NFL All-Time RB Rank No. 12: Tony Dorsett

Ranking the top 25 running backs in NFL history…

12. Tony Dorsett

Drafted in the first round (2nd overall) by the Dallas Cowboys in 1977 out of the University of Pittsburgh, where he won the Heisman Trophy, Dorsett brought electrifying speed to the NFL.

Over 11 seasons with the Cowboys, Dorsett anchored their offense, helping win Super Bowl XII in his rookie year with 1,007 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, earning Offensive Rookie of the Year.

He earned four Pro Bowl selections, one first-team All-Pro honor in 1981 and rushed for over 1,000 yards eight times, including a career-high 1,646 in 1981. Dorsett’s iconic 99-yard touchdown run in 1982 remains an NFL record. He played in five NFC Championship Games and two Super Bowls.

Finishing his career with the Denver Broncos in 1988, Dorsett retired after one season there.

Dorsett’s career totals stand at 12,739 rushing yards on 2,936 carries (4.3 yards per carry), 77 rushing touchdowns, 398 receptions for 3,554 yards and 13 receiving touchdowns, totaling 16,293 all-purpose yards and 90 scores.

Dorsett’s standout attributes were his blazing speed—clocked at 4.3 seconds in the 40-yard dash—and agility, allowing him to outrun defenses and make sharp cuts. He was always a home-run threat: explosive off the snap, visionary in open space and capable of big plays with a low center of gravity for balance.

Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994, Dorsett retired as the NFL’s second all-time leading rusher and remains a Cowboys legend.

But who ranks ahead of Dorsett at No. 11 all-time?