Tony Dorsett - wikipedia Tony Dorsett Tony Dorsett Dorsett in 2009 No. 33 Position : Running back Born : ( 1954 - 04 - 07 ) April 7, 1954 ( age 64 ) Rochester, Pennsylvania Height : 5 ft 11 in ( 1.80 m ) Weight : 192 lb ( 87 kg ) Career information High school : Aliquippa ( PA ) Hopewell College : Pittsburgh NFL Draft : 1977 / Round : 1 / Pick : 2 Career history Dallas Cowboys ( 1977 -- 1987 ) Denver Broncos ( 1988 ) Career highlights and awards Super Bowl champion ( XII ) 4 × Pro Bowl ( 1978, 1981 -- 1983 ) First - team All - Pro ( 1981 ) 2 × Second - team All - Pro ( 1982, 1983 ) NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year ( 1977 ) NFL record 99 - yard rushing play Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor National champion ( 1976 ) Heisman Trophy ( 1976 ) Maxwell Award ( 1976 ) Walter Camp Award ( 1976 ) 3 × First - team All - American ( 1973, 1975, 1976 ) Pittsburgh Panthers No. 33 retired Career NFL statistics Rushing yards : 12,739 Yards per carry : 4.3 Rushing touchdowns : 77 Receptions : 398 Receiving yards : 3,554 Receiving touchdowns : 13 Player stats at NFL.com Player stats at PFR Pro Football Hall of Fame College Football Hall of Fame Anthony Drew Dorsett ( born April 7, 1954 ) is a former American football running back who played professionally in the National Football League ( NFL ) for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos. From Western Pennsylvania, Dorsett attended the nearby University of Pittsburgh, where he led the Panthers to the national title as a senior in 1976 and won the Heisman Trophy. He was the first - round draft choice of the Cowboys in 1977, the second overall selection ( from Seattle ). Dorsett was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and played for the team for eleven seasons, through 1987. He played for Denver the following year, then retired because of injuries. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame ( 1994 ) and the College Football Hall of Fame ( 1994 ). Contents 1 Early years 2 College career 3 Professional career 3.1 Dallas Cowboys 3.2 Denver Broncos 4 Legacy 5 Personal life 6 Health issues 7 See also 8 References 9 External links Early years The son of Wes and Myrtle, Dorsett grew up in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, northwest of Pittsburgh. He attended Hopewell High School, where he played football and basketball. As a high school sophomore in 1970, Dorsett started at cornerback, as his coaches did not believe the 147 - pound Dorsett was big enough to play running back, the position he played in junior high school. In 1971, a competition between Dorsett and sophomore Michael Kimbrough for the starting running back position ended after Dorsett took a screen pass 75 yards for a touchdown against Ambridge during the season opener. Dorsett ended the year as an All - State selection after rushing for 1,034 yards and scoring 19 touchdowns, while leading the Vikings to a 9 -- 1 season. He also remained a starting cornerback on the defensive side. In basketball Dorsett helped his team reach the WPIAL quarterfinals. In 1972, Dorsett was again an All - state Selection, after setting a single game rushing record with 247 yards against Sharon, a single season rushing record with 1,238 yards and the career rushing record with 2,272 yards, while leading the Vikings to a 9 -- 1 season. Dorsett was also a key player on the defensive side as one of the starting linebackers. For all the ability he had, Dorsett could never lead his team to the WPIAL Class AA playoffs, because in those days the teams had to have an undefeated record. The team ′ s only loss in 1971 came against Sharon after Dorsett suffered 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 end of his senior season, he played at the Big 33 Football Classic. This was the first time that his future coach Johnny Majors saw him play live. As a tribute to him, the school retired his 33 jersey and in 2001, Hopewell 's Stadium was renamed Tony Dorsett Stadium. College career At the University of Pittsburgh, Dorsett became the first freshman in 29 years to be named All - American ( Doc Blanchard of Army was the previous one in 1944 ). He 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. He was Pittsburgh 's first All - American selection since the 1963 season, when both Paul Martha and Ernie Borghetti were named to the first