Former Steelers receiver Barry Pearson, part of the Immaculate Reception, dies at 76

Barry Pearson, the former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver whose first offensive play occurred during the 1972 AFC divisional playoff that created the Immaculate Reception, died on Aug. 16 at 76. Growing up in Geneseo, Illinois, he excelled in several sports, helped his high school achieve a 52-game winning streak, and earned multiple Division I offers before enrolling at Northwestern University, where he led the Big Ten in receiving in 1970 and 1971 and served as team captain.

Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Steelers, he spent his rookie year on the practice squad and was activated for the game against the Oakland Raiders, where a deflected pass resulted in Franco Harris’s winning touchdown. After the Steelers drafted Lynn Swann and John Stallworth, Pearson was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs, posting his best season in 1975 before a knee injury forced his retirement. He later coached wide receivers at Oklahoma State, returned to Connecticut to raise a family, retired as president of HPC Foodservice, and was honored by his high school Hall of Fame in 2014.