Tony Dorsett

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Lore & Background

Raised in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, Dorsett attended Hopewell High School, where he played football and basketball. In 1971, he became an All-State selection after rushing for 1,034 yards and scoring 19 touchdowns. In 1972, he set a single-game rushing record with 247 yards and a single-season rushing record with 1,238 yards. At the University of Pittsburgh, he became the first freshman in 29 years to be named All-American in 1973. As a senior in 1976, he led the Panthers to a national championship, won the Heisman Trophy, and finished his college career with 6,082 total rushing yards, then an NCAA record. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994.

In Their Own Story

The defining moment of Tony Dorsett's career occurred during the final regular-season game against the Minnesota Vikings in 1982. With the ball on the four-yard line, defensive penetration threatened to stop the play dead, but Dorsett executed a move that would become immortalized in NFL history. He pivoted sharply on his right foot, spun 360 degrees, and sprinted wide around the left side, eluding five defenders without being touched to score a 99-yard touchdown. This run set an NFL record for the longest rushing play from scrimmage, a mark that remained untied until Derrick Henry matched it in 2018. The play showcased his unique ability to create something out of nothing, turning a potential loss into a legendary highlight. Earlier in his career, against Notre Dame as a junior, he had already demonstrated this brilliance by rushing for 303 yards to break the school's single-game record, and as a senior in 1976, he amassed 290 yards against the same foe, helping Pitt secure a national title.

Reader's Guide

Dorsett was selected second overall in the 1977 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys. In his rookie season, he rushed for 1,007 yards, scored 12 touchdowns, and earned Rookie of the Year honors. He won Super Bowl XII with the Cowboys in his rookie season. His most productive season was in 1981, when he recorded 1,646 yards, breaking the Cowboys' franchise record. In 1982, he set a record with a 99-yard touchdown run. He played for the Cowboys for 11 seasons until 1987, then spent his final season with the Denver Broncos before retiring due to injuries.

Did You Know?

• Dorsett was the first player to win a college football championship and then win the Super Bowl the next year.
• He set a 99-yard touchdown run in 1982, a record that can only be tied.
• His 1,586 rushing yards as a freshman in 1973 was the most ever recorded by a freshman at the time.
• Dorsett was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 1994.