Anthony "Tony" Drew Dorsett (born April 7, 1954 in
Rochester, PennsylvaniaRochester is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located 25 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, it is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The population was 4,014 at the 2000 census....
) is a former
American footballAmerican football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, and often as Gridiron or Tackle football outside North America, is a competitive team sport known for combining strategy with physical play. The objective of the game is to score points by advancing the ball into the...
running backA running back is the position of a player on an American or Canadian football team who usually lines up in the offensive backfield...
in the
National Football LeagueThe National Football League is the largest professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing its name to the National Football League in 1922. The league currently consists of...
for the
Dallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team that plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . They are headquartered in suburban Irving, Texas, which lies between Fort Worth and Dallas...
and
Denver BroncosThe Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently a member of the American Football Conference Western Division in the National Football League . The Broncos began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League and joined...
.
Dorsett was a college football running back at the
University of PittsburghThe University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, and helped lead them to a national title in 1976, picking up the
Heisman TrophyThe Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , named after the former college football coach John Heisman, is awarded annually by the Heisman Trophy Trust to the most outstanding player in collegiate football...
, the
Maxwell AwardThe Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States. The award is named...
, the
Walter Camp AwardThe Walter Camp Award is given annually to the collegiate American football Player of the Year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A head coaches and sports information directors under the auspices of the Walter Camp Football Foundation; the award is named...
(Player of the Year), and the
UPI Player of the YearThe United Press International College Football Player of the Year Award was among the first and most recognized college football awards. With the demise of UPI in 1997 the award was discontinued. Offensive and defensive players were eligible. Tommy Nobis was the runner-up that season...
along the way as he led the nation in rushing with 1,948 yards. He was a three-time First-team All-American (
1973The 1973 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...
,
1975The 1975 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...
,
1976The 1976 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...
) and a Second-team All-American in 1974 by UPI and NEA.
Anthony "Tony" Drew Dorsett (born April 7, 1954 in
Rochester, PennsylvaniaRochester is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located 25 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, it is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The population was 4,014 at the 2000 census....
) is a former
American footballAmerican football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, and often as Gridiron or Tackle football outside North America, is a competitive team sport known for combining strategy with physical play. The objective of the game is to score points by advancing the ball into the...
running backA running back is the position of a player on an American or Canadian football team who usually lines up in the offensive backfield...
in the
National Football LeagueThe National Football League is the largest professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing its name to the National Football League in 1922. The league currently consists of...
for the
Dallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team that plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . They are headquartered in suburban Irving, Texas, which lies between Fort Worth and Dallas...
and
Denver BroncosThe Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently a member of the American Football Conference Western Division in the National Football League . The Broncos began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League and joined...
.
College career
Dorsett was a college football running back at the
University of PittsburghThe University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, and helped lead them to a national title in 1976, picking up the
Heisman TrophyThe Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , named after the former college football coach John Heisman, is awarded annually by the Heisman Trophy Trust to the most outstanding player in collegiate football...
, the
Maxwell AwardThe Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States. The award is named...
, the
Walter Camp AwardThe Walter Camp Award is given annually to the collegiate American football Player of the Year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A head coaches and sports information directors under the auspices of the Walter Camp Football Foundation; the award is named...
(Player of the Year), and the
UPI Player of the YearThe United Press International College Football Player of the Year Award was among the first and most recognized college football awards. With the demise of UPI in 1997 the award was discontinued. Offensive and defensive players were eligible. Tommy Nobis was the runner-up that season...
along the way as he led the nation in rushing with 1,948 yards. He was a three-time First-team All-American (
1973The 1973 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...
,
1975The 1975 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...
,
1976The 1976 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...
) and a Second-team All-American in 1974 by UPI and NEA. Dorsett 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 WilliamsErrick Lynne Williams, Jr. is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints fifth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft...
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.
Dallas Cowboys
Dorsett was
draftedThe NFL Draft is an annual two-day event in which the 32 NFL teams select new players from the NCAA college system. It is the NFL's most common source of player recruitment.-Venue:...
by the
Dallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team that plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . They are headquartered in suburban Irving, Texas, which lies between Fort Worth and Dallas...
in the first round of the
1977 NFL DraftThe 1977 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 3-4, 1977...
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 the starter in the 10th game of the Cowboys' season, and he would stay the starter for many years. Dorsett was the first player to win the college football championship one year, then win the
Super BowlThe Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League, the premier association of professional American football. In most years, the Super Bowl is the most-watched American television broadcast. Many popular singers and musicians have performed during the event’s pre-game and...
the next, when the Cowboys beat the
Denver BroncosThe Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently a member of the American Football Conference Western Division in the National Football League . The Broncos began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League and joined...
