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Cowboys legend Drew Pearson gets the call from Hall of Fame Saturday

The long, arduous wait for enshrinement in Canton has ended.
Credit: AP
FILE - In this Jan. 4, 1981, file photo, Dallas wide receiver Drew Pearson (88) celebrates scoring the winning touchdown in the final minutes against the Atlanta Falcons in NFC divisional playoff football game in Atlanta. (AP Photo/File)

Editor's note: The video above is from August 2020. 

Dallas Cowboys legend Drew Pearson flew to Tampa Bay Friday with his grandson and awaited a knock on the door that changed his life. He was selected into the Hall of Fame Saturday evening. 

It was just over a year ago that Pearson was very publicly disappointed by the Pro Football Hall of Fame when he wasn't included in the special 20-member class that was to commemorate 100 years of the NFL. Pearson had family members, friends, and media at his home, ready to pop the champagne and celebrate his induction into the Hall of Fame. But the call never came.

RELATED: 'Broke my heart': Former Dallas Cowboys player Drew Pearson snubbed by Pro Football Hall of Fame

Saturday changed that. Pearson was named as the only player finalist for the senior committee in 2021. As such, his induction was expected to be a lock. 

Even still, the Cowboys legend played it safe, after the disappointment of last year, choosing not to say much in the days leading up to his trip to Tampa. He waited in his hotel room along with all the other finalists and hoped to hear a knock on his door from Hall of Fame President David Baker. 

And that knock came!

RELATED: Drew Pearson and his call to the 2021 NFL Hall of Fame

Pearson was the only member of the 1970s All-Decade team who wasn't in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Pearson was a first-team All-Decade wide receiver. Even all the second-teamers are in the Hall. Pearson was the final hold out.

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