Pearson, Flores named finalists for 2021 Hall of Fame class
Two all-time NFL greats could soon be on their way to Canton.
Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Drew Pearson and two-time Super Bowl champion head coach Tom Flores were selected as finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 2021 on Tuesday.
Pearson was selected as a senior finalist, while Flores is the coach finalist picked by the Hall of Fame's senior and coach committees, respectively.
They now need to receive at least 80% voting support by the 48-member selection committee to earn a bust in Canton.
"You made my day, and you made my life," Pearson said in a call with Hall of Fame president David Baker. "How can I thank you? I'm crying, and I haven't cried in a long time. Happy tears. I've been waiting for this call for so long.
"I know there is one more hurdle to get over, but this is the closest I've been ... This is a dream come true," Pearson added.
Pearson entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 1973 and played 11 seasons for the Cowboys. The three-time All-Pro amassed 489 receptions for 7,822 yards and 48 touchdowns through 156 career appearances. Pearson led the league in receiving yards in 1977, the season he helped Dallas win Super Bowl XII.
Every senior finalist picked by the committee from 2010-19 was inducted into the Hall of Fame. In 2020, the hall expanded the number of inductees to honor the NFL's centennial season.
Flores posted a 105-90 record as a head coach with the then-Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders and Seattle Seahawks. He also won Super Bowls XV and XVIII with the Raiders, becoming the first Hispanic coach in NFL history to win a Super Bowl.
The coach committee picked Flores in a list featuring six candidates.
The Hall of Fame selection committee will now consider 18 finalists and then trim the list to eight names, including five modern-era players (to be determined), one senior player (Pearson), one coach (Flores), and one contributor (to be determined).
The class of 2021 will be unveiled in the first week of February.
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