Tony DorsettDenver Broncos · #33
Tony Dorsett rushed for 12,739 yards and 77 touchdowns over 12 seasons, adding 398 receptions for 3,554 yards. A Super Bowl XII champion and the 1977 Offensive Rookie of the Year, he entered the Hall of Fame in 1994.
Tony Dorsett — the report card
Read his whole game at a glance, then dive into any skill. Grades are percentiles vs every active player at his position.
Where Tony Dorsett stands
Live ladders from the Balladex models, and what he's chasing. Rankings recompute nightly from real production, accolades, and search demand.
Tony Dorsett — every number, three levels deep
Headline → metric → the raw history behind it. Real career data; tracking-only metrics labeled.
How the model sees Tony Dorsett
Projection = recency-weighted per-season production, nudged along a position aging curve, banded by his year-to-year volatility. No black box — every number shows its work.
Tony Dorsett career stats, season by season
| Season | G | Rush | TD | Rec | Rec yds | Scrim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 ROY | 14 | 1,007 | 12 | 29 | 273 | 1,280 |
| 1978 | 16 | 1,325 | 7 | 37 | 378 | 1,703 |
| 1979 | 14 | 1,107 | 6 | 45 | 375 | 1,482 |
| 1980 | 15 | 1,185 | 11 | 34 | 263 | 1,448 |
| 1981 | 16 | 1,646 | 4 | 32 | 325 | 1,971 |
| 1982 | 9 | 745 | 5 | 24 | 179 | 924 |
| 1983 | 16 | 1,321 | 8 | 40 | 287 | 1,608 |
| 1984 | 16 | 1,189 | 6 | 51 | 459 | 1,648 |
| 1985 | 16 | 1,307 | 7 | 46 | 449 | 1,756 |
| 1986 | 13 | 748 | 5 | 25 | 267 | 1,015 |
| 1987 | 12 | 456 | 1 | 19 | 177 | 633 |
| 1988 | 16 | 703 | 5 | 16 | 122 | 825 |
| Career | 173 | 12,739 | 77 | 398 | 3,554 | 16,293 |
The Lab
Every number, live and interactive. Real career data; models labeled.
Are the Denver Broncos built to win?
Team projection rolled up from the roster + last-season baselines — and what it means for his role.
The Ballad of Tony Dorsett
Birth to now — the making of a legend, narrated and scored.
The beginning
Tony Dorsett was a Hall of Fame running back who starred for the Dallas Cowboys from 1977 to 1987.
Turning pro
Drafted 1977, Round 1 (#2 overall) as a Running Back.
true
Heisman winner and 1977 Offensive Rookie of the Year
Chapter
Won Super Bowl XII as a rookie
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Ran a record 99-yard touchdown in 1983
Off the court
- Height
- 5'11"
- Weight
- 192 lb
- Draft
- 1977, Round 1 (#2 overall)
- Born
- Rochester, PA
- Age
- 72
- Jersey
- #33
In retirement, Dorsett became an advocate for player health, disclosing that he had been diagnosed with signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and speaking about football's long-term effects. He remains one of the most celebrated figures in both Pittsburgh and Dallas football history.
Dorsett was a smooth, explosive breakaway runner with the speed to score from anywhere on the field.
Tony Dorsett — frequently asked
The questions people ask most about Tony Dorsett, answered.
