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Dallas Cowboys fans all over the world are very excited to see what CeeDee Lamb has to offer throughout his rookie season. Expectations are high which is partly why he is wearing the number that he is - 88.
The double eights are historic in Cowboys lore as they have essentially belonged to nothing but elite players. Dez Bryant was the last person to wear it, Michael Irvin experienced the most success while donning it, but it all began somewhere and that was with Drew Pearson.
Drew Pearson is among the greatest wide receivers to ever play in the National Football League. In spite of this he has been excluded from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, even during last year’s larger-than-usual Centennial Class (which will be enshrined at a later date due to Covid-19).
Drew Pearson was named a senior nominee for the 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class
Often times the HOF voters argue that certain players should one day enter football’s most hallowed fraternity, but that they shouldn’t be first-ballot selections. Other excuses exist like “he’s a HOFer, but he should get in before so-and-so”. These are all frustrating tropes for players like Pearson that have long deserved to get a gold jacket and bronze bust.
It appears as if this great injustice could finally reach an end in 2021. On Tuesday it was announced that Drew Pearson is the Hall of Fame’s lone senior nominee for 2021. Former Oakland Raiders coach Tom Flores was also named the coach nominee.
Congrats to former Cowboys WR Drew Pearson and former Raiders coach Tom Flores for being the senior and coach nominee for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. They'll be voted on the day before the Super Bowl by the selection committee. Usually, the committee rubber stamps the nominees
— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) August 18, 2020
As John McClain notes in this tweet, being a nominee of this variety is all but a guarantee that you are going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This is extremely encouraging news for those that know Drew Pearson belongs in the Hall (so basically everybody).
Drew Pearson has been patient long enough but it looks like that might come to an end at the conclusion of this NFL season. For what it’s worth Tom Flores has long deserved enshrinement as well so it is great to see him in this same discussion.
Fingers crossed for The Original 88!