Tony Dorsett to Serve as Honorary Coach for Alma Mater

Before he was a star with the Dallas Cowboys, Gold Jacket Tony Dorsett dominated college football. He was a four-time All-American at the University of Pittsburgh where he helped his team go 12-0 and win a national championship in 1976. That year, he was also awarded the coveted Heisman Trophy, one of only nine Hall of Famers to win the prestigious award.

Dorsett will head back to his alma mater on April 16 to serve as an honorary coach for the Panthers spring game held at Heinz Field.

“I always love coming back home to Pitt and being around the current players,” Dorsett told PittsburghPanthers.com. “There is an unspoken bond because we are all Panthers. I told Coach Narduzzi to get those guys ready. Matt and I are expecting to see big things when they take the field for the spring game!”

The former running back was drafted in the first round of the 1977 NFL Draft by the Cowboys. He took the National Football League by storm in his rookie season. Dorsett rushed for 1,007 yards and 12 touchdowns and was voted NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Dorsett, who was born April 7, 1954, in Rochester, Pennsylvania, rushed for more than 1,000 yards eight of his first nine seasons – the only miss was the strike-shortened 1982 campaign which, ironically, saw him win his only NFC rushing championship.

For his professional career, Dorsett rushed for 12,739 yards. He totaled 16,326 yards from scrimmage. He scored 546 points on 91 touchdowns, 77 by rushing, 13 by receiving and one on a fumble return. Dorsett, a three-time All-NFC pick, who was All-Pro in 1981 and a veteran of four Pro Bowls, played in five NFC championship games and Super Bowls XII and XIII.