In a remarkable twist of fate, the football that caught the NFL’s first touchdown pass has been rediscovered. After almost 50 years, this beloved ball is once again the center of attention! Bryon Adams, a management consultant and longtime collector of Dallas Cowboys memorabilia, acquired this storied football in March 2024. Most experts consider the ball the one thrown to receiver Drew Pearson. He famously caught it during his legendary “Hail Mary” moment with quarterback Roger Staubach on December 28, 1975 in a playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Football’s first roots lie at Metropolitan Stadium. An unknown gentleman found the ball while filling his canteen, this side of the ballpark. The football had landed near him too and rolled underneath his car. He eventually transferred the item to his nephew in 1981. The nephew held on to it as a family heirloom until he put it up for sale at auction in 2016. Until Adams bought it, the ball sat safely in a shared safety deposit box.
Adams, who moved to Dallas from Indiana in 2001. Immediately upon coming, he adopted the Dallas Cowboys as his team. With time, his appreciation for the team only grew, leading to his eventual impressive collection of memorabilia. He keeps a Tom Landry fedora among his most treasured possessions. He’s even loaned it out to the Cowboys, who are displaying it at The Star, their headquarters.
When Adams learned of the 50th anniversary of the Hail Mary play, he felt compelled to connect with the team in a meaningful way. This time, the football was in his hands. Realizing what a significant part of the franchise’s history it was, he agreed to loan it to the Cowboys. “It’s not just a piece of memorabilia; it’s part of a legendary moment in sports,” Adams stated.
Adams’s detective work to try to determine the ball’s true history speaks to his commitment to authenticity as a collector. Through careful object-based research, he retraced its remarkable history. He managed to track down and get signed the bill of sale from the original finder, establishing that it had been sold to…the Minnesota Vikings. This first-hand documentation goes a step further to lend another layer of credibility to its storied history.
The football’s journey from being discovered in a parking lot to becoming a cherished item in a collector’s trove illustrates how sports memorabilia transcends simple ownership. To Adams, however, this purchase is more than an investment. It’s a fitting tribute to an indelible moment that has defined the Cowboys and their fans for decades.
Moreover, Adams expressed a willingness to share this piece of history with key figures from that fateful day in 1975. He is now willing to return the football to either Roger Staubach or Drew Pearson for the same price he paid for them. He thinks it should rightfully be placed among those who made history on the field.
The Cowboys are getting ready to celebrate their momentous 75th Anniversary. Bryon Adams is looking to break in, residing at the intersection of sports history and sports fandom, hoping to play a role in creating a legacy for one of football’s most memorable moments.
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