Pettis Norman, a former all-CIAA receiver at Johnson C. Smith who went on to a long and impactful NFL career, died Monday at age 86.
Norman was born in Lincolnton, Georgia, but raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. He attended West Charlotte High before becoming a two-time all-conference split end at JCSU.
He was drafted by the Dallas Texans of the American Football League in 1962 but chose to sign a free-agent contract with the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys instead.
He was moved to tight end because of his blocking abilities but proved to be a reliable receiver for the Cowboys, hauling in 124 passes for 1,672 yards and 14 touchdowns in nine seasons with the team.
Norman’s most significant impact came in the civil rights arena, where he joined marches for equality in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and changed the team’s roommate assignments.
He played three more seasons with the San Diego Chargers before retiring in 1973. He then went into business, launching the Dallas Together Forum which helped minority and women-owned businesses.
He was inducted into the CIAA Hall of Fame in 1977, and the Pettis Norman Award is given to the most outstanding Male and Female athletes at his alma mater, Johnson C. Smith.