team. His 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. By coincidence, James, like Dorsett, hailed from Beaver County, Pennsylvania, specifically New Brighton. Although he was known as Anthony, the school 's athletic department convinced him to go by Tony, to use the marketable initials TD as in touchdown. At the beginning of Dorsett 's freshman year at Pitt, his son Anthony Dorsett was born on September 14, 1973. Later in the 1973 season, 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. Dorsett believed that the best way to care for his son was to continue to pursue his football career, a strategy that succeeded due to his successful professional career. Three games into his sophomore season, he became Pitt 's all - time leader in career rushing yards, surpassing the old record of 1,957 yards set by Marshall Goldberg, who helped Pitt to a national championship in 1937. Against Notre Dame in his junior year, Dorsett had 303 yards rushing to break his own school single game rushing record. As a senior in 1976, he had a total of 290 yards against Notre Dame. 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. As a senior in 1976, he helped lead his school to a national title, picking up the Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Award, the Walter Camp Award for player of the year, and the United Press International ( UPI ) Player of the Year award along the way as he led the nation in rushing with 2,150 yards. He was a three - time first - team All - American ( 1973, 1975, 1976 ) and a second - team All - American in 1974 by UPI and Newspaper Enterprise Association ( 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 Williams in 1998. 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. He 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 1994, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Professional career Dallas Cowboys Entering the 1977 NFL Draft, Dorsett was n't seen as a sure thing, with many scouts considering that his small size would be a liability in the long term and affect his durability. He had also informed the Seattle Seahawks that he did n't want to play for them. The Dallas Cowboys selected him with the second overall choice, after trading their first pick ( # 14 - Steve August ) and three second - round choices ( # 30 - Tom Lynch, # 41 - Terry Beeson, # 54 - Glenn Carano ) to the Seahawks, in order to move up in the first round. Dorsett signed a five - year contract for a reported $1.1 million, becoming the first player in franchise history to reach this amount, although it was the second largest contract signed for a rookie, with Ricky Bell beating Dorsett with a $1.2 million contract. From the beginning, Dorsett and head coach Tom Landry had differing opinions on how he should run the ball. Landry initially designed precise running plays, but was eventually convinced that Dorsett was a different type of running back and instructed the offensive line to block and hold their man, while Dorsett chose the running lane with his gifted vision and instincts. In 1977, Dorsett 's rookie year, he provided an instant impact, rushing for 1,007 yards ( including a 206 - yard rushing effort against the Philadelphia Eagles ), scoring 12 touchdowns and earning rookie of the year honors. He set a new Cowboys rookie record and was also the only Cowboy to rush for more than 1,000 yards in his rookie season. He 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. He was named the starter in the tenth game of the season, and became the first player to win the college football championship, then win the Super Bowl the next year, when the Cowboys beat the Denver Broncos 27 -- 10 in Super Bowl XII. In his second season, Dorsett recorded 1,325 yards and 9 touchdowns, with the Cowboys once again reaching the Super Bowl, although they lost 35 -- 31 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XIII. In 1980 he had one of his best runs. With the ball on the four - yard line against the St. Louis Cardinals, the right defensive end and linebacker had penetration, while the two cornerbacks were blitzing. 