Emmett John Pearson stopped shaving his beard on Jan. 12, 1975. That was the day that the Minnesota Vikings lost Super Bowl IX, their third Super Bowl loss, to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Very much a Vikings fan, Pearson vowed not to shave his beard until the Minnesota Vikings won the Super Bowl. He kept that vow for 38 years. Emmett John Pearson passed away Monday at the age of 83. One of the most atrocious Vikings games ever was played that very same day. Hopefully, he was spared that disaster. Or, maybe it was the game that brought about his passing. Pearson's commitment to his vow was outlasted by Vikings Super Bowl misses.
Pearson's lived in Vasa, about an hour southeast of Minneapolis. He was a farmer and a longtime school board member. Very involved in his church. Pearson's obituary states that many will remember Emmett for his unforgettable beard. His wife, Roseann, said he'd comb the beard when he had to look spiffy. He once had to have surgery on his neck, but even the doctor's didn't shave it off. The beard survived. The Vikings often threatened the beard's future. Roger Staubach's Hail Mary, Super Bowl XI disappointment, 1987 NFC Championship disappointment, 1998 NFC Championship disappointment, 2009 NFC Championship disappointment. There was a lot of Vikings disappointment in those 38 years. Pearson saw all of it. He was 31 when the Vikings played for the first time in 1961.
I would love to have seen a clean-shaven Emmett John Pearson.
RIP Emmett. The Minnesota Vikings will get there.
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