Two-time Super Bowl-winning coach Tom Flores and standout wide receiver Drew Pearson are finalists for the 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class.
Flores, the first Hispanic coach in the NFL, was nominated in the new coaches category, and Pearson is a senior nominee.
Flores, 83, had a 105-90 career record with the Raiders and Seattle Seahawks. He took the Raiders to the Super Bowl victories in 1981 and 1984.
Flores won 91 games against 56 losses (a winning percentage of 61.9%), including a record of 8-3 (.727) in the playoffs, during his nine seasons with the Raiders (three in Oakland and six in Los Angeles) . His career wins total tracks only those of Hall of Famer John Madden in franchise history.
A drafted free agent, Pearson played his entire 11-year career with the Dallas Cowboys, making three All-Pro teams. He had 489 receptions for 7,822 yards (16 yards per catch). As a member of the All-Decade team of the 1970s, Pearson played in 22 playoff games, making 68 catches and scoring eight touchdowns. The 1977 Cowboys won the championship, with Pearson leading the NFL in receiving yards (870) that season.
Both Flores and Pearson will be considered for induction at the Hall selection committee the day before the Super Bowl. To be elected, each must receive 80% of the 48 members.
“Thank you for the call. You made my day, and you made my life,” said an emotional Pearson, 69, near the end of a call from Hall of Fame President and CEO David Baker on Tuesday. “How can I thank you? I’m crying, and I haven’t cried in a long time. Happy tears. I’ve been waiting so long for this call.”
A total of 18 finalists will be considered: Flores, Pearson, a contestant (to be nominated August 25), and 15 players of the modern era who will be determined later this year and in January.
The 2021 class will be formally enrolled on Sunday, August 8, 2021.
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