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. His most productive season was in 1981, when he recorded 1,646 yards, breaking the Cowboys franchise record. In 1982, his streak of 5 straight years with at least 1,000 rushing yards was interrupted by the strike - shortened season. Dallas only played 9 games, with Dorsett registering 745 yards and 5 touchdowns. In the final regular season game against the Minnesota Vikings, he set an unbreakable record that can only be tied, with a 99 - yard run for a touchdown, making it the longest play from scrimmage in NFL history. Prior to the 1985 season, he demanded that his contract be renegotiated and held out, after defensive tackle Randy White had been given a larger contract by the Cowboys. In 1986, running back Herschel Walker was signed by the Cowboys and moved to fullback, so he could share backfield duties with Dorsett, becoming the second Heisman backfield tandem in NFL history, after George Rogers and Earl Campbell teamed with the 1984 New Orleans Saints. This move created tension, as it would limit Dorsett 's playing time, and because Walker 's $5 million five - year contract exceeded his $4.5 million five - year contract. Although Dorsett was slowed by ankle and knee injuries that caused him to miss 3 games, he still led the Cowboys in rushing for the 10th consecutive season with 748 yards. In 1987, Walker complained with Cowboys management that he was being moved around between three different positions ( running back, fullback, wide receiver ) and that Dorsett had more carries. He would take over as the team 's main running back, with Dorsett playing in 12 games ( 6 starts ) and rushing for 456 yards on 130 carries. Dorsett also had two healthy DNP ( Did Not Play ), which would make him demand a trade. On June 2, 1988, Dorsett was traded to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a conditional fifth - round draft choice. He left as the franchise 's rushing leader ( 12,036 yards ) and second in league history in postseason rushing yards ( 1,383 ). Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos acquired Dorsett because they were desperate to improve their running game. He reunited with former Cowboys offensive coordinator Dan Reeves and it was reported that at the age of 34, he could still run forty yards in 4.3 seconds. With the retirement of Walter Payton the previous year, he was the career leader in rushing yards among active players. He also had a positive impact on the offense until being limited with injuries late in the season, appearing in 16 games ( 13 starts ), while leading the team with 703 rushing yards and 5 rushing touchdowns. On September 26, 1988, Dorsett moved into second place of the all - time rushing list with 12,306 yards, and would finish his career with 12,739 yards, trailing only Walter Payton. He retired after suffering torn left knee ligaments during training camp the following season. Legacy Tony Dorsett Drive near Heinz Field in Pittsburgh 's North Shore neighborhood Dorsett rushed for 12,739 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, during a Monday Night Football game in Minnesota, Dorsett broke a 99 - yard touchdown run against the Vikings, which is the longest run from scrimmage in NFL history. Dorsett broke the previous record of 97 yards, set by Andy Uram in 1939 and Bob Gage in 1949. The Cowboys only had 10 men on the field at the time, as fullback Ron Springs was unaware of the play being called. Despite the feat, the Cowboys lost the game 27 -- 31. 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 did not reach the 1,000 rushing yards milestone was the strike - shortened, 9 - game season of 1982, during which he led the NFC in rushing with 745 yards. He was a First - team All - Pro in 1981 and a Second - team All - Pro in 1982 and 1983. 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. He is the first of only two players in history ( along with former running back Marcus Allen ) 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 School in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, is named after Dorsett and a street near Heinz Field, the home stadium of the University of Pittsburgh, is named after him. Personal life Dorsett signing autographs in Houston in January 2014 Dorsett has four children : Anthony ( from a previous relationship ), Jazmyn, Madison, and Mia ( with current wife Janet ). His son, Anthony, also played football at the University of Pittsburgh and 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 ). Dorsett hosts the Tony Dorsett Celebrity Golf Classic for McGuire Memorial. This event has raised nearly $5 million in support of McGuire Memorial 's mission. Dorsett has helped improve the health of current and former professional athletes through promoting awareness of sleep apnea across the United States. He 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. Dorsett has helped get over 150 former players successfully treated for sleep apnea. Health issues In November 2013, Dorsett announced he had signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy ( CTE ), a brain disease found in many former football players, boxers, and hockey players. Specifically, Dorsett referred to memory loss as the major symptom affecting him in retirement. See also List of NCAA Division I FBS players with at least 50 career rushing touchdowns List of NCAA major college football yearly rushing leaders List of NCAA major college football yearly scoring leaders Living former players diagnosed with or reporting symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy References Jump up ^ Price, S.L. ( January 31, 2011 ). `` The Heart Of Football Beats In Aliquippa ''. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 6, 2011. Jump up ^ Finder, Chuck ( August 4, 1994 ). `` Tony Dorsett 's Hopewell High coaches celebrate his Hall of Fame induction ''. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved December 1, 2011. Jump up ^ Pitt 's Dorsett All - America Pick. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette -- December 4, 1973 Jump up ^ Millman, Chad ; Coyne, Shawn ( 2010 ). The Ones Who Hit the Hardest : The Steelers, the Cowboys, the ' 70s, and the Fight for America 's Soul. Gotham Books. pp. 185 -- 186. ISBN 1592406653. Retrieved June 6, 2013. Jump up ^ Quick as a hiccup, Panthers Dorsett. The Morning Record -- December 1, 1976 Jump up ^ `` College Football -- Heisman Heroes -- Suzuki presents Heisman Heroes : Tony Dorsett ''. sportsillustrated.cnn.com. CNN. August 25, 2000. Jump up ^ `` Dorsett Is Best in the Land... '' Colorado Springs Gazette - Telegraph. Associated Press. November 30, 1976. p. 19. Retrieved June 3, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ `` Tony Dorsett Receives Maxwell Club Award ''. The Morning Herald. Associated Press. January 20, 1977. p. 20. Retrieved June 3, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ Winners Archived October 4, 2013, at the Wayback Machine... Heisman.com. Retrieved on January 13, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Dorsett Proves He 's Big Enough ''. Retrieved February 19, 2016. Jump up ^ `` How About Broadway Tony ? ''. Retrieved February 19, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Tony Dorsett had all the right moves and a brilliant NFL career ''. Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved June 7, 2015. Jump up ^ `` This agent 's no secret ''. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 7, 2015. Jump up ^ `` No Trade Underneath Tony Dorsett 's Tree ''. Retrieved February 19, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Tony Dorsett Is Traded To The Denver Broncos ''. Retrieved February 19, 2016. Jump up ^ `` GoodBye Big D, Hello Denver ''. Retrieved February 19, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Broncos Report Knee Injury Threatens Dorsett 's Career ''. Retrieved February 19, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Tony Dorsett # 33 -- Running Back ''. Archived from the original on August 5, 2007. Retrieved September 4, 2009. CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown ( link ). dallascowboysfanclub.com Jump up ^ Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings -- January 3rd, 1983. Pro-Football-Reference.com ( January 3, 1983 ). Retrieved on January 13, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Maddie Dorsett - 2017 Soccer Roster - University of Texas Athletics ''. www.texassports.com. Retrieved 2017 - 08 - 24. Jump up ^ Jacobs, Kyle. `` Public Relations ''. PRWeb. PRWeb. Retrieved June 26, 2013. Jump up ^ DiPaola, Jerry ( November 6, 2013 ). `` Report : Ex-Pitt star Dorsett has signs of neurological disorder ''. Pittsburgh Tribune - Review. Retrieved November 7, 2013. Jump up ^ Alper, Josh ( November 7, 2013 ). `` Brains of Tony Dorsett, others show signs of CTE ''. NBC Sports. Retrieved November 7, 2013. External links Tony Dorsett at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Tony Dorsett at the College Football