The man who ended the Minnesota Vikings dreams in 1975 could be immortalized.
With a 12-2 record and the top seed in the NFC, the Minnesota Vikings seemed primed to deliver their franchise its first-ever Super Bowl victory in 1975.
The Vikings‘ first task was to defeat the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round of the playoffs. Minnesota had a 14-10 lead with less than two minutes left in the game and a win felt inevitable.
Dallas only had one more chance to leave the field with a victory. Thanks to Cowboys wide receiver Drew Pearson pushing off Vikings cornerback Nate Wright, Dallas pulled off the upset.
Drew Pearson ruined the Minnesota Vikings 1975 season
Minnesota’s 1975 team is still regarded as one of the best in the history of the franchise. The Vikings finished that season with the NFL’s third-ranked offense and third-ranked defense. This was also the year in which Minnesota quarterback Fran Tarkenton won his one and only MVP award.
But all it took was one last-second touchdown catch by Pearson to crush the hopes and dreams of the 1975 Vikings.
Pearson went on to spend eight more years with the Cowboys and he helped the franchise play in three Super Bowls during his tenure with the team.
On Tuesday, the former Dallas wide receiver found out that he will be a senior nominee on the 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame ballot. After missing out on getting into Canton once again last year, it appears as though Pearson will finally be getting a spot in the Hall of Fame.
When he retired in 1984, he was the Cowboys all-time leader in career receiving yards. That record has since been broken, but Pearson was also the guy who helped the No. 88 develop into one of the most iconic jersey numbers in Dallas’ history.
For all of his accomplishments during his NFL career, Pearson will forever be remembered in the eyes of Vikings fans as the guy who “pushed off” in the 1975 playoffs.