Dorsett, Tony

Tony Dorsett, byname of Anthony Drew Dorsett, Sr., (born April 7, 1954, Rochester, Pa., U.S.), American gridiron football player who is widely considered one of the best running backs in the sport’s history.

A four-year starter and three-time All-American at the University of Pittsburgh, Dorsett set collegiate records for the most 100-yard rushing performances in a season (11) and a career (33), though both have since been broken. He was the first back in the history of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to rush for 1,000 yards or more in all four years of his college career, and the first to surpass 1,500 yards three times. After rushing for 1,948 yards in his senior season, Dorsett won college football’s most prestigious award, the Heisman Trophy, in 1976. He finished his collegiate career by establishing a new four-year rushing record of 6,082 total yards that stood until 1998.

The Dallas Cowboys selected Dorsett with the second overall selection in the 1977 National Football League (NFL) draft. He had little trouble adjusting to the professional game, winning the 1977 NFL Rookie of the Year award. Dorsett went on to establish himself as one of the NFL’s most prolific runners, collecting at least 1,000 yards in eight of his first nine seasons (falling short only in the strike-shortened campaign of 1982) and helping the Cowboys to five National Football Conference (NFC) championship games and two Super Bowls (including a Super Bowl title in 1978). Dorsett’s consistently outstanding statistics were a testament to his durability and versatility. He was chosen to play in the Pro Bowl four times (1978, 1981–83) and was named first-team All-Pro in 1981.

Dorsett retired in 1988 after spending his final professional season with the Denver Broncos. At the time of his retirement, Dorsett was the NFL’s second leading rusher of all time with 12,739 career yards. In his 12-year career, he accumulated 16,293 total yards (rushing and receiving) and scored 90 touchdowns. After his playing days ended, Dorsett became a successful businessman. He was inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994.