Drew Pearson is one of many that will forever haunt Vikings fans

Thanks to what he did in 1975, former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Drew Pearson is someone who will never be forgotten by Minnesota Vikings fans.

One of the most disappointing moments in Minnesota Vikings history came in 1975 when they lost to the Dallas Cowboys on a 50-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass from Roger Staubach to Drew Pearson in the divisional round of the playoffs.

Earlier this month, Pearson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which brought back those bad memories for Vikings fans.

Minnesota Vikings fans still think Drew Pearson pushed off in 1975

Did Pearson really push off? The answer is yes. Was it extreme? No, but it was still a push-off. No surprise though that a penalty was not called on the play, given it was at a very critical point in the game. Many Cowboys fans may disagree though. What about other NFL fans? Maybe most will agree with Vikings fans.

Minnesota lost that game by a final score of 17-14 and Dallas later advanced to the Super Bowl. In the Super Bowl, the Cowboys suffered a 21-17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Would the Vikings have advanced to the Super Bowl and perhaps won had they beaten the Cowboys? We of course will never know, but maybe at the very least Minnesota would have played in the big game.

In addition to that touchdown, Staubach and Pearson also converted on a 4th-and-17 play on the same drive. That play was also controversial. Pearson did not appear to be inbounds. On the Hail Mary play Vikings defensive lineman Mark Mullaney was also grabbed and pulled down on.

One thing is for certain. Pearson is a name that will forever haunt Minnesota fans, along with Mike Lynn, Herschel Walker, Gary Anderson, Red McCombs, Sean Payton, and Gregg Williams.

Yes, you can add Nate Poole and Blair Walsh to the mix, but neither will haunt as much as the others mentioned above.

Vikings fans have been heartbroken many times over the years, the Pearson touchdown is just one of many.