Dorsett’s Special Day: 10,000 Yards, 2 Scores and 1 Win vs. Steelers

Tony Dorsett only needed a little to make Sunday a special day. He came up with a lot.

Dorsett became the sixth NFL player to ever rush for more than 10,000 yards, and also contributed two big-play touchdowns to help the Dallas Cowboys defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-13, before a crowd of 62,932.

“We are all happy for Tony,” Dallas Coach Tom Landry said. “And I’m happy that he did it in the fashion that he did.”

Dorsett, who needed only 31 yards to join Walter Payton, Jim Brown, Franco Harris, O.J. Simpson and John Riggins in the 10,000-yard club, was facing the team he rooted for as a youngster. Dorsett grew up in Alliquippa, Pa., a suburb of Pittsburgh, and won the Heisman Trophy at the University of Pittsburgh.

“I guess that you could not have written the script any better,” said Dorsett, a 185-pound running back who many thought would not make it in the NFL.

Dorsett ended up with 113 rushing yards, giving him a career total of 10,082. He also caught a 56-yard touchdown pass from Danny White that put Dallas ahead for good in the second quarter, then put the game away with a 35-yard scoring run on a broken play with 5:27 to play.

“We just think Tony has gifted ability,” Landry said. “We always have. If you get him out in the open somewhere, he will usually do the rest.”

The victory boosted the NFC East-leading Cowboys to 5-1--two games ahead of the field. Pittsburgh (2-4) lost for the third straight week and fell two games behind Cleveland in the AFC Central.

Despite Dorsett’s touchdown catch in the second quarter, his pursuit of 10,000 yards started slowly. He had only three yards rushing in the first half.

“I had my doubts early in the first half, but anything good is worth waiting for,” Dorsett said. “This is no doubt one of the highlights of my career.”

A 19-yard run by Dorsett early in the third quarter moved him close to the milestone, and he achieved it with another 19-yard run with 6:16 to play in the third quarter.

After Dallas let a 20-3 lead slip to 20-13 in the fourth quarter, Dorsett came up with his 35-yard touchdown run on a broken play. It was Dorsett’s longest run of the year, and came on his 21st and last carry of the game.

Dallas is 41-2 in games where Dorsett has rushed for at least 100 yards.

Dallas had not beaten the Steelers since 1972. The teams had played five times since then--two of them Pittsburgh victories in the Super Bowl and another breaking a string of 17 consecutive season-opening victories by the Cowboys.

The Cowboys’ defense contained the Steelers for three quarters, and Pittsburgh Coach Chuck Noll replaced quarterback Mark Malone with David Woodley with 11 minutes left in the third quarter.

Woodley, who had thrown only one pass all season, promptly was intercepted by Dallas linebacker Eugene Lockhart, who scored his first NFL touchdown with a 19-yard return.

Rafael Septien kicked field goals of 38 yards with five seconds to go in the half and 39 yards late in the third quarter by Rafael Septien before Lockhart’s interception gave Dallas a 20-3 advantage.

Pittsburgh came back with a 34-yard field goal by Gary Anderson after Dallas fumbled a punt away at its own 17. The Steelers then pulled to within 20-13 on a one-yard touchdown run by Walter Abercrombie following a 69-yard pass play from Woodley to Calvin Sweeney.

White completed 25 of 38 pass attempts for 269 yards. Malone hit 7 of 17 for 83 yards, and Woodley connected on just 6 of 23 with 3 interceptions.

Dorsett’s Career Rushing

Year Att Yards Avg Lg TDs 1977 208 1,077 4.8 84 12 1978 290 1,325 4.6 63 7 1979 250 1,107 4.6 41 6 1980 278 1,185 4.3 56 11 1981 342 1,646 4.8 75 4 1982 177 745 4.2 99 5 1983 289 1,321 4.6 77 8 1984 302 1,189 4.5 31 6 1985 116 557 4.8 35 2 Totals 2,252 10,082 4.5 99 61

NFL’s 10,000-Yard Rushers

Player Att Yards Avgs TDs Walter Payton 3,137 13,731 4.4 93 Jim Brown 2,359 12,312 5.2 106 Franco Harris 2,949 12,120 4.1 91 O.J. Simpson 2,404 11,236 4.7 61 John Riggins 2,829 11,081 3.9 101 Tony Dorsett 2,252 10,082 4.5 61