Civil rights advocate, Cowboys TE Pettis Norman dies at 86

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Pettis Norman, a tight end on the football field and a civil rights advocate off of it, has died. He was 86.

Norman played for the Dallas Cowboys (1962-70) and San Diego Chargers (1971-73). He was a member of the first Cowboys’ team to play in the Super Bowl — Super Bowl V in 1971, a 16-13 loss to the Baltimore Colts.

Norman caught 124 passes with the Cowboys, including 14 touchdowns, and averaged 13.5 yards per reception. Only three tight ends in team history have averaged more than 13.0 yards per catch with at least 100 career receptions.

During his first seven seasons in the NFL, he served in the Texas Army National Guard. And he was at the forefront of civil rights issues in the 1960s, both in the locker room and in the greater Dallas area.

“We mourn the passing of former tight end and civil rights advocate Pettis Norman,” the Cowboys said Monday. “Known for his selfless leadership, commitment to community, and dedication to creating equal opportunity, we were incredibly proud and grateful to share his remarkable story recently.”

Part of the story the Cowboys shared was Norman’s effort in helping to break down racial barriers on the team. He was one of the players who went to head coach Tom Landry to convince him to stop assigning hotel rooms for road games by race, the team said.

“I tried to do whatever I could do (to) help change the kinds of things that society had operated under for such a long time,” Norman said, per the team website.

Norman later became the first Black official at a bank in Dallas. In 1993, he also founded the Dallas Together Forum with an aim of increasing minority hiring and boosting contracts awarded to companies owned by women and minorities.

Norman played in 162 games (122 starts) between the two franchises, making 183 receptions for 2,492 yards with 15 TDs.

–Field Level Media