27-10 to win
Super Bowl XIISuper Bowl XII was an American football game played on January 15, 1978 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1977 regular season...
. 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 SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are currently a member of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in
Super Bowl XIIISuper Bowl XIII was an American football game played on January 21, 1979 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1978 regular season...
.
Dorsett's most productive season was in 1981, when he recorded 1,646 yards.
Denver Broncos
Dorsett had a career total of 12,033 yards in Dallas before being traded to the
Denver BroncosThe Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently a member of the American Football Conference Western Division in the National Football League . The Broncos began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League and joined...
in 1988. Dorsett led the Broncos with 703 yards that year, but injuries led to his retirement.
Legacy
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 VikingsThe Minnesota Vikings are a professional football team based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings compete in the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . Prior to divisional realignment in 2002, they had been a member of the Central Division, also...
, which is the longest run from scrimmage in NFL history. Another notable fact about his record breaking run was that the Cowboys only had 10 men on the field, as the fullback was unaware of the play being called.
http://www.dallascowboysfanclub.com/history/dorsett.htm
Dorsett made the
Pro BowlIn professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
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, 9-game season of 1982 which he led the NFC in rushing with 745 yards. He was a First-team All-Pro in
1981The 1981 All-Pro Team is composed of the National Football League players that were named to the Associated Press, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Pro Football Writers Association, Pro Football Weekly, and The Sporting News All-Pro Teams in 1981. Both first- and second- teams are listed for the...
and a Second-team All-Pro in
1982The 1982 All-Pro Team is composed of the National Football League players that were named to the Associated Press, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Pro Football Writers Association, and Pro Football Weekly in 1982. Both first- and second- teams are listed for the AP and NEA teams...
and
1983The 1983 All-Pro Team is composed of the National Football League players that were named to the Associated Press, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Pro Football Writers Association, Pro Football Weekly, and The Sporting News in 1983. Both first- and second- teams are listed for the AP and NEA teams...
.
Dorsett was elected to both the
Pro Football Hall of FameThe Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, United States, on September 7 1963 with 17 charter inductees...
and the
College Football Hall of FameThe College Football Hall of Fame, located in South Bend, Indiana, USA, is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. It is situated in the renovated downtown district, near convention centers and not far from the campus of Notre Dame...
in 1994 and was enshrined in the
Texas StadiumTexas Stadium is a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...
Ring of Honor the same year. In 1999, he was ranked number 53 on
The Sporting NewsSporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. He is the only player in history who has won the Heisman Trophy; won the Super Bowl; won the College National Championship; been enshrined in the College Hall of Fame, and been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall Of Fame.
The football stadium at
Hopewell High SchoolHopewell High School is a high school in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania.-Sports:Viking teams have held the following Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association championships: baseball, 1986; football, 2002; girls volleyball, 2004; girls basketball, 2006, 2007...
in
Aliquippa, PennsylvaniaAliquippa is a city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, within the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The population was 11,734 at the 2000 census. Formerly a borough, it was formally named a city in 1987 by the Aliquippa Council.-History:...
, is named after Dorsett.
Personal
Tony's son,
Anthony DorsettAnthony Drew Dorsett, Jr. is a former American football free safety who played eight seasons for the Tennessee Titans and Oakland Raiders from 1996 to 2003 in the National Football League, making Super Bowl appearances with the Tennessee Titans Super Bowl XXXIV and Oakland Raiders Super Bowl XXXVII...
, played
defensive backIn American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
in the NFL from 1996 to 2003, making Super Bowl appearances with the
Tennessee TitansThe Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the then-Houston, Texas, team began play in 1960 as a...
(
Super Bowl XXXIVSuper Bowl XXXIV featured the National Football Conference champion St. Louis Rams and the American Football Conference champion Tennessee Titans in an American football game to decide the National Football League champion for the 1999 regular season...
) and
Oakland RaidersThe Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team in the NFL based in the city of Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(
Super Bowl XXXVIISuper Bowl XXXVII was an American football game played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 2002 regular season...
).
Dorsett hosts the Tony Dorsett Celebrity Golf Classic for McGuire Memorial. This premiere event, in its 17th year, has raised close to 5 million dollars in support of McGuire Memorial's mission.
External links