5 Cowboys greats who finished their career with a different franchise

3. Tony Dorsett, Denver Broncos

When the name Tony Dorsett is mentioned, it’s usually for something spectacular he did as a member of the Cowboys. Drafted at No. 2 overall in 1977, Dorsett ran for 12,036 yards and had 72 touchdowns in his 11 seasons in Dallas.

When he left, he was atop the franchise leaderboard in each category, and while he has since been passed by the NFL’s all-time rushing leader, he still sits at second overall in team history for each distinction.

Dorsett silenced critics who thought he was too small to make it in the NFL by rushing for 1,007 yards and 12 touchdowns as a rookie. He then ran for at least 1,000 yards in each season until 1985 with the exception of the strike-shortened 1982 campaign when he had 745 yards in nine games. If that wasn’t enough to prove his greatness, he was also the first running back to ever register a 99-yard touchdown run.

In 1986, his role began to diminish when Herschel Walker was signed. He had 748 yards that year followed by just 456 in 1987. Dorsett then demanded a trade due to his diminished role and at the age of 34, he was sent to the Denver Broncos where he was reunited with Dan Reeves, his former offensive coordinator in Dallas.

He wasn’t elite for Denver but did play well with 703 yards and five touchdowns. He was aiming to play one more year in 1989 but a torn ligament in his knee led to him calling it a career.