Tony Dorsett
Encyclopedia
Anthony "Tony" Drew Dorsett (born April 7, 1954 in Rochester, Pennsylvania
) is a former American football
running back
in the National Football League
for the Dallas Cowboys
and Denver Broncos
.
, near 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 touchdown
s, 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 he 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 linebacker
s.
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 only loss in 1971 came against Sharon after Dorsett suffered a concussion an 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.
, Dorsett became the first freshman in 29 years to be named All-America
n (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-America
n 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.
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 he helped lead his school to a national title in 1976, 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 1,948 yards. He was a three-time first-team All-America
n (1973
, 1975
, 1976
) and a second-team All-America
n 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 is considered one of the greatest running back
s 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
.
by the Dallas Cowboys
with the second pick of the first round of the 1977 NFL Draft
. The Cowboys traded the 24th pick in the draft and three second-round choices to the Seattle Seahawks
to move up to take Dorsett. He played with the Cowboys through the 1987 season.
In Dorsett's rookie year, he rushed for 1,007 yards and 12 touchdowns and won the Rookie of the Year honors. Dorsett was announced the starter in the tenth game of the Cowboys' season, and he would stay the starter for many years. Dorsett was the first player to win the college football championship one year, then win the Super Bowl
the next, when the Cowboys beat the Denver Broncos
27-10 to win Super Bowl XII
. In his sophomore season, 1978, Dorsett recorded 1,325 yards and nine touchdowns. The Cowboys once again made the Super Bowl, and lost 35-31 to the Pittsburgh Steelers
in Super Bowl XIII
.
Dorsett's most productive season was in 1981, when he recorded 1,646 yards.
in 1988 for a conditional fifth-round draft choice. Dorsett led the Broncos with 703 yards and five touchdowns that year, but injuries prior to the 1989 season led to his retirement.
game, Dorsett broke a 99-yard touchdown run against the Minnesota 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 tied by Bob Gage, in 1949. Another notable fact about his record-breaking run was that the Cowboys only had 10 men on the field, as fullback Ron Springs
was unaware of the play being called. http://www.dallascowboysfanclub.com/history/dorsett.htm
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 didn't reach the 1,000 rushing yards milestone was the strike-shortened, 9-game season of 1982 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 one 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.
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, in its 17th year, has raised nearly $5 million in support of McGuire Memorial's mission.
Rochester, Pennsylvania
Rochester is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located northwest of Pittsburgh, it is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The population was 4,014 at the 2000 census....
) is a former American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
and Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years
The son of Wes and Myrtle, Dorsett grew up in Aliquippa, PennsylvaniaAliquippa, Pennsylvania
Aliquippa is a city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, within the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The population was 9,438 at the 2010 census. Formerly a borough, it was formally named a city in 1987 by the Aliquippa Council.-History:...
, near Pittsburgh.
He attended Hopewell High School
Hopewell High School (Pennsylvania)
Hopewell High School is a high school in Hopewell Township, Beaver County, Pennsylvania. The township is served by the Aliquippa, Pennsylvania post office, accounting for the mailing address.-Sports:...
, where he played football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
.
As a high school sophomore in 1970, Dorsett started at cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
, 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
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
position ended after Dorsett took a screen pass 75 yards for a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
against Ambridge during the season opener.
Dorsett ended the year as an All-State selection after rushing for 1,034 yards and scoring 19 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s, while leading the Vikings to a 9-1 season. He also remained a starting cornerback on the defensive side. In basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
Dorsett helped his team reach the WPIAL quarterfinals.
In 1972 he 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 linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
s.
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 only loss in 1971 came against Sharon after Dorsett suffered a concussion an 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
Big 33 Football Classic
The Big 33 Football Classic is an all-star American football game featuring the top high-school football players in Pennsylvania. Played since 1957, the game is often described as the "Super Bowl of High School Football." The last 14 contests have pitted players from Pennsylvania against players...
. This was the first time that his future coach Johnny Majors
Johnny Majors
Johnny Majors is a former American football player and coach. A standout halfback at the University of Tennessee, he was an All-American in 1956 and a two-time winner of the Southeastern Conference Most Valuable Player award, in 1955 and 1956. He finished second to Paul Hornung in voting for...
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 PittsburghUniversity of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, Dorsett became the first freshman in 29 years to be named All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n (Doc Blanchard
Doc Blanchard
Felix Anthony "Doc" Blanchard is best known as the college football player who became the first ever junior to win the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award and was the first ever football player to win the James E. Sullivan Award, all in 1945. He played football for the United States Military Academy at...
of Army
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
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
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
to its first winning season in 10 years. He was Pittsburgh's first All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n selection since the 1963 season, when both Paul Martha
Paul Martha
Paul Martha is a former American football safety who played seven seasons in the NFL. He played his college football and basketball at Pitt. Some of his former teammates at Pitt included future NFL head coaches Mike Ditka and Marty Schottenheimer...
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
New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
Ron "Po" James
Po James
Ronald "Po" James is a former American football running back who played for four seasons in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1972–1975. He was drafted by the Eagles in the fourth round of the 1972 NFL Draft...
record in 1968.
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
Marshall Goldberg
Marshall Goldberg was an American football halfback with the Chicago Cardinals in the National Football League.- Football career :Goldberg was born in Elkins, West Virginia...
, who helped Pitt to a national championship in 1937.
