2015 SCHEDULE

33
H TONY DORSETT H
Running Back, 1977-87
INDUCTED – 1994
Tony Dorsett arrived in Dallas in 1977 via a draft-day deal the Cowboys swung
with the Seattle Seahawks for the sole intention of selecting the Heisman Trophy winner
from the University of Pittsburgh. Then Cowboys president and General Manager
Tex Schramm paid what seemed like a bundle for the right to draft Dorsett: one firstround,
and three second-round choices. Following an 11-year career in Dallas, he
indeed proved to be a steal of a deal for an eventual Pro Football Hall of Fame player.
The Dorsett deal paid dividends in his very first year with the Cowboys, the four-time All-American picked
up where he left off in college, rushing for 1,007 yards to earn NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and
set the rushing bar for rookie running backs in Dallas.
“A lot of the people said I wouldn’t last in this league,” Dorsett said in 1987. “I was the skinny little kid from
Aliquippa, Pa., who wasn’t supposed to make it.”
Dorsett did make it, in fact he became one of the greatest running backs in NFL history. On Sept. 26, 1988
while playing his final NFL season with the Denver Broncos, Dorsett moved into second place on the NFL alltime
rushing list with 12,306 rushing yards, and eventually finished his career with 12,739 yards. At the time,
Dorsett trailed only Walter Payton when he retired after suffering a knee injury the following summer, but now
ranks eighth behind Emmitt Smith, Payton, Barry Sanders, Curtis Martin, LaDainian Tomlinson, Jerome Bettis
and Eric Dickerson.
By the time Dorsett completed his 12-year career, he had collected a victory in Super Bowl XII, four Pro
Bowl selections, one All-Pro honor and three All-NFC selections.
One of the most notable moments of Dorsett’s career came on Jan. 2, 1983, before a Monday Night
Football television audience playing against the Minnesota Vikings. Dorsett received a handoff from quarterback
Danny White and proceeded to run 99-yards for a touchdown, thus recording an unbreakable NFL record.
Dorsett’s greatest season came in 1981 when he rushed for 1,646 yards, a franchise record at the time, a total
that now ranks fourth to Emmitt Smith’s two 1,700-yard seasons and DeMarco Murray’s 1,845 yards (2014).
“When he came to us, we hadn’t had a strong running attack for about three years,” Hall of Fame quarterback
Roger Staubach once said. “Tony Dorsett is one of the greatest backs in NFL history.”
Dorsett was the Heisman Trophy winner in 1976 and was the first Pitt football player to have his jersey
retired. Dorsett left Pitt as a four-time All-American and four-time 1,000-yard rusher. His final collegiate highlight
was a 27-3 victory over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl to claim the national title.
In 1994 Dorsett became the ninth Cowboys player inducted into the Ring of Honor, and that same year he
was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
He was born April 7, 1954, in Rochester, Pa.
DORSETT’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
H 4-Time Pro Bowl
H Super Bowl XII Title
H 1-Time All-Pro
H NFL Record 99-yard TD Run (Jan. 3, 1983 at Minnesota)
H NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year H 5th All-Time NFL Career Rushing (12,739)
H 3 All-NFC selections
H 1976 Heisman Trophy (University of Pittsburgh)
DORSETT’S CAREER TOTALS
RuSHING
RECEIVING
Year Team GP Att Yds Avg Long TD Rec Yds Avg Long TD
1977 (Dallas) .............14 208 1,007 4.8 84t 12 29 273 9.4 23t 1
1978 (Dallas) .............16 290 1,325 4.6 63t 7 37 378 10.2 91t 2
1979 (Dallas) .............14 250 1,107 4.4 41t 6 45 375 8.3 32t 1
1980 (Dallas) .............15 278 1,185 4.3 56t 11 34 263 7.7 27t 0
1981 (Dallas) .............16 342 1,646 4.8 75t 4 32 325 10.2 73t 2
1982 (Dallas) ...............9 177 745 4.2 99t 5 24 179 7.5 18t 0
1983 (Dallas) .............16 289 1,321 4.6 77t 8 40 287 7.2 24t 1
1984 (Dallas) .............16 302 1,189 3.9 31t 6 51 459 9.0 68t 1
1985 (Dallas) .............16 305 1,307 4.3 60t 7 46 449 9.8 56t 3
1986 (Dallas) .............13 184 748 4.1 33t 5 25 267 10.7 30t 1
1987 (Dallas) .............12 130 456 3.5 24t 1 19 177 9.3 33t 1
1988 (Denver) ............16 181 703 3.9 26t 5 16 122 7.6 16t 0
Totals ..............173 2,936 12,739 4.3 99t 77 398 3,554 8.9 91t 13
STAFF PLAYERS 2014 SEASON RECORDS PLAYOFF HALL OF
RECORDS
FAME
393
SIDELINES