NFL Trailblazer and HBCU Icon Dies at 86

NFL Trailblazer and HBCU Icon Dies at 86 originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The headlines might read “NFL tight end,” but Pettis Norman’s story stretches far beyond the football field. Before he became a fixture in the Dallas Cowboys’ offense during the team’s rise to national prominence, Norman had already started shaping a legacy that would touch far more lives than those who cheered from the bleachers.

Norman, the former Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers tight end who became a powerful force in the civil rights movement, died peacefully in his sleep surrounded by his family. He was 86.

A proud graduate of Johnson C. Smith University, a historically Black college in Charlotte, North Carolina, Norman rose from the rural farmland of Lincolnton, Georgia, to become a standout on and off the gridiron. While his football résumé includes 12 seasons, more than 2,400 receiving yards, and a Super Bowl appearance, it was his courage and community commitment that defined him.

A Humble Beginning with Big Dreams

Born January 4, 1939, in Lincolnton, Norman grew up in the segregated South, surrounded by fields and the weight of inequality. His family moved to Charlotte, North Carolina after his father passed away when Norman was ten. He didn’t have much, but what he lacked in material things he made up for in determination. Sports were his outlet. Opportunity was his goal.

After attending West Charlotte High School, Norman accepted a scholarship to Johnson C. Smith University, which was one of the few institutions that welcomed Black athletes at the time. He became a two-time All-CIAA selection. There, he honed his game and gained a new awareness of the world around him.

His leadership on campus didn’t stop at the end zone. Norman took part in lunch counter sit-ins during the height of the civil rights movement, demanding the desegregation of businesses in Charlotte. That boldness wouldn’t fade when he left college, it only intensified.

From HBCU Stardom to NFL Sunday Lights

In 1962, Norman was drafted in the 16th round of the AFL Draft by the Dallas Texans. But he never played a down for them.

Instead, Cowboys scout Gil Brandt saw something others missed. Brandt, later a Hall of Famer himself, believed Norman’s skillset was pro-ready. He signed Norman as an undrafted free agent to the Cowboys for a $500 bonus, which Norman famously insisted be paid in cash.

It was the beginning of a nine-season run in Dallas, where he would catch 124 passes for 1,672 yards and 14 touchdowns. He became the Cowboys’ starting tight end by 1964 and held the role until 1970, helping the team reach its first Super Bowl appearance (Super Bowl V). He later spent three seasons with the San Diego Chargers, bringing his career totals to 2,492 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns across 162 games.

He wasn’t just productive, he was dependable. Norman averaged 13.6 yards per reception in his career, an exceptional number for a tight end in any era. He started every game in 1970, helping the Cowboys win their first NFC title.

A Quiet Protest That Changed a Team

While he played in an era filled with legends like Bob Lilly and Don Meredith, Norman’s real impact in Dallas came behind the scenes. The Cowboys, like much of the country in the 1960s, were not immune to segregation. Black and white players were often assigned separate hotel rooms. Norman spoke out.

“I addressed the issue of segregation, which percolated beneath the surface of the Dallas Cowboys franchise,” he said in a 2021 interview with The Dallas Morning News. “We are a team. We cannot separate by color. It sends the wrong message to us and the community.”

Coach Tom Landry listened. The Cowboys stopped segregating room assignments. And when the team traveled to play a preseason game in a town that refused to host integrated teams, Landry didn’t flinch: “We don’t play where we can’t eat and sleep together as a team.”

Serving On and Off the Field

Few remember that while Norman was running routes on Sundays, he was also serving in the Texas Army National Guard. He was balancing professional football with military service during the first seven years of his NFL career.

When he wasn’t in uniform or on the field, he was helping his teammates think about their futures.

“He encouraged us to open up bank accounts,” former Cowboys running back Calvin Hill recalled. “He encouraged us to establish credit. He encouraged us to get involved in the community.”

Norman led by example. He became the first Black official at a Dallas-area bank and was active in mentoring players, particularly young Black athletes entering a challenging and segregated professional sports world.

Marching for Justice, Building for the Future

After his playing days ended in 1973, Norman’s business instincts kicked in. He founded PNI Industries, creating five companies across real estate, housing, and fast food. He became one of the first Black Burger King franchisees. He also served as the public face for Dr Pepper ads during the 1980s.

But his activism never faded.

In 1968, after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Norman was invited to Washington, D.C., to speak to schoolchildren about nonviolence and the legacy of King’s work. In 1971, he led a march through Downtown Dallas in support of George Allen, who had been denied the title of Mayor Pro Tem due to racial bias.

In the 1990s, Norman founded the Dallas Together Forum, bringing CEOs together to confront hiring practices and push for economic inclusion. The program helped increase minority contracting opportunities and was later replicated in other cities.

A Life of Loss, and Resilience

Norman’s life was not without tragedy. In 2014, his eldest daughter, Sharneen, was shot and killed in Dallas. Still, he kept moving forward, grounded by faith, and a belief in service.

He detailed much of his life in his 2021 autobiography, The Pettis Norman Story: A Journey through the Cotton Fields, to the Super Bowl, and into Servant Leadership. It’s a book filled with hardship and hope, strength and vulnerability. A true reflection of the man who lived it.

Honoring a Legacy Beyond Football

Norman’s alma mater, Johnson C. Smith University, created the Pettis Norman Male and Female Athlete of the Year Awards in his honor, a fitting tribute to a man whose impact stretched far beyond campus.

He sat on numerous civic boards, including the Dallas Urban League and Goodwill Industries. He was honored nationally for his work and revered locally for his humility.

Roger Staubach, Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback, once said of his former teammate: “Pettis was a great player on the field and is a great person off the field.”

He was both. And so much more.

Related: NBA legend and HBCU trailblazer dies at 88

A Call to Remember and Continue

Pettis Norman wasn’t just a football player, or even a civil rights icon. He was a connector. A leader. A man who believed in something larger than himself and lived it out every day.

His life is a reminder that greatness is not only measured in catches or yards, but in character and community.

As HBCU sports fans, we celebrate his rise from Johnson C. Smith to the NFL, but we also carry his story forward. Let’s not only remember what he stood for. Let’s stand up, too.

Related: Why Boston’s Bold HBCU Proposal Is Stirring Hope

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 8, 2025, where it first appeared.