Hall of Fame Tony Dorsett at the Heisman Trophy official website Career statistics and player information from NFL.com Pro-Football - Reference Tony Dorsett Cowboys Ring of Honor Dallas Cowboys Top 50 players Tony Dorsett -- awards, championships, and honors Mr. Football USA winners 1970 : Haden 1971 : Logan 1972 : Dorsett 1973 : Campbell 1974 : Sims 1975 : White 1976 : McNeil 1977 : M. Allen 1978 : Dickerson 1979 : Walker 1980 : Fralic 1981 : Dupree 1982 : Woodson 1983 : Speilman 1984 : Rison 1985 : George 1986 : E. Smith 1987 : Pickens 1988 : Kirby 1989 : R. Smith 1990 : Brooks 1991 : Davis 1992 : J. Allen 1993 : Manning 1994 : Redman 1995 : Couch 1996 : Henry 1997 : Curry 1998 : House 1999 : Williams 2000 : Benson 2001 : Young 2002 : Leak 2003 : Byers 2004 : Daniel 2005 : Stafford 2006 : Evans 2007 : Harris 2008 : Gilbert 2009 : Baxter 2010 : Gray 2011 : Gray 2012 : Browne 2013 : Grier Heisman Trophy winners 1935 : Berwanger 1936 : Kelley 1937 : Frank 1938 : O'Brien 1939 : Kinnick 1940 : Harmon 1941 : B. Smith 1942 : Sinkwich 1943 : Bertelli 1944 : Horvath 1945 : Blanchard 1946 : G. Davis 1947 : Lujack 1948 : D. Walker 1949 : Hart 1950 : Janowicz 1951 : Kazmaier 1952 : Vessels 1953 : Lattner 1954 : Ameche 1955 : Cassady 1956 : Hornung 1957 : Crow 1958 : Dawkins 1959 : Cannon 1960 : Bellino 1961 : E. Davis 1962 : Baker 1963 : Staubach 1964 : Huarte 1965 : Garrett 1966 : Spurrier 1967 : Beban 1968 : Simpson 1969 : Owens 1970 : Plunkett 1971 : Sullivan 1972 : Rodgers 1973 : Cappelletti 1974 : Griffin 1975 : Griffin 1976 : Dorsett 1977 : Campbell 1978 : Sims 1979 : C. White 1980 : Rogers 1981 : Allen 1982 : H. Walker 1983 : Rozier 1984 : Flutie 1985 : B. Jackson 1986 : Testaverde 1987 : Brown 1988 : Sanders 1989 : Ware 1990 : Detmer 1991 : Howard 1992 : Torretta 1993 : Ward 1994 : Salaam 1995 : George 1996 : Wuerffel 1997 : Woodson 1998 : Williams 1999 : Dayne 2000 : Weinke 2001 : Crouch 2002 : Palmer 2003 : J. White 2004 : Leinart 2005 : vacated * 2006 : T. Smith 2007 : Tebow 2008 : Bradford 2009 : Ingram Jr. 2010 : Newton 2011 : Griffin III 2012 : Manziel 2013 : Winston 2014 : Mariota 2015 : Henry 2016 : L. Jackson 2017 : Mayfield * Note : The 2005 Heisman Trophy was originally awarded to Reggie Bush, but Bush forfeited the award in 2010. The Heisman Trust subsequently decided to leave the 2005 award vacated. Maxwell Award winners 1937 : Frank 1938 : O'Brien 1939 : Kinnick 1940 : Harmon 1941 : Dudley 1942 : Governali 1943 : Odell 1944 : G. Davis 1945 : Blanchard 1946 : Trippi 1947 : D. Walker 1948 : Bednarik 1949 : Hart 1950 : Bagnell 1951 : Kazmaier 1952 : Lattner 1953 : Lattner 1954 : Beagle 1955 : Cassady 1956 : McDonald 1957 : Reifsnyder 1958 : Dawkins 1959 : Lucas 1960 : Bellino 1961 : Ferguson 1962 : Baker 1963 : Staubach 1964 : Ressler 1965 : Nobis 1966 : Lynch 1967 : Beban 1968 : Simpson 1969 : Reid 1970 : Plunkett 1971 : Marinaro 1972 : Van Pelt 1973 : Cappelletti 1974 : Joachim 1975 : Griffin 1976 : Dorsett 1977 : Browner 1978 : Fusina 1979 : C. White 1980 : Green 1981 : Allen 1982 : H. Walker 1983 : Rozier 1984 : Flutie 1985 : Long 1986 : Testaverde 1987 : McPherson 1988 : Sanders 1989 : Thompson 1990 : Detmer 1991 : Howard 1992 : Torretta 1993 : Ward 1994 : Collins 1995 : George 1996 : Wuerffel 1997 : P. Manning 1998 : Williams 1999 : Dayne 2000 : Brees 2001 : Dorsey 2002 : Johnson 2003 : E. Manning 2004 : J. White 2005 : Young 2006 : Quinn 2007 : Tebow 2008 : Tebow 2009 : McCoy 2010 : Newton 2011 : Luck 2012 : Te'o 2013 : McCarron 2014 : Mariota 2015 : Henry 2016 : Jackson 2017 : Mayfield Walter Camp Award winners 1967 : Simpson 1968 : Simpson 1969 : Owens 1970 : Plunkett 1971 : Sullivan 1972 : Rodgers 1973 : Cappelletti 1974 : Griffin 1975 : Griffin 1976 : Dorsett 1977 : MacAfee 1978 : Sims 1979 : White 1980 : Green 1981 : Allen 1982 : Walker 1983 : Rozier 1984 : Flutie 1985 : B. Jackson 1986 : Testaverde 1987 : Brown 1988 : Sanders 1989 : Thompson 1990 : Ismail 1991 : Howard 1992 : Torretta 1993 : Ward 1994 : Salaam 1995 : George 1996 : Wuerffel 1997 : Woodson 1998 : Williams 1999 : Dayne 2000 : Heupel 2001 : Crouch 2002 : Johnson 2003 : Fitzgerald 2004 : Leinart 2005 : Bush 2006 : Smith 2007 : McFadden 2008 : McCoy 2009 : McCoy 2010 : Newton 2011 : Luck 2012 : Te'o 2013 : Winston 2014 : Mariota 2015 : Henry 2016 : L. Jackson 2017 : Mayfield 1976 Pittsburgh Panthers football -- consensus