Former Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett joined the Little Rock Touchdown Club on Monday, Sept. 11 for its weekly meeting, and spoke of his time playing for not only the Cowboys but also his days at the University of Pittsburgh.
At the University of Pittsburgh, Dorsett had a record-breaking college football career, with a Heisman Trophy and a national title as proof. Dorsett’s professional career spanned from 1977-1988, with most of his career spent in Dallas and his last season spent with the Denver Broncos. As the second pick in the first round of the 1977 NFL draft, Dorsett was expected to be a great player, and he certainly lived up to that expectation.
During his time in the NFL, Dorsett had accumulated 12,739 career yards and 16,293 total yards, and had scored 90 touchdowns. As a Super Bowl winner, Dorsett was named to both College and Pro Hall of Fame.
Though Dorsett has been retired since 1988, he is still an avid Cowboys fan, and while he no longer attends games in person, he said he watches from his home. While he is unsure if the Cowboys will be a proud Super Bowl victor this year, he did say he believes there are some great players on the team this season.
“After my last high school game, all I could think about was Penn State, but when I got the chance to visit, I knew I wanted to attend University of Pittsburgh,” Dorsett said.
After a very fruitful college football career, Dorsett had the opportunity to play for the legendary Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Tom Landry. Dorsett thinks of him as one of the most influential coaches.
“Coach Landry was a very good coach, and what I love most about him is his attitude,” Dorsett said, explaining that Landry taught him about grit, among other positive qualities.
When asked about Roger Staubach, known as “Captain America” and “Captain Comeback,” Dorsett explained that there is no guy quite like Staubach.
As a running back himself, Dorsett explained that his four older brothers were also running backs, and he credits his family partly for creating an environment where he could flourish in his position.
“Everyone always thought I was too small to play football, so I think a lot of my attitude on the field came from a desire to prove everyone wrong. I learned from the best, my brothers, and they really helped to shape me into the player that I was,” Dorsett said.
For more information about the Little Rock Touchdown Club, visit its website. To learn more about Dorsett, click here.
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Listen to what Tony Dorsett had to say after the meeting in the video below.
