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Fansided

The Greatest Villain In the History of All 32 NFL Teams

By Erik Lambert

of the New York Jets of the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium on November 22, 2007 in Irving, Texas
of the New York Jets of the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium on November 22, 2007 in Irving, Texas /
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ARLINGTON, TX – APRIL 26: Former NFL wide receiver Drew Pearson speaks during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX – APRIL 26: Former NFL wide receiver Drew Pearson speaks during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

Minnesota Vikings

Drew Pearson . 20. player. 60. . WR. Dallas Cowboys

Ask any Vikings fans to this day about the name Drew Pearson and the same phrase will come spewing from their mouths like an unstoppable avalanche. “He pushed off!” This is in reference to the now iconic playoff game in 1975 between Minnesota and the Dallas Cowboys. Many felt that should’ve been the year the Vikings finally won their first Super Bowl.

It’s not hard to see why. That team finished the regular season 12-2. They ranked 1st both in pass and run defense while boasting the 3rd-most points scored on offense in the NFL. It was a balanced juggernaut that had looked unstoppable all season. They just needed to get by Dallas in the division round and they’d have had a clear road to the Super Bowl for a rematch with Pittsburgh.

Then Pearson ruined it. The play came in the final seconds. Minnesota held a 14-10 lead. It was 4th down and all the Cowboys could do was fire one last pass down the field to try to score. Quarterback Roger Staubach said he dropped back, said a couple Hail Marys and launched it. What followed was one of the biggest controversies in playoff history.

Pearson, the Cowboys wide receiver ended up making the catch for the go-ahead touchdown. The problem is a split second before that it appeared he shoved Vikings cornerback Nate Wright int eh back, causing him to fall down. This gave Pearson a clear road into the end zone. The penalty wasn’t called and the touchdown stood, thus cementing Pearson as a hated man in Minnesota.

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