Pettis Norman
Encyclopedia
Pettis Burch Norman is a former professional American football
tight end
in the National Football League
from 1962-1973 for the Dallas Cowboys
and the San Diego Chargers
.
in Charlotte, North Carolina
. The university's annual award given to the school's most outstanding student-athlete is named after him.
He was going to enlist in the Air Force
until he received a football
scholarship by then coach Eddie McGirt
, sight unseen, without ever having seen him play.
Through hard work and discipline he became an all-conference tight end.
In 1977, he was inducted into the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
(CIAA) Hall of Fame.
in the sixteenth round of the 1962 AFL Draft, but opted to play for the NFL's Dallas Cowboys
instead.
Norman became a fulltime in 1963
, and manned the Cowboys tight end
position for nearly a decade, helping start the franchise's legacy of great tight end
s that includes: Mike Ditka
, Billy Joe Dupree
, Jackie Smith
, Doug Cosbie
, Jay Novacek
and Jason Witten
.
During his career, he was known for his toughness and his blocking.
When Mike Ditka
joined the Cowboys in 1969
after having been a 4 time All-Pro
tight end
with the Chicago Bears
, he remained the starter, but split time with Ditka to provide great blocking along the offensive line.
He started Super Bowl V
for the Cowboys at tight end
, which was a loss to the Baltimore Colts
.
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".
, that brought Hall of Famer Lance Alworth
to the Cowboys, for his final two seasons (1971
, and 1972
).
His first season with the San Diego Chargers
, he had a career high 27 catches and 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, caught 183 passes for 2,492 yards and 15 touchdowns.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
from 1962-1973 for the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
and the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
College career
He is a graduate of Johnson C. Smith UniversityJohnson C. Smith University
Johnson C. Smith University is a private, co-ed, four-year liberal arts institution of higher learning located in the heart of Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. JCSU is also a historically black college...
in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. The university's annual award given to the school's most outstanding student-athlete is named after him.
He was going to enlist in the Air Force
Air force
An air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization 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, navy or...
until he received a football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
scholarship by then coach Eddie McGirt
Eddie McGirt
Eddie C. McGirt was an American football coach. He was the head coach of the Johnson C. Smith University team of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association from 1959-77.-Early years:...
, sight unseen, without ever having seen him play.
Through hard work and discipline he became an all-conference tight end.
In 1977, he was inducted into the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association is a college athletic conference, mostly consisting of historically black colleges and universities. Recent addition Chowan University is the first non-HBCU to play in the conference. Conference teams participate in the NCAA's Division II...
(CIAA) Hall of Fame.
Dallas Cowboys
He was drafted by the Dallas TexansKansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
in the sixteenth round of the 1962 AFL Draft, but opted to play for the NFL's Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
instead.
Norman became a fulltime in 1963
1963 NFL season
The 1963 NFL season was the 44th regular season of the National Football League. On April 17, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle indefinitely suspended Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras for gambling on their own teams, as well as other NFL games;...
, and manned the Cowboys tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
position for nearly a decade, helping start the franchise's legacy of great tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
s that includes: Mike Ditka
Mike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka, Jr. is a former American football NFL player, television commentator, and coach. Ditka coached the Chicago Bears for 11 years and New Orleans Saints for three years. Ditka and Tom Flores are the only two people to win Super Bowls as a player, an assistant coach, and a head...
, Billy Joe Dupree
Billy Joe Dupree
Billy Joe DuPree is a former professional American football tight end in the National Football League who played his entire career for the Dallas Cowboys.-Early years:DuPree was born and reared in Monroe, Louisiana...
, Jackie Smith
Jackie Smith
Jackie Larue Smith is a former professional American football player in the National Football League. He played tight end for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys from 1963 to 1978. He has career marks of 480 receptions, 7,918 yards, and 40 touchdowns...
, Doug Cosbie
Doug Cosbie
Douglas Durant Cosbie is a former professional American football player in the National Football League who was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round of the 1979 NFL Draft. A 6'6", 236-lb. tight end from Santa Clara University, Cosbie played his entire NFL career for the Cowboys from...
, Jay Novacek
Jay Novacek
Jay McKinley Novacek is a former American football tight end in the National Football League who played for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys . Novacek was a five-time Pro Bowler, who was selected to play each year from 1991 through 1995...
and Jason Witten
Jason Witten
Christopher Jason Witten is an American football tight end who plays for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Tennessee....
.
During his career, he was known for his toughness and his blocking.
When Mike Ditka
Mike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka, Jr. is a former American football NFL player, television commentator, and coach. Ditka coached the Chicago Bears for 11 years and New Orleans Saints for three years. Ditka and Tom Flores are the only two people to win Super Bowls as a player, an assistant coach, and a head...
joined the Cowboys in 1969
1969 NFL season
The 1969 NFL season was the 50th regular season of the National Football League, and the last one before the AFL-NFL Merger. To honor the NFL's 50th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season.As per the...
after having been a 4 time All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
with the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, he remained the starter, but split time with Ditka to provide great blocking along the offensive line.
He started Super Bowl V
Super Bowl V
Super Bowl V was an American football game played on January 17, 1971, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1970 regular season...
for the Cowboys at tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
, which was a loss to the Baltimore Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
.
The sports announcer Jack Buck
Jack Buck
John Francis "Jack" Buck was an American sportscaster, best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. Louis Cardinals. Buck received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987, and is honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame...
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".
San Diego Chargers
Norman became part of the “Bambi” trade in May 19711971 NFL season
The 1971 NFL season was the 52nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl VI when the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Miami Dolphins...
, that brought Hall of Famer Lance Alworth
Lance Alworth
Lance Dwight Alworth is a former American collegiate and Professional Football wide receiver. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame...
to the Cowboys, for his final two seasons (1971
1971 NFL season
The 1971 NFL season was the 52nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl VI when the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Miami Dolphins...
, and 1972
1972 NFL season
The 1972 NFL season was the 53rd regular season of the National Football League. The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to finish a championship season undefeated and untied when they beat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.-Major rule changes:...
).
His first season with the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, he had a career high 27 catches and 358 yards.
He played with the Chargers until he retired after the 1973 season
1973 NFL season
The 1973 NFL season was the 54th regular season of the National Football League. The season featured O.J. Simpson becoming the first man to rush for 2,000 yards in one season...
because of a degenerative knee condition, having played 12 years and 162 games, caught 183 passes for 2,492 yards and 15 touchdowns.