RGVSPORTS.COM
McALLEN — Drew Pearson’s NFL aspirations took a brief hit when every team bypassed him in the 1973 draft.
The 6-foot, 185-pound receiver out of Tulsa went on to carve out an 11-year pro career with the Dallas Cowboys, nonetheless, winning Super Bowl XII and earning a spot on the NFL’s 1970s All-Decade team.
“Back when there were 17 rounds in the draft, 452 players drafted, nobody thought Drew Pearson was good enough to waste a draft pick on,” Pearson said. “Young people, you can’t dwell on the negatives. You got to turn those negatives into positives, and I tried to turn it into positives.”
Pearson, who was inducted into the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor in 2011, was the keynote speaker for the 2016 All-Valley Sports Awards Banquet on Tuesday at the DoubleTree Suites in McAllen. The event was hosted by RGVSports.com and in conjunction with the RGV Sports Hall of Fame.
The 65-year-old New Jersey native talked about the long odds he faced in realizing his pro dreams, having played for three college coaches and enduring three losing seasons, all while the school was on probation. Out of college, Pearson landed offers from Dallas, Green Bay and Pittsburgh.
Coached by Mission native and Pro Football Hall of Famer Tom Landry, Pearson went on to post a winning season in each of his 11 years with the Cowboys. He became a three-time Pro-Bowler, a three-time first team All-Pro selection and a three-time participant in the Super Bowl before winning it in 1978.
“That’s what this ring symbolizes to me — success, being a champion,” Pearson said, looking down at his hand. “We work everyday to reach that championship level, but many times we don’t reach that level. I lost two Super Bowls. Don’t you think we thought we were champions?
“We still felt like we were champions. You know why? Because if you do things the right way along the way, you’re going to be a champion, no matter where you fall. Coach Landry summed it up: it’s the challenge of the chase that gives you the experiences you need to be successful.”
Pearson’s speech led off the award show, which included more than 90 nominees for 31 awards.
McAllen Rowe’s Mayda Garcia, who competed in basketball, track and field and volleyball, won Class 6A Female Athlete of the Year. McAllen Memorial’s Trevor Speights, the Valley’s all-time rushing leader, won 6A Male Athlete of the Year.
Speights, a Stanford commit, also won for the Moment of the Year for running 336 yards in a win over Edinburg North on Sept. 17, pushing his career total to 7,856 — more than any other player in the history of Valley high school football. The record-setting carry was a 59-yard touchdown with 7:45 remaining in the third quarter.
Speights was also named the Football Player of the Year.
Alexandria Martinez (Port Isabel) and Leo Lara (Santa Rosa) won the female and male athlete awards, respectively, in the Sub-6A category. Martinez played basketball, softball, track and field and volleyball. Lara was the Valley’s leading scorer in boys basketball this year, and also started at quarterback for the football team.
McAllen Rowe’s volleyball squad won for Class 6A Girls Team of the Year, having made the lengthiest playoff run of any volleyball team this past season. Brownsville Lopez, which advanced to the state semifinals, was named the 6A Boys Team of the Year.
Sharyland High girls golf and Edinburg Vela boys basketball won Sub-6A Team of the Year in their respective divisions.
As for 6A Program of the Year, McAllen Memorial earned that distinction. The Mustangs won district championships in football, boys basketball, girls basketball, boys golf, swimming, softball, and track and field. Memorial had boys golfers and track and field athletes advance to the regional and state tournaments.
Edinburg Vela was the Sub-6A winner for Program of the Year. The SaberCats won district championships and enjoyed deep playoff runs in football, boys basketball and girls basketball. The boys basketball team advanced to the state tournament, the first Valley program to do so since 2009. Vela made the playoffs in baseball, softball and boys soccer. In softball, it advanced to the area round of the playoffs for the first time.
The Clutch Performance of the Year prize went to the Weslaco High softball team for its run to the UIL state tournament. Without any seniors on the team, the Lady Panthers shattered program records and became only the second Valley program ever to reach the state semifinals this year.
The Tom Landry Award of Excellence — recognizing student-athletes for their community involvement, high character, sportsmanship, academic excellence (3.5 GPA or higher) and selflessness — went to Edinburg Economedes’ Silvia Perez.
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2016 All-Valley Sports Awards Winners
Boy Cross Country Athlete of the Year — Moises Campos, Hidalgo
Girls Cross Country Athlete of the Year — Ana Bautista, Rio Grande City
Volleyball Player of the Year — Mayda Garcia, McAllen Rowe
Football Player of the Year — Trevor Speights, McAllen Memorial
Girls Basketball Player of the Year — Sami Quilantan, Harlingen High
Boys Basketball Player of the Year — Ryan Garza, Edinburg Vela
Boys Soccer Player of the Year — Alexis Armendariz, Brownsville Porter
Girls Soccer Player of the Year — Clarissa Castaneda, Los Fresnos
Boys Tennis Player of the Year — Jeremiah Gonzalez, Harlingen South
Girls Tennis Player of the Year — Valeria Montero, Harlingen South
Boys Golfer of the Year — Jimmy Lee, Sharyland High
Girls Golfer of the Year — Ana Jose Erana, Sharyland High
Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year — Joshua McGowen, McAllen High
Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year — Nicole Gonzalez, Harlingen South
Softball Player of the Year — Kim Harper, San Benito
Baseball Player of the Year — Fred Villarreal, Brownsville Veterans Memorial
Class 6A Female Athlete of the Year — Mayda Garcia, McAllen Rowe
Class 6A Male Athlete of the Year — Trevor Speights, McAllen Memorial
Sub-Class 6A Female Athlete of the Year — Alexandria Martinez, Port Isabel
Sub-Class 6A Male Athlete of the Year — Leo Lara, Santa Rosa
Class 6A Girls Team of the Year — McAllen Rowe
Class 6A Boys Team of the Year — Brownsville Lopez Soccer
Sub-Class 6A Girls Team of the Year — Sharyland High Golf
Sub-Class 6A Boys Team of the Year — Edinburg Vela Basketball
Boys Coach of the Year — Jose Espitia, Brownsville Porter Soccer
Girls Coach of the Year — Becky Woods, Los Fresnos Volleyball
Class 6A Program of the Year — McAllen Memorial
Sub-Class 6A Program of the Year — Edinburg Vela
Moment of the Year — Trevor Speights, McAllen Memorial Football
Clutch Performer of the Year — Weslaco High School Softball
Tom Landry Award of Excellence — Silvia Perez, Edinburg Economedes