54 Facts About Tony Dorsett

Tony Dorsett was the first-round draft choice of the Cowboys in 1977, and the second overall selection.

Tony Dorsett was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and played for the team for 11 seasons, through 1987.

Tony Dorsett won a Super Bowl title in his rookie season over the Denver Broncos, who he spent his final season with before retiring due to injuries.

Tony Dorsett is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame.

The son of Wes and Myrtle, Tony Dorsett grew up in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, northwest of Pittsburgh.

Tony Dorsett attended Hopewell High School, where he played football and basketball.

Tony Dorsett remained a starting cornerback on the defensive side.

In basketball Tony Dorsett helped his team reach the WPIAL quarterfinals.

Tony Dorsett was a key player on the defensive side as one of the starting linebackers.

The team's only loss in 1971 came against Sharon after Tony Dorsett experienced a concussion and played less than a quarter, and the only loss in 1972 came against Butler while playing on a muddy field.

At the University of Pittsburgh, Tony Dorsett became the first freshman in 29 years to be named All-American.

Tony Dorsett finished second in the nation in rushing with 1,586 yards in 11 games and led the Pittsburgh Panthers to its first winning season in 10 years.

Tony Dorsett was Pittsburgh's first All-American selection since the 1963 season, when both Paul Martha and Ernie Borghetti were named to the first team.

Tony Dorsett's 1,586 rushing yards at the time was the most ever recorded by a freshman, breaking the record set by New Mexico State's Ron "Po" James record in 1968.

James, like Tony Dorsett, hailed from Beaver County, Pennsylvania, specifically New Brighton.

At the beginning of Tony Dorsett's freshman year at Pitt, his son Anthony Tony Dorsett was born on September 14,1973.

Later in the 1973 season, Tony Dorsett faced some criticism when it became known that his son was born out of wedlock, with some observers contending that he should drop out of school and marry his son's mother and financially support his family.

Tony Dorsett believed that the best way to care for his son was to continue to pursue his football career, a tactic that succeeded due to his successful professional career.

Against Notre Dame in his junior year, Tony Dorsett had 303 yards rushing to break his own school single-game rushing record.

Tony Dorsett was a three-time first-team All-American and a second-team All-American in 1974 by UPI and Newspaper Enterprise Association.

Tony Dorsett finished his college career with 6,082 total rushing yards, then an NCAA record.

Tony Dorsett was the first Pitt player to have his jersey retired, after being a four-time 1,000-yard rusher and four-time All-American.

Tony Dorsett is considered one of the greatest running backs in college football history.

Tony Dorsett signed a five-year contract worth a reported $1.1 million, becoming the first contract in Cowboys history to exceed $1 million; it was the second-largest contract signed for a rookie that season, with first overall pick Ricky Bell beating Tony Dorsett with a $1.2 million contract.

Landry initially designed precise running plays, but was eventually convinced that Tony Dorsett was a different type of running back and instructed the offensive line to block and hold their man, while Tony Dorsett chose the running lane with his gifted vision and instincts.

Tony Dorsett set a new Cowboys rookie record and was the only Cowboy to rush for more than 1,000 yards in his rookie season.

Tony Dorsett held the record for 39 years, until 2016, when Ezekiel Elliott surpassed 1,000 yards in his 9th game and broke Dorsett's record in game 10 with 1,102 yards.

Tony Dorsett suddenly pivoted on his right foot, turned 360 degrees, and ran wide around the left side, beating the safety and eluding a total of five defenders for a touchdown without being touched.

Dallas only played 9 games, with Tony Dorsett registering 745 yards and five touchdowns.

In 1986, running back Herschel Walker was signed by the Cowboys and moved to fullback, so he could share backfield duties with Tony Dorsett, becoming the second Heisman backfield tandem in NFL history, after George Rogers and Earl Campbell were teammates on the 1984 New Orleans Saints.

In 1987, Walker complained to Cowboys management that he was being moved around between three different positions and that Tony Dorsett had more carries.

Tony Dorsett took over as the team's main running back, with Dorsett playing in 12 games and rushing for 456 yards on 130 carries.

Tony Dorsett was not played in two games despite being healthy, which made him demand a trade.

On June 2,1988, Tony Dorsett was traded to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a conditional fifth-round draft choice.

Tony Dorsett left as the franchise's rushing leader and second in league history in postseason rushing yards.

Tony Dorsett reunited with former Cowboys offensive coordinator Dan Reeves and at the age of 34, he reportedly could still run 40 yards in 4.3 seconds.

Tony Dorsett had a positive impact on the offense until being limited with injuries late in the season, appearing in 16 games, while leading the team with 703 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.

On September 26,1988, Tony Dorsett moved into second place on the all-time rushing list with 12,306 yards, and finished his career with 12,739 yards, trailing only Walter Payton.

Tony Dorsett retired after having torn left knee ligaments during training camp the following season.

Tony Dorsett rushed for 12,739 yards and 77 touchdowns in his 12-year career.

Tony Dorsett had 13 receiving scores and even a fumble recovery for a touchdown.

On January 3,1983, during a Monday Night Football game in Minnesota, Tony Dorsett broke a 99-yard touchdown run against the Vikings, which is the longest run from scrimmage in NFL history.

Tony Dorsett broke the previous record of 97 yards, set by Andy Uram in 1939 and Bob Gage in 1949.

Tony Dorsett made the Pro Bowl 4 times during his career and rushed for over 1,000 yards in 8 of his first 9 seasons.

Tony Dorsett was a First-team All-Pro in 1981 and a Second-team All-Pro in 1982 and 1983.

Tony 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.

Tony Dorsett is the first of only two players 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.

Tony Dorsett has four children: Anthony, Jazmyn, Madison, and Mia.

Tony Dorsett is the uncle of NFL Hall of Fame cornerback Ty Law, a three-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots in the late '90s and early 2000s.

Tony Dorsett has helped improve the health of current and former professional athletes through promoting awareness of sleep apnea across the United States.

Tony Dorsett has teamed up with prize-winning orthodontic technician David Gergen and the Pro Player Health Alliance to hold free public-awareness events in local communities all over the nation.

Tony Dorsett has helped get over 150 former players successfully treated for sleep apnea.

In November 2013, Tony Dorsett announced he had signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a brain disease found in many former football players, boxers, and hockey players.

Specifically, Tony Dorsett referred to memory loss as the major symptom affecting him in retirement.