The mother world does have him listed as #31, as do other internet sites. Yet you could find at one point a Canady #28 jersey. Guess he changed it or had it changed for some reason? I don't know the story behind this mystery.
My favorite guy to wear #27 is arguably the best....Mike Gaechter. He was another undrafted free agent find of Gil Brandt, this time in 1962. He started at left corner his rookie year and made 5 ints, one of them 100 yards. This record stood until 2010. He was switched to safety in 1963. Injuries kept him out of the starting lineup regularly until 1966, but in the meantime he returned an attempted field goal 60 yards against Washington. He was fast and was a brutal hitter back when defensive backs could level receivers. He is the one who clobbered Boyd Dowler in the 1966 NFL Championship Game, setting the stage for Max McGee's theatrics in SB I. He was a key part of the first Doomsday Defense until he ruptured an achilles late in 1969, so in 1970 Cornell Green was moved from corner to safety to replace him. He was traded to the Commanders, I guess in a final attempt to have him hurt them, but did not make the team.
He finished his career with 21 ints and had two of the longest int returns in Cowboys history (100 and 86 yards.)
He died at age 75 in 2015.
So thanks Mike. You are a good part of my memories from those early Cowboys teams.
I loved Preston Pearson and that ‘75 was the first wild card team to reach the Super Bowl. In fact, the ‘75 Cowboys remain my favorite team and most fun season because we overachieved like few other Cowboys teams.26 days to Tampa Bay
Preston Pearson was an All-State basketball player in high school, who also played football. A walk-on at Illinois, he played four seasons of college basketball before being drafted by the Colts in the 12th round of the 1967 draft. He never played college football. The Colts first tried him as a defensive back but where he excelled was as a kickoff returner, leading the NFL with a 35 yard average in 1968 making him part of the SB III losing team vs the Jets.
In 1970 he was traded to Pittsburgh, where he immediately became their starting RB. He would hold on to that job until tearing his hamstring in week five of 1972. Franco Harris replaced him and never relinquished the job. By 1974, Pearson's relationship with Chuck Noll deteriorated largely due to Pearson's outspoken role in the 1974 players' strike. The Steelers released him in 1975, and the Cowboys gleefully scooped him up (and released QB Jim Zorn) as they needed depth at RB.
Pearson immediately helped Dallas, especially as a third down receiving specialist. Coach Landry once said: "He's one of the best halfback blockers I've seen." - high praise, and not bad for a basketball player turned football. Pearson played in 5 SBs for 3 different teams, and won rings with Pittsburgh and Dallas. Eventually, he was replaced by another future Hall of Famer - Tony Dorsett - and played his last season in 1980.
Preston Pearson was one of the first Cowboys RBs to become a real passing game weapon. He was a beast when Staubach was in the shotgun on 3rd Downs. In ‘75, Pearson was unstoppable as pass catching RB, and an absolute matchup nightmare for LBs. Very underrated player.26 days to Tampa Bay
Preston Pearson was an All-State basketball player in high school, who also played football. A walk-on at Illinois, he played four seasons of college basketball before being drafted by the Colts in the 12th round of the 1967 draft. He never played college football. The Colts first tried him as a defensive back but where he excelled was as a kickoff returner, leading the NFL with a 35 yard average in 1968 making him part of the SB III losing team vs the Jets.
In 1970 he was traded to Pittsburgh, where he immediately became their starting RB. He would hold on to that job until tearing his hamstring in week five of 1972. Franco Harris replaced him and never relinquished the job. By 1974, Pearson's relationship with Chuck Noll deteriorated largely due to Pearson's outspoken role in the 1974 players' strike. The Steelers released him in 1975, and the Cowboys gleefully scooped him up (and released QB Jim Zorn) as they needed depth at RB.
Pearson immediately helped Dallas, especially as a third down receiving specialist. Coach Landry once said: "He's one of the best halfback blockers I've seen." - high praise, and not bad for a basketball player turned football. Pearson played in 5 SBs for 3 different teams, and won rings with Pittsburgh and Dallas. Eventually, he was replaced by another future Hall of Famer - Tony Dorsett - and played his last season in 1980.
