster Buck Jack." After trading

Lance Rentzel Thomas Lance Rentzel (born October 14, 1943) is an American former professional football player who was a flanker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Rams. He played college football ...

, the Cowboys replaced Norman with future hall of famer

Lance Alworth Lance Dwight Alworth (born August 3, 1940), nicknamed "Bambi", is an American former professional football wide receiver who played for the San Diego Chargers of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL), and the Dal ...

and Norman was sent to the

as part of the "Bambi trade" in May

1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...

, that also involved Ron East and Tony Liscio.

San Diego Chargers

In his first season with the

, Norman was named the starter at

and had a career-high 27 catches for 358 yards. He played with the Chargers until he retired after the 1973 season because of a degenerative knee condition, having played 12 years and 162 games, receiving 183 passes for 2,492 yards and 15

Personal life

Norman enlisted in the

Texas Army National Guard The Texas Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army, the United States National Guard and the Texas Military Forces (along with the Texas Air National Guard and the Texas State Guard). Texas Army National Guard units are train ...

in 1962 and served until 1968 while playing for the Dallas Cowboys. He married his junior high sweetheart, Margaret Ann Clinkscales, on December 22, 1962, and had three daughters before becoming widowed in 1991. The Reverend

Jesse Jackson Jesse Louis Jackson (Birth name#Maiden and married names, né Burns; born October 8, 1941) is an American Civil rights movements, civil rights activist, Politics of the United States, politician, and ordained Baptist minister. Beginning as a ...

eulogized Norman's late wife. In 1995, Norman married Ivette Hightower, daughter of the late Master Chief Harry Hightower for whom Hightower Hall at

Naval Station Norfolk Naval Station Norfolk is a United States Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia, that is the headquarters and home port of the U.S. Navy's Fleet Forces Command. The installation occupies about of waterfront space and of pier and wharf space of the Ham ...

was named. The Reverend Jesse Jackson officiated the wedding. Norman was active in changing the segregationist climate within the Cowboys and later the City of

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, helping to organize marches during the civil rights movement, influencing the changing of the team's roommate assignments and breaking social barriers. He and several Dallas Cowboy teammates marched for civil rights with the Jesuits in 1965 in downtown Dallas. Norman protested again in 1971 when council member George Allen was passed over as Mayor Pro Tem of Dallas despite reassurances to the contrary. After his retirement from the NFL, Norman became a successful businessman in different ventures (fast food franchises, apartment complexes, real state development, fuel transportation, convenience stores, etc.). In 1975, Norman became a television announcer and

color commentator A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The person may also be referred to as a summariser (outside North America) ...

for the

World Football League The World Football League (WFL) was an American football league that played one full season in 1974 in sports, 1974 and most of its second in 1975 in sports, 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a w ...

, formed in 1973 by attorney and businessman Gary Davidson. He broadcast on ''WRET TV 36'' (Charlotte, NC), '' WGHP TV9'' (High Point, NC), and ''WCTG TV 17'' (Atlanta, GA) with John Sterling. He founded the Dallas Together Forum in the 1990s, an initiative that worked with Dallas CEOs to improve minority hiring and award contracts to women-owned and minority-owned businesses. He is as a member emeritus of JCSU's board of trustees, has served as a keynote speaker, advisor, board member, and volunteer for numerous organizations, and was involved in charity golf tournaments benefiting various causes and nonprofits. Norman sued the

and

, claiming medical negligence in the handling of his injured knee. On December 2, 2014, the Dallas Police Department reported that Sharneen Norman, who also went by "Shawn," died from a gunshot wound. She was the eldest of Norman's three daughters.

Awards and recognition

Norman was featured on the History Channel's ''History Stories'' regarding his recollection of the assassination of President Kennedy on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, and the Dallas Cowboys' subsequent loss to the Cleveland Browns two days later. He was recognized in the

Congressional Record The ''Congressional Record'' is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress, published by the United States Government Publishing Office and issued when Congress is in session. The Congressional Record Ind ...

by the Honorable

James M. Collins James Mitchell Collins (April 29, 1916 – July 21, 1989) was an American businessman and a Republican Party (United States), Republican politician who represented the Third Congressional District of Texas from 1968 to 1983. The district was ba ...

(October 13, 1972) as a Dallas Park Board member, by the Honorable Martin Frost (September 30, 1985 and February 3, 1988) during Minority Enterprise Development Week and regarding police-community relations, and by the Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson (May 18, 2010 and January 8, 2019) for his contributions to the City of Dallas. In 1977, he was inducted into the

Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (originally and through 1950 known as the Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association — CIAA) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NC ...

Hall of Fame. In 2010, he was inducted into the Black Sports Hall of Fame. In 2017, he was honored as a Dallas/Fort Worth Black Living Legend. In 2017, he was included on the Mecklenburg Sports Wall of Fame in

Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Mecklenburg County () is a County (United States), county located in the southwestern region of the U.S. state of North Carolina, in the United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 1,115,482, making it th ...

. Johnson C. Smith University's most prestigious sports award, the Pettis Norman Male and Female Athlete of the Year Award, is given annually to the school's most outstanding student-athletes. Norman is known for his television and documentary appearances on ''

The NFL on CBS ''NFL on CBS'' is an Television in the United States, American television sports presentation show broadcast by CBS. It aired from September 30, 1956 to January 23, 1994. The show returned since September 6, 1998. The branding is used for the p ...

'', '' The NFL on NBC'', ''

NBC Sports NBC Sports is an American programming division for NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, that is responsible for sports broadcasts on their broadcast network NBC, the Cable television, cable channels NBC owns, and on Peacock (streaming service) ...

'', '' NFL Monday Night Football'', and ''

NFL Films NFL Productions, LLC, doing business as NFL Films, is the film and television production company of the National Football League. It produces advertisement film, commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentary film, documentaries ...

''. He has appeared in numerous media including ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', ''

Texas Monthly ''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. Founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy, ''Texas Monthly'' chronicles life in contemporary Texas, writing on politics, the Natura ...

'', ''The Dallas Morning News'', ''NBC DWF 5'', the ''

Dallas Business Journal American City Business Journals, Inc. (ACBJ) is an American newspaper publisher based in Charlotte, North Carolina. ACBJ publishes ''The Business Journals'', which contains local business news for 44 markets in the United States with each market ...

'', ''The Cowboys Legends Show,'' '' The Charlotte Post'', ''The Charlotte Observer,'' and many others.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Norman, Pettis 1939 births Living people 20th-century African-American sportsmen People from Lincolnton, Georgia Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls football players Players of American football from Lincoln County, Georgia Players of American football from Charlotte, North Carolina Players of American football from Dallas American football tight ends American football wide receivers Dallas Cowboys players San Diego Chargers players World Football League announcers World Football League personnel African-American Christians 20th-century African-American businesspeople American business executives African-American business executives American company founders African-American company founders African-American activists Activists for African-American civil rights 20th-century African-American writers Writers from Georgia (U.S. state) African-American memoirists 21st-century American memoirists African-American autobiographies African-American non-fiction writers American bloggers American male bloggers African-American bloggers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American sportsmen