Pettis Norman, a Cowboys tight end and civil rights advocate in the 1960s, dies at 86

DALLAS (AP) — Pettis Norman, a Dallas Cowboys tight end who was outspoken on issues of civil rights in the 1960s, has died. He was 86.

The Cowboys said on the team's website Monday night that Norman died this week, calling him one of the most influential players in the club's history.

Norman went to coach Tom Landry to ask that the team quit assigning players hotel rooms based on race. The Cowboys soon started assigning rooms based on names.

“I tried to do whatever I could do help change the kinds of things that society had operated under for such a long time,” Norman said.

After playing in Dallas' 16-13 loss to the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl 5 in the 1970 season, Norman was traded to the San Diego Chargers for Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Lance Alworth. The Cowboys won their first Super Bowl title the next season.

Hall of Fame running back Calvin Hill said Black players on the team were angry because they thought Norman was traded because of his political activism. He had participated in a protest in Dallas before the trade.

Norman became one of the first Black banking executives in Dallas, the team said. He attended historically Black Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he grew up after the family moved from his native Georgia.

Norman spent nine of his 12 NFL seasons with the Cowboys. He had 183 catches for 2,492 yards and 15 touchdowns in 162 games.

His family said in a Facebook post that Norman died in his sleep “peacefully, surrounded by family.”

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