national champions Tom Brzoza Matt Cavanaugh Al Chesley James Corbett Tony Dorsett Ed Gallagher Bob Gruber Randy Holloway Cecil Johnson Gordon Jones Bob Jury Davd Logan Don Parrish Randy Reutershan Al Romano Larry Swider Willie Taylor J.C. Wilson Head coach : Johnny Majors Assistant coaches : Joe Avezzano Dave Wannstedt Sporting News College Football Player of the Year winners 1942 : Sinkwich 1943 : Bertelli 1944 : Horvath 1945 : Blanchard 1946 : G. Davis 1947 : Lujack 1948 : D. Walker 1949 : Hart 1950 : Janowicz 1951 : Kazmaier 1952 : Vessels 1953 : Lattner 1954 : Cassady 1955 : Cassady 1956 : McDonald 1957 : Crow 1958 : Cannon 1959 : Cannon 1960 : Bellino 1961 : Ferguson 1962 : Baker 1963 : Staubach 1964 : Butkus 1965 : Anderson & Grabowski 1966 : Spurrier 1967 : Beban 1968 : Simpson 1969 : Owens 1970 : Plunkett 1971 : Sullivan & Marinaro 1972 : B. Jones 1973 : Hicks 1974 : Griffin 1975 : Griffin 1976 : Dorsett 1977 : Campbell 1978 : Sims 1979 : C. White 1980 : Green 1981 : Allen 1982 : H. Walker 1983 : Rozier 1984 : Flutie 1985 : B. Jackson 1986 : Testaverde 1987 : Brown 1988 : Sanders 1989 : Hagen 1990 : Ismail 1991 : Howard 1992 : M. Jones 1993 : Ward 1994 : Salaam 1995 : Frazier 1996 : Wuerffel 1997 : Woodson 1998 : Williams 1999 : Dayne 2000 : Weinke 2001 : Crouch 2002 : Palmer 2003 : J. White 2004 : A. Smith 2005 : Bush 2006 : T. Smith 2007 : Tebow 2008 : Harrell, Bradford & McCoy 2009 : Ingram Jr. 2010 : Newton 2011 : Griffin III 2012 : Manziel 2013 : Winston 2014 : Mariota 2015 : Mayfield 2016 : L. Jackson 2017 : Mayfield UPI College Football Player of the Year winners 1950 : Janowicz 1951 : Kazmaier 1952 : Vessels 1953 : Giel 1954 : Ameche 1955 : Cassady 1956 : Majors 1957 : Crow 1958 : Cannon 1959 : Cannon 1960 : Bellino 1961 : Ferguson 1962 : Baker 1963 : Staubach 1964 : Huarte 1965 : Garrett 1966 : Spurrier 1967 : Simpson 1968 : Simpson 1969 : Owens 1970 : Plunkett 1971 : Marinaro 1972 : Rogers 1973 : Cappelletti 1974 : Griffin 1975 : Griffin 1976 : Dorsett 1977 : Campbell 1978 : Sims 1979 : C. White 1980 : Green 1981 : Allen 1982 : H. Walker 1983 : Rozier 1984 : Flutie 1985 : Jackson 1986 : Testaverde 1987 : Brown 1988 : Sanders 1989 : Ware 1990 : Detmer 1991 : Howard 1976 College Football All - America Team consensus selections Offense QB Tommy Kramer RB Ricky Bell RB Tony Dorsett RB Rob Lytle WR Larry Seivers TE Ken MacAfee OT Mike Vaughan OT Chris Ward G Mark Donahue G Joel Parrish C Derrel Gofourth Defense DL Ross Browner DL Bob Brudzinski DL Joseph Campbell DL Gary Jeter DL Al Romano DL Wilson Whitley LB Robert Jackson LB Jerry Robinson DB Bill Armstrong DB Dave Butterfield DB Gary Green DB Dennis Thurman FWAA 1969 -- 1994 Quarter - century All - America Team Offense : QB John Elway RB Tony Dorsett RB Herschel Walker WR Jerry Rice WR Anthony Carter TE Keith Jackson G John Hannah G Dean Steinkuhler T Jerry Sisemore T Bill Fralic C Dave Rimington Defense : DE Jack Youngblood DE Lee Roy Selmon DT Steve Emtman DT Randy White OLB Hugh Green OLB Lawrence Taylor MLB Mike Singletary CB Deion Sanders CB Jack Tatum SS Kenny Easley FS Ronnie Lott Special Teams P Ray Guy PK Tony Franklin KR Johnny Rodgers 1977 NFL draft first - round selections Ricky Bell Tony Dorsett Eddie Edwards Marvin Powell Gary Jeter Warren Bryant Joe Campbell Wilson Whitley Mike Butler Gary Green Morris Towns Phil Dokes A.J. Duhe Steve August Ted Albrecht Raymond Clayborn Robert Jackson Steve Schindler Steve Pisarkiewicz Wilson Faumuina Robin Cole Mike Cobb Bob Brudzinski Bob Rush Stanley Morgan Randy Burke Tommy Kramer Ezra Johnson Dallas Cowboys first - round draft picks Lilly Jordan Appleton Morton Niland Homan C. Hill D. Thomas To. Smith B. Thomas DuPree E. Jones Young R. White Henderson Kyle Dorsett Bethea Shaw Richards R. Hill Jeffcoat Cannon Brooks Sherrard Noonan Irvin Aikman E. Smith Maryland Harper Pritchett K. Smith R. Jones Carver LaFleur Ellis Ekuban R. Williams Newman Ware Spears Carpenter Spencer F. Jones Jenkins Bryant Ty. Smith Claiborne Frederick Martin B. Jones Elliott Charlton Vander Esch Dallas Cowboys 1977 NFL draft selections Tony Dorsett Glenn Carano Tony Hill Val Belcher Guy Brown Andy Frederick Jim Cooper David Stalls Al Cleveland Fred Williams Mark Cantrell Steve DeBerg Don Wardlow Greg Peters Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award winners 1967 : Farr 1968 : McCullouch 1969 : Hill 1970 : Shaw 1971 : Brockington 1972 : Harris 1973 : Foreman 1974 : Woods 1975 : M. Thomas 1976 : White 1977 : Dorsett 1978 : Campbell 1979 : O. Anderson 1980 : Sims 1981 : Rogers 1982 : Allen 1983 : Dickerson 1984 : Lipps 1985 : Brown 1986 : Mayes 1987 : Stradford 1988 : Stephens 1989 : Sanders 1990 : Smith 1991 : Russell 1992 : Pickens 1993 : Bettis 1994 : Faulk 1995 : Martin 1996 : George 1997 : Dunn 1998 : Moss 1999 : James 2000 : M. Anderson 2001 : A. Thomas 2002 : Portis 2003 : Boldin 2004 : Roethlisberger 2005 : Williams 2006 : Young 2007 : Peterson 2008 : Ryan 2009 : Harvin 2010 : Bradford 2011 : Newton 2012 : Griffin III 2013 : Lacy 2014 : Beckham, Jr. 2015 : Gurley 2016 : Prescott 2017 : Kamara Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl XII champions 1 Efren Herrera 11 Danny White 12 Roger Staubach 18 Glenn Carano 20 Mel Renfro 21 Doug Dennison 25 Aaron Kyle 26 Preston Pearson 31 Benny Barnes 33 Tony Dorsett 35 Scott Laidlaw 36 Larry Brinson 41 Charlie Waters 42 Randy Hughes 43 Cliff Harris 44 Robert Newhouse 46 Mark Washington 50 D.D. Lewis 53 Bob Breunig 54 Randy White ( Co-MVP ) 56 Thomas Henderson 57 Bruce Huther 58 Mike Hegman 59 Guy Brown 61 Jim Cooper 62 John Fitzgerald 63 Larry Cole 64 Tom Rafferty 65 Dave Stalls 66 Burton Lawless 67 Pat Donovan 68 Herbert Scott 70 Rayfield Wright 71 Andy Frederick 72 Ed `` Too Tall '' Jones 73 Ralph Neely 75 Jethro Pugh 77 Bill Gregory 79 Harvey Martin ( Co-MVP ) 80 Tony Hill 83 Golden Richards 86 Butch Johnson 87 Jay Saldi 88 Drew Pearson 89 Billy Joe DuPree Head coach : Tom Landry Coaches : Ermal Allen Mike Ditka Jim Myers Dan Reeves Gene Stallings Ernie Stautner Jerry Tubbs NFL players with 10,000 rushing yards Emmitt Smith Walter Payton Barry Sanders Curtis Martin Frank Gore LaDainian Tomlinson Jerome Bettis Eric Dickerson Tony Dorsett Jim Brown Marshall Faulk Adrian Peterson Edgerrin James Marcus Allen Franco Harris Thurman Thomas Fred Taylor Steven Jackson John Riggins Corey Dillon O.J. Simpson Warrick Dunn Ricky Watters Jamal Lewis Thomas Jones Tiki Barber Eddie George Ottis Anderson LeSean McCoy Ricky Williams Marshawn Lynch Italics denotes active player Dallas Cowboys Founded in 1960 Based in Arlington, Texas Headquartered in Frisco, Texas Franchise Franchise History Coaches Players Seasons Expansion draft Draft history Starting quarterbacks First - round draft picks Ford Center at The Star Stadiums Cotton Bowl Texas Stadium AT&T Stadium Culture NFL on Thanksgiving Day America 's Team Cheerleaders Doomsday Defense Crazy Ray Rowdy Jerry Jones Black Sunday ( film ) King of the Hill Lore Tom Landry Tex Schramm Captain Comeback Ice Bowl Hail Mary The Catch Herschel Walker trade Dirty Dozen Ring of Honor Bounty Bowl series Rivalries New York Giants Philadelphia Eagles Washington Redskins Green Bay Packers San Francisco 49ers Pittsburgh Steelers Houston Oilers / Texans Division championships ( 23 ) 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1981 1985 1992 1993 1994 1995 1998 2007 2009 2014 2016 Conference championships ( 10 ) 1966 1967 1970 1971 1977 1978 1992 1993 1995 League Championships ( 5 ) 1971 ( VI ) 1977 ( XII ) 1992 ( XXVII ) 1993 ( XXVIII ) 1995 ( XXX ) Media Broadcasters Radio network KRLD - FM Brad Sham Babe Laufenberg Current league affiliations League : National Football League Conference : National Football Conference Division : East Division Seasons ( 58 ) 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1989 1992 1993 1994 1995 2001 2017 2018 Championship seasons in bold Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor Bob Lilly 1976 Don Meredith Don Perkins 1977 Chuck Howley 1981 Mel Renfro Roger Staubach 1989 Lee Roy Jordan 1993 Tom Landry 1994 Tony Dorsett Randy White 2001 Bob Hayes 2003 Tex Schramm Cliff Harris Rayfield Wright 2005 Troy Aikman Emmitt Smith Michael Irvin 2011 Drew Pearson Charles Haley Larry Allen 2015 Darren Woodson Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1994 Tony Dorsett Bud Grant Jimmy Johnson Leroy Kelly Jackie Smith Randy White Members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterbacks Pre-modern era Baugh Clark Conzelman Driscoll Friedman Herber Luckman A. Parker Modern era Aikman Blanda Bradshaw L. Dawson Elway Favre Fouts Graham Griese Jurgensen J. Kelly Layne Marino Montana Moon Namath Stabler Starr Staubach Tarkenton Tittle Unitas Van Brocklin Warner Waterfield