[3][4] In 1919, Pearce sought an opportunity in baseball and joined the Rockford Rox of the Three-I League under the pseudonym "Dwyer" to preserve his college athletic eligibility.

[7] At five feet, five inches tall and weighing only 150 pounds, he started all 13 games and earned more than $1,400 in bonuses in addition to his salary from the Staley factory.

Pearce returned to the team in 1921, when the Staleys relocated to Chicago and won the American Professional Football Association championship.

He played two more seasons of professional football, finishing his career with the Kenosha Maroons[9] in 1924 and the Providence Steam Roller in 1925.

He coached football and baseball at Pawtucket East High School in Rhode Island during the 1930s, later becoming a physical education teacher in North Attleboro, Massachusetts.