Tony Dorsett
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Tony Dorsett | |
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| Position(s): Running back |
Jersey #(s): 33 |
| Born: April 7, 1954 Rochester, Pennsylvania |
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| Career Information | |
| Year(s): 1977–1988 | |
| NFL Draft: 1977 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2 | |
| College: Pittsburgh | |
| Professional Teams | |
| Career Stats | |
| Rushing Yards | 12,739 |
| Average | 4.3 |
| Total TDs | 92 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
| Career Highlights and Awards | |
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| Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
| College Football Hall of Fame | |
Anthony "Tony" Drew Dorsett (born April 7, 1954 in Rochester, Pennsylvania) is a former American football running back in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys and the Denver Broncos.
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[edit] College career
Dorsett was a college football running back at the University of Pittsburgh and helped to lead them to a national title in 1976, also picking up the Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Award, the Walter Camp Award (Player of the Year) and led the nation in rushing with 1,948 yards. He was a four-time All-American, and he finished his college career with 6,082 total rushing yards, then an NCAA record. This would stand as the record until it was surpassed by Ricky Williams in 1998.
Dorsett is considered one of the greatest running backs in college football history. In 2007, he was ranked #7 on ESPN's Top 25 Players In College Football History list.
In the first game of the 1976 season, the Panthers faced off against Notre Dame in South Bend, IN. A year earlier, Dorsett had finished with 303 yards rushing in Pitt's 34-20 victory over the Irish. "They even grew the grass high" said Carmen DeArdo, a diehard Pitt alumnus, "and everyone knew Tony would get the ball." "They didn't let that grass grow long enough," Dorsett said later. He darted 61 yards on his first run of the season and tacked on 120 more by the end of the 31-10 Pitt win.[1]
[edit] NFL career
Dorsett was drafted by the NFL's Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 1977 NFL Draft and played with them through 1987.
In Dorsett's rookie year, he rushed for 1,007 yards and 12 touchdowns and won the Rookie of the Year honors. Dorsett was announced starter for the 10th game of the Cowboys' season, and he would stay starter for many years. Dorsett was the first player to win the college football championship one year, then win the Super Bowl the next, when the Cowboys beat the Denver Broncos 27-10 to win Super Bowl XII. Ironically, Dorsett ended his career as a Denver Bronco. In his sophomore season, 1978, Dorsett recorded 1,325 yards and 9 touchdowns. The Cowboys once again traveled to the Super Bowl, and lost 35-31 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XIII.
Dorsett's most productive season was in 1981, when he recorded 1,646 yards. Dorsett had a career total of 12,033 yards in Dallas before being traded to the Denver Broncos in 1988. Dorsett led the Broncos with 703 yards that year, but injuries led to his retirement.
Dorsett recorded 12,733 yards and 77 touchdowns in his 12-year career. Dorsett also had 13 receiving scores and even a fumble recovery for a touchdown. On January 3, 1983, Dorsett broke a 99-yard touchdown run against the Minnesota Vikings, which is the longest run from scrimmage in NFL history (even though the Cowboys had only 10 men on the field, not the required 11).
Dorsett made the Pro Bowl 4 times during his career (1978, 1981-1983) and rushed for over 1,000 yards in 8 of his first 9 seasons. The only season that he didn't reach the 1,000 rushing yards milestone was the strike shortened season of 1982(which had only 9 games), where he led the NFC in rushing with 745 yards.
Dorsett was elected to both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994 and was enshrined in the Texas Stadium Ring of Honor the same year. In 1999, he was ranked number 53 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.
[edit] Trivia
Tony Dorsett is the only player in the history of football with the following five career achievements: A national college championship, a Heisman Trophy, a place in the Collegiate Hall of Fame, a Super Bowl championship, and enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It has been said that Marcus Allen did the same, but Allen did not play in the 1978 season, even though USC was ranked number one in the UPI poll.
His son, Anthony Dorsett, played defensive back in the NFL from 1996 to 2003, making Super Bowl appearances with the Tennessee Titans (Super Bowl XXXIV) and Oakland Raiders (Super Bowl XXXVII).
The football stadium at Hopewell High School in Aliquippa, PA, is named after Dorsett.
Tony also holds the NFL record for longest run from scrimmage: 99 yards in a Monday night game against Minnesota.
[edit] References
- ^ CNNSI.com - College Football - Heisman Heroes - Suzuki presents Heisman Heroes: Tony Dorsett - Friday August 25, 2000 01:29 PM
[edit] External links
- Tony Dorsett at the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Pro-Football-Reference.com - career statistics.
- Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor: Tony Dorsett
- College Football Hall of Fame bio [1]
- The Pennsylvania Football News All-Century Team
- "T.D. Scores the Trophy" (Suzuki Heisman Heroes article)
| Preceded by Archie Griffin |
Heisman Trophy Winner 1976 |
Succeeded by Earl Campbell |
| Preceded by Sammy White |
AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year 1977 |
Succeeded by Earl Campbell |
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