Against Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
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 he helped lead his school to a national title in 1976, picking up the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
, the Maxwell Award
Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
, the Walter Camp Award
Walter Camp Award
The Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football Player of the Year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A head coaches and sports information directors under the auspices of the Walter Camp Football Foundation;...
for Player of the Year, and the United Press International (UPI) Player of the Year
UPI College Football Player of the Year
The United Press International College Football Player of the Year Award was among the first and most recognized college football awards. With the demise of UPI in 1997 the award was discontinued. Offensive and defensive players were eligible. Tommy Nobis was the runner-up that season...
award along the way as he led the nation in rushing with 1,948 yards. He was a three-time first-team All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n (1973
1973 College Football All-America Team
The 1973 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...
, 1975
1975 College Football All-America Team
The 1975 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...
, 1976
1976 College Football All-America Team
The 1976 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...
) and a second-team All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n 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
Ricky Williams
Errick Lynne "Ricky" Williams, Jr. is an American football running back for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints fifth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft...
in 1998.
Dorsett is considered one of the greatest running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
s in college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
history. In 2007, he was ranked #7 on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's Top 25 Players in College Football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
History list. In 1994, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
.
Dallas Cowboys
Dorsett was draftedNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
by the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
with the second pick of the first round of the 1977 NFL Draft
1977 NFL Draft
The 1977 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 3–4, 1977...
. The Cowboys traded the 24th pick in the draft and three second-round choices to the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
to move up to take Dorsett. He played with the Cowboys through the 1987 season.
In Dorsett's rookie year, he rushed for 1,007 yards and 12 touchdowns and won the Rookie of the Year honors. Dorsett was announced the starter in the tenth game of the Cowboys' season, and he would stay the starter for many years. Dorsett was the first player to win the college football championship one year, then win the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
the next, when the Cowboys beat the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
27-10 to win Super Bowl XII
Super Bowl XII
Super Bowl XII was an American football game played on January 15, 1978 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1977 regular season...
. In his sophomore season, 1978, Dorsett recorded 1,325 yards and nine touchdowns. The Cowboys once again made the Super Bowl, and lost 35-31 to the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
in Super Bowl XIII
Super Bowl XIII
Super Bowl XIII was an American football game played on January 21, 1979 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1978 regular season...
.
Dorsett's most productive season was in 1981, when he recorded 1,646 yards.
Denver Broncos
Dorsett had a career total of 12,033 yards in Dallas before being traded to the Denver BroncosDenver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1988 for a conditional fifth-round draft choice. Dorsett led the Broncos with 703 yards and five touchdowns that year, but injuries prior to the 1989 season led to his retirement.
Legacy
Dorsett recorded 12,733 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 FootballMonday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
game, Dorsett broke a 99-yard touchdown run against the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, which is the longest run from scrimmage in NFL history. Dorsett broke the previous record of 97 yards, set by Andy Uram
Andy Uram
Andy Uram is a former running back and defensive back in the National Football League who played for the Green Bay Packers. Uram played collegiate ball for the University of Minnesota before being drafted by the Packers in the 6th round of the 1938 NFL Draft. He played professionally for 6...
in 1939 and tied by Bob Gage, in 1949. Another notable fact about his record-breaking run was that the Cowboys only had 10 men on the field, as fullback Ron Springs
Ron Springs
Ronald Edward "Ron" Springs was a professional American football running back, who played eight seasons in the NFL, for the Dallas Cowboys from 1979–1984, followed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1985-1986. He is the father of NFL cornerback Shawn Springs...
was unaware of the play being called. http://www.dallascowboysfanclub.com/history/dorsett.htm
Dorsett made the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
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 didn't reach the 1,000 rushing yards milestone was the strike-shortened, 9-game season of 1982 which he led the NFC in rushing with 745 yards. He was a First-team All-Pro in 1981
1981 All-Pro Team
The 1981 All-Pro Team is composed of the National Football League players that were named to the Associated Press, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Pro Football Writers Association, Pro Football Weekly, and The Sporting News All-Pro Teams in 1981. Both first- and second- teams are listed for the...
and a Second-team All-Pro in 1982
1982 All-Pro Team
The 1982 All-Pro Team is composed of the National Football League players that were named to the Associated Press, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Pro Football Writers Association, and Pro Football Weekly in 1982. Both first- and second- teams are listed for the AP and NEA teams...
and 1983
1983 All-Pro Team
The 1983 All-Pro Team is composed of the National Football League players that were named to the Associated Press, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Pro Football Writers Association, Pro Football Weekly, and The Sporting News in 1983. Both first- and second- teams are listed for the AP and NEA teams...
.
Dorsett was elected to both the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
and the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1994 and was enshrined in the Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...
Ring of Honor the same year. In 1999, he was ranked number 53 on The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. He is one 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
Hopewell High School (Pennsylvania)
Hopewell High School is a high school in Hopewell Township, Beaver County, Pennsylvania. The township is served by the Aliquippa, Pennsylvania post office, accounting for the mailing address.-Sports:...
in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
Aliquippa is a city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, within the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The population was 9,438 at the 2010 census. Formerly a borough, it was formally named a city in 1987 by the Aliquippa Council.-History:...
, is named after Dorsett and a street near Heinz Field
Heinz Field
Heinz Field is a stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football teams, members of the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association respectively...
, the home stadium of the University of Pittsburgh, is named after him.
Personal
Tony's son, AnthonyAnthony Dorsett
Anthony Drew Dorsett, Jr. is an American football safety who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the sixth round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Pittsburgh....
also played football at the University of Pittsburgh and played defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
in the NFL from 1996 to 2003, making Super Bowl appearances with the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
(Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV featured the National Football Conference champion St. Louis Rams and the American Football Conference champion Tennessee Titans in an American football game to decide the National Football League champion for the 1999 regular season...
) and Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 2002 regular season...
).
Dorsett hosts the Tony Dorsett Celebrity Golf Classic for McGuire Memorial. This event, in its 17th year, has raised nearly $5 million in support of McGuire Memorial's mission.