Young Running backs Pre-modern era Battles Canadeo Dudley Grange Guyon Hinkle Lambeau Leemans McAfee McNally Nagurski Nevers Pollard Strong Thorpe Van Buren Modern era M. Allen Bettis J. Brown Campbell Csonka T. Davis Dickerson Dorsett Faulk Gifford Harris Hornung J.H. Johnson L. Kelly F. Little Martin Matson McElhenny Moore Motley Payton Perry Riggins B. Sanders Sayers Simpson E. Smith Jim Taylor T. Thomas Tomlinson Trippi Walker Wide receivers / ends Pre-modern era Badgro Chamberlin Flaherty Halas Hewitt Hutson Millner Modern era Alworth Berry Biletnikoff T. Brown Carter Fears Harrison Hayes Hirsch Irvin Joiner Largent Lavelli Lofton Maynard McDonald Mitchell Monk Moss Owens Pihos Reed Rice Stallworth Swann C. Taylor Warfield Tight ends Casper Ditka Mackey Newsome C. Sanders Sharpe J. Smith Winslow Offensive linemen L. Allen B. Brown R. Brown Creekmur D. Dawson DeLamielleure Dierdorf Gatski Gregg Grimm Hannah Hickerson S. Jones W. Jones Kramer Langer L. Little Mack Matthews McCormack McDaniel Mix Munchak Muñoz Ogden Otto Pace J. Parker Ringo Roaf Shaw Shell Shields Slater St. Clair Stanfel Stephenson Tingelhoff Upshaw Webster Wright Yary Zimmerman Pre-modern era two - way players Edwards Fortmann Healey Hein Henry Hubbard Kiesling Kinard Lyman Michalske Musso Owen Stydahar Trafton Turner Wojciechowicz Defensive linemen Atkins Bethea Buchanan Culp W. Davis Dean Dent Doleman Donovan Eller Ford J. Greene Haley Hampton Humphrey D. Jones Jordan Kennedy Lilly Long Marchetti Nomellini Olsen Page Randle Robustelli Sapp Selmon B. Smith Stautner Strahan Ja. Taylor Weinmeister Ra. White Re. White Willis Youngblood Linebackers Bednarik Bo. Bell Brazile Brooks Buoniconti Butkus Carson Connor George K. Greene Ham Hanburger Hendricks Huff Jackson Lambert Lanier Lewis Nitschke Richter Robinson Schmidt Seau Singletary L. Taylor D. Thomas Tippett Urlacher Wilcox Defensive backs Adderley Barney Blount W. Brown Butler Christiansen Dawkins Easley Green Haynes Houston J. Johnson Krause Lane Lary LeBeau Lott Renfro D. Sanders E. Thomas Tunnell Wehrli Williams L. Wilson Wood Woodson Placekickers and punters Andersen Groza Guy Stenerud Coaches G. Allen P. Brown Chamberlin Conzelman Dungy Ewbank Flaherty Gibbs Gillman Grant Halas Lambeau Landry Levy Lombardi Madden Neale Noll Owen Parcells Shula Stram Walsh Contributors Beathard Be. Bell Bidwill Carr A. Davis DeBartolo Finks Halas Hunt J. Jones Lambeau T. Mara W. Mara Marshall Polian Ray Reeves A. Rooney D. Rooney Rozelle Sabol Schramm R. Wilson Wolf Walter Camp Alumni of the Year 1986 : Greene 1987 : Reid 1988 : Page 1989 : Casanova 1990 : T. Jackson 1991 : Owens 1992 : Winslow 1993 : Griffin 1994 : Marinaro 1995 : Covert 1996 : Selmon 1997 : Plunkett 1998 : Dorsett 1999 : B. Jackson 2000 : McPherson 2001 : Walker 2002 : Casper 2003 : May 2004 : Rogers 2005 : Bennett 2006 : Rozier 2007 : Guy 2008 : Brown 2009 : Fulcher 2010 : Bruschi 2011 : Spielman 2012 : Brooks 2013 : Huff 2014 : Hennings 2015 : Williams 2016 : Pace 2017 : George GND : 129680737 ISNI : 0000 0000 2242 9693 LCCN : n77011816 VIAF : 16020041 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tony_Dorsett&oldid=853404997 '' Categories : 1954 births Living people American football running backs Concussion activists Dallas Cowboys players Denver Broncos players Pittsburgh Panthers football players All - American college football players College Football Hall of Fame inductees Heisman Trophy winners National Conference Pro Bowl players National Football League Offensive Rookie of the Year Award winners Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees Super Bowl champions Players of American football from Pennsylvania People from Rochester, Pennsylvania African - American players of American football People from Aliquippa, Pennsylvania Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown Use mdy dates from January 2014 NFL player missing current team parameter Infobox NFL biography articles missing alt text All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from November 2016 Articles with unsourced statements from August 2017 Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Español Français Italiano Nederlands Português Edit links This page was last edited on 4 August 2018, at 15 : 16 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: when did tony dorsett play for the dallas cowboys
Answer: 1977–1987