Preston James Pearson (born January 17, 1945) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys. He played college basketball at the University of Illinois. Early years Pearson attended Freeport High School in Freeport, Illinois, where he received All-State honors as the center of the basketball team. He also competed in football and track. After writing a letter to head coach Harry Combes, he walked on at the University of Illinois. In college, he was moved to guard and became a two-year starter. He was known primarily for his tough defense and was one of the few players who ever blocked a "skyhook" shot by Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). Although he possessed the athletic and leaping ability, he never developed his offensive game, finishing his career with a 6.7 point average in 47 games. As a senior, he was named a starter at guard, averaging 8.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. In 2017, he was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association's Hall of Fame. Professional career Baltimore Colts Pearson was selected by the Baltimore Colts in the twelfth round (298th overall) of the 1967 NFL Draft, despite never playing a down of college football, after the team was impressed with his speed and athleticism. He was first tried at defensive back and was promoted from the taxi squad to the regular roster on November 1, playing mostly on special teams. In 1968, he was moved to running back and became a captain of the special teams units after leading the league in kickoff returns with a 35.1-yard average. He registered the longest kickoff return of the year in the NFL (102 yards). He averaged more than 4 yards per carry, scored on two pass receptions, and had a kickoff return for a 96-yard touchdown. On May 31, 1970, he was traded, along with defensive back Ocie Austin, to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for linebacker Ray May and a twelfth round draft choice (#294-Bobby Wuensch). Pittsburgh Steelers In 1970, he reunited with head coach Chuck Noll who was the defensive coordinator with the Baltimore Colts. He became the starter at running back in his first year with the team. In 1971, he was the fifteenth ranked running back in the AFC with 605 yards (second on the team). In 1972, he was