Tony Dorsett
Teams
Dallas Cowboys (1977-1987)
Denver Broncos (1988)
Playoffs
Appearances - 8 (1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1985)
Conf Champ Games - 5 (1977,1978,1980,1981,1982)
Super Bowls - 2 (1977,1978)
Championships - 1 (1977)
Awards and Honors
Offensive Rookie of the Year - 1977
All-Pro First Team - 1 (1981)
All-Pro Second Team - 2 (1982,1983)
Pro Bowl - 4 (1978,1981,1982,1983)
Hall of Fame - 1994
All-Time Ranks
Rushing Yards - #10
Scrimmage Yards - #13
Rushing Touchdowns - #24
Rushing Yards per Game - #30
Total Touchdowns - #35
Yards per Rush - #86
League Leads
Rushing Yards (#2-1981,1982, #3-1978, #6-1980,1983,1985, #7-1984, #9-1977)
Rushing Touchdowns (#2-1977, #3-1980, #10-1982)
Yards per Rush (#3-1977, #5-1981, #8-1978, #10-1983)
Rushing Yards per Game (#2-1981, #4-1978,1982, #6-1979,1980, #7-1985, #9-1983, #10-1977,1984)
Total Touchdowns (#2-1977, #6-1980, #8-1978)
Scrimmage Yards (#2-1978,1981, #6-1985, #7-1982,1983,1984, #8-1977, #9-1979,1980)
Yards per Touch (#6-1977, #8-1978)
Tony Dorsett finished #4 in the Heisman voting as a junior after piling up 1544 yards and 11 touchdowns, then won the Heisman as a senior when he had 1948 yards and 21 touchdowns and won a national championship for Pittsburgh, after which he was drafted #2 overall by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1977 NFL Draft.
Dorsett had an immediate impact, rushing for 1007 yards and 12 touchdowns as a rookie, which earned him the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, and he was able to help lead the Cowboys to the Super Bowl, where he ran for 66 yards and a touchdown as the Cowboys beat the Broncos 27-10.
Dorsett ran for another 1325 yards in 1978, which earned him his first Pro Bowl spot, and he finished #2 in the league in scrimmage yards with 1703. He and the Cowboys returned to the Super Bowl that year, and Dorsett had 96 rushing yards in the game, but the Steelers prevented a repeat championship, winning the game 35-31.
Dorsett surpassed 1000 yards in each of the next 2 seasons as well, then set a new franchise record in 1981 with 1646 rushing yards, and he also gained 1971 scrimmage yards, which put him at #2 in the league again. Dallas fell just short of the Super Bowl that year, but Dorsett made the All-Pro First Team and came in #3 in MVP voting.
His streak of 5 straight 1000-yards seasons was interrupted in 1982 by a strike, but he led the league in carries that year, and set an unbreakable record by completing a 99-yard rush for a touchdown against Minnesota, which was later tied by Derrick Henry.
He rushed for over 1000 yards in each of the next 3 seasons, but in that final season of the streak, the team signed Herschel Walker, who began eating into Dorsett's playing time and carries, and after having 2 games in 1987 where he did not play even though he was healthy, he demanded a trade, and the team shipped him off to Denver.
He played well in Denver, gaining 703 yards on the season at age 34, but he injured his knee during the following preseason and was forced to retire from the NFL. At that point, he was #2 on the all-time rushing list, trailing only Walter Payton.
Dorsett never led the league in any major rushing category, but he was always near the top of the leaderboard in rushing yards and scrimmage yards for nearly a decade. For a smaller back, he was incredibly durable, only missing a few game in his first 9 seasons. He contributed to 5 deep playoff runs and a championship, won the Rookie of the Year, and had great longevity in a position where it is rare, and he was definitely one of the greatest of all time.
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