Overview
- Multiple outlets reported that Barry Pearson died on Aug. 16; the news was first published in an obituary on SteelersNOW and picked up by national sports sites.
- Pearson was elevated to the Steelers’ active roster in 1972 and was on the field for the AFC divisional game that produced the Immaculate Reception, a play that has come to define his public legacy.
- He earned a full roster spot in 1973 and caught a 46-yard game-winning touchdown on Monday Night Football that season before being traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1974.
- Pearson led the Chiefs in receiving yards in 1975 but a severe knee injury in 1976 ended his playing career and he later coached wide receivers at Oklahoma State under Jimmy Johnson before moving into his wife’s family business.
- Reports say no cause of death was disclosed and surviving family named in accounts include his wife Linda, two daughters and three grandchildren; his passing has prompted remembrances that note both his NFL moments and post-football life.