10 greatest Dallas Cowboys of all time

5. Tony Dorsett, RB

What a start to an NFL career. Consider that running back Tony Dorsett was a pivotal part of the Pittsburgh Panthers’ 1976 national championship team. That year, he won the Heisman Trophy and his collegiate club went 12-0 on the way to being voted the best team in the land.

In 1977, the Dallas Cowboys moved up to the second spot in the draft and grabbed Dorsett. Tom Landry’s team won its first eight games, finished 12-2 and would go on to defeat the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XII. A year later, a club returned to the big game only to fall to the very-talented Pittsburgh Steelers, 35-31, at the Orange Bowl in Super Bowl XIII.

After 11 seasons in Irving, Dorsett spent his final season in the league with the Broncos. All told, he still ranks 10th in NFL history with 12,739 rushing yards. He also finished his career with 90 total touchdowns and a combined 16,293 yards from scrimmage – the latter 13th in NFL annals. And it’s somewhat interesting to note that 12,036 yards on the ground with Dallas would probably be a franchise record for other teams. Of course, there was this other Cowboys’ running back…