A True Legend Remembered: Pettis Norman, Barrier-Breaking Cowboys Tight End, Dies at 86
Pettis Norman, the former Dallas Cowboys tight end whose legacy extended far beyond the football field, has passed away at the age of 86. More than just an athlete, Norman was a civil rights pioneer, a business leader, and a man deeply committed to community service. His remarkable journey—from the cotton fields of North Carolina to the bright lights of the NFL and boardrooms of Dallas—embodies perseverance, leadership, and impact.
Norman joined the Dallas Cowboys in 1962 as an undrafted free agent out of Johnson C. Smith University, a historically Black college. He quickly earned his place on the team, transitioning from split end to tight end and becoming a key contributor during one of the franchise’s most formative eras. He played a major role in the Cowboys’ rise to national prominence throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. Norman appeared in 162 NFL games and was part of memorable moments, including the legendary “Ice Bowl” in 1967.
Yet Norman’s influence went far beyond stats and game-day performances. During a time of intense racial segregation, especially in the South, Norman helped break color barriers in the Cowboys organization. He was instrumental in challenging and eventually ending the team’s racially discriminatory roommate policy. He also joined protests in Dallas advocating for civil rights, becoming one of the few professional athletes of the time to take such a visible stand.
Norman’s activism and integrity followed him into his post-football career. He made history again in the business world, becoming the first African American assistant vice president of a Dallas bank. He built a business empire that spanned real estate, automotive, fuel distribution, and even fast food franchising. His company, PNI Industries, was a model of Black entrepreneurship in a city that had long struggled with racial equity in business.
He also founded the Dallas Together Forum in the 1990s, uniting some of the region’s most powerful corporations in an effort to significantly increase contracts for minority and women-owned businesses. Thanks to his leadership, there was a 68% increase in corporate spending with these businesses—a legacy that still benefits the city today.
Throughout his life, Norman maintained close relationships with national civil rights leaders, including Rev. Jesse Jackson. His efforts earned him numerous honors, including induction into the CIAA Hall of Fame, the Black Sports Hall of Fame, and being named a Dallas/Fort Worth Black Living Legend in 2017.
In his 2021 memoir, The Pettis Norman Story, he reflected on his life’s journey: from growing up the son of a sharecropper to shaping NFL history and civic progress. Pettis Norman passed away surrounded by family, survived by his wife Ivette, three daughters, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
His legacy is etched not just in Cowboys lore, but in the history of Dallas and the ongoing struggle for justice and opportunity. Pettis Norman wasn’t just a football player—he was a force for good.
