Pettis Norman obit

Former Dallas Cowboys tight end Pettis Norman dead at 86

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Pettis Norman, a former NFL tight end who spent nearly his entire career with the Dallas Cowboys, has died, according to Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He was 86 years old.

Harris said that Norman died “peacefully in his sleep” and was surrounded by his wife, daughters, grandson and great-grandchildren. “A strong advocate for civil rights and dedicated to creating opportunities for all, Mr. Norman was a respected business executive and civic leader, known widely for his accomplishments both on and off the field,” the family said in a statement. “He leaves behind a legacy of selfless leadership, advocacy on behalf of underserved people, and a deep commitment to his community.”

DALLAS, TX July 7, 2025 – Pettis Burch Norman, former tight end for the Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers, passed away peacefully in his sleep at age 86, surrounded by his loving wife, daughters, grandson, and great grandchildren.

A strong advocate for civil rights and dedicated to creating opportunities for all, Mr. Norman was a respected business executive and civic leader, known widely for his accomplishments both on and off the field.

He leaves behind a legacy of selfless leadership, advocacy on behalf of underserved people, and a deep commitment to his community.

Funeral and memorial arrangements are pending and will be announced in the coming days.

The family kindly requests privacy during this difficult time.

The Dallas Texans selected Pettis Norman in the 16th round of the 1962 AFL Draft. He never played for the Texans and signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent. Pettis was with the Cowboys through the 1970 season.

Pettis Norman had success after is football playing career

In nine seasons in Dallas, Norman caught 124 passes for 1,672 yards and 14 touchdowns. He joined the San Diego Chargers (now Los Angeles Chargers) in 1970 and caught 59 passes for 820 yards and one touchdown in three seasons.

“Looking back, everyone really respected Pettis,” former Cowboys QB Roger Staubach said, per Pettis’ official website. “He was a really good football player. He got the job done as a receiver and was as good as anyone as a blocker. I got to know him as a human being and really like him as a friend. Pettis is someone who has been a positive force in trying to continue to overcome discrimination. He’s been able to get his message across in a very positive way. I’ve always had respect for the way he handles things. He’s a good man.”

Pettis was also a successful businessman. His bio states that he ventured into real estate, apartments, restaurant franchising and single-family housing. Pettis created five companies under the umbrella of PNI Industries. In 2021, Pettis published his autobiography, The Pettis Norman Story: A Journey through the Cotton Fields, to the Super Bowl, and into Servant Leadership. The book is currently available on Amazon.

Norman attended West Charlotte High School where he made the team until his junior season and became a starter in his final year. He was going to enlist in the Air Force until he received a football scholarship from Johnson C. Smith University by then coach Eddie McGirt, without ever having seen him play.

He was named the starter and team MVP at split end as a freshman. He was a two-way player and became a two-time All-CIAA selection. As a senior he had a game with 5 receptions for 133 yards, 2 touchdowns and was credited with 14 tackles.

He also lettered in track and field, once posting a 9.7 seconds 100-yard dash. The university's annual award given to the school's most outstanding student-athlete is named after him.

In 1977, he was inducted into the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Hall of Fame.

He was used mostly on special teams during his first two seasons. In 1963, he was initially used as a split end and started 6 games, before being moved to tight end because he excelled in blocking.

The next year, he became a full-time starter and manned the Cowboys tight end position for nearly a decade, becoming part of the franchise's legacy of great tight ends that included: Jim Doran, Dick Bielski, Lee Folkins, Mike Ditka, Billy Joe Dupree, Jackie Smith, Doug Cosbie, Jay Novacek and Jason Witten.

In 1965 and 1966, he splitted the tight end job with Franklin Clarke.

When Ditka joined the Cowboys in 1969 after having been a 4 time All-Pro tight end with the Chicago Bears, Norman remained the starter, but split playing time with Ditka to provide great blocking and leadership along the offensive line. He also started Super Bowl V, which was a loss to the Baltimore Colts.

The sports announcer Jack Buck during his two-year stint covering the Cowboys, famously referred to him on the air as Norman Pettis. Prompting Blackie Sherrod a sportswriter in Dallas, to write: "Dallas fans are tired of Pettis Norman constantly being referred to as Norman Pettis by broadcaster Buck Jack".

After trading the troubled Lance Rentzel, the Cowboys replaced him with future hall of famer Lance Alworth and Norman was sent to the San Diego Chargers as part of the "Bambi trade" in May 1971, that also involved Ron East and Tony Liscio.

In his first season with the San Diego Chargers, he was named the starter at tight end and had a career-high 27 catches for 358 yards. He played with the Chargers until he retired after the 1973 season because of a degenerative knee condition, having played 12 years and 162 games, receiving 183 passes for 2,492 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Norman was active in changing the segregationist climate within the Cowboys and later the city of Dallas, helping organized marches during the Civil Rights Movement, influencing the changing of the team's roommate assignments and breaking social barriers. He also became a successful businessman in different ventures (fast food franchises, real state, transportation, convenience stores, etc.).

He sued the Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers, claiming medical negligence in the handling of his injured knee.

On December 2, 2014, the Dallas Police Department reported that Sharneen Norman, who also went by "Shawn," died from a gunshot wound. She was one of three of Norman's children.

Norman was known for his television and documentary appearances on The NFL on CBS, The NFL on NBC, NBC Sports, NFL Monday Night Football, and NFL Films. He appeared in numerous media including The New York Times, Texas Monthly, The Dallas Morning News, NBC DWF 5, the Dallas Business Journal, The Cowboys Legends Show The Charlotte Post, The Charlotte Observer, and many others.

In 1975, Norman became a television announcer and color commentator for the World Football League, formed in 1973 by attorney and businessman Gary Davidson. He broadcast on WRET TV 36 (Charlotte, NC), WGHP TV9 (High Point, NC), and WCTG TV 17 (Atlanta, GA) with John Sterling.

Pettis achieved success in several fields of business. He is an acknowledged leader in the community — an industrialist, entrepreneur, and political activist — and respected throughout the country. While actively engaged in football, he served in the National Guard and prepared for a career in business. He devoted much of his time to community, civic, and educational endeavors during the off season, as well as working extra off season jobs.

 

In the mid ’60s, he began a seven-year career in banking with South Oak Cliff State Bank in Dallas, initially hired to work in public relations. He quickly rose to assistant vice president in business development and became the first African-American banking officer in Dallas, Texas.

 

President Lyndon Johnson requested that Pettis fly to Washington D.C. to help quell the rioting that occurred after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In 1969, he was hired by Dr Pepper to appear in advertisements geared toward the untapped black consumer market — the first African American male athlete to do so. Pettis served in the National Guard from 1962 to 1968 while playing football.

His experience in banking led Pettis to answer his calling in life — business. He ventured into real estate, apartments, restaurant franchising, and single-family housing for three decades. He created five companies under the umbrella of PNI Industries, including wholesale fuel distribution, petroleum transportation, convenience stores, wholesale automotive battery distribution and fleet maintenance. The success of his minority-owned business was chronicled in a report to Vice-President Al Gore regarding the Clinton Administration’s BusinessLINC initiative.

Pettis created The Dallas Together Forum, consisting of CEOs from Fortune 500 companies to address the pressing economic issues facing minorities and women and their inclusion in the “bounties of our nation.” The Dallas Together Forum became a successful role model replicated across our nation and communities abroad, reaching as far as Japan.

Pettis was Dr Pepper’s first African American pro football male model.