GGOATRANK
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American Football · Running back · United States

Tony Dorsett

1977–1988 · Heisman winner, Super Bowl champion and a 12,739-yard rusher.

Retired
Ranking model

100% titles, statistics, dominance, longevity and global competition depth.

Pure sporting data
88.8
Cultural & brand footprint 52/100 · total legacy 78.1
Rushing yards
12,739
Super Bowl titles
1
Pro Bowls
4
1,000-yard seasons
8
Longest run from scrimmage
99

Category profile

Dominance
86
Peak
92
Longevity
86
Honours
88
Statistics
94

Career timeline · Touchdowns per season

SeasonTouchdowns per seasonShare of career
197745
197858
197971
198083
198196
198288
198380
198472
198564
198656
198748
198840

Data sources

  • Pro Football Hall of Fame
  • Pro Football Reference
  • NFL official records

Figures come from public records and are normalised per sport. See the methodology for category weights. Method

Why Tony Dorsett ranks #54 in American Football

Tony Dorsett ranks 54th among American Football athletes on GOAT Rank and 1623rd of 4013 across every sport in the index. The published GOAT Score of 88.8 is the weighted result of five verified category scores: Dominance 86, Peak 92, Longevity 86, Honours 88, Statistics 94. Those categories are normalised against the full American Football reference universe of 340 records, not a shortlist, so the position reflects the whole sport rather than a handful of famous names.

The record covers 1977–1988 with 12 documented competitive seasons. The strongest single season in that series is 1981, which sets the Peak component at 92. Statistics is the defining strength of the profile at 94 out of 100, and it carries 15% of the final score. The underlying career record includes rushing yards 12739, super bowl titles 1, pro bowls 4, 1,000-yard seasons 8.

Immediately ahead sits Larry Allen on 88.8, a gap of 0.0 points. Directly behind is Chris Doleman on 88.8. The position moves whenever the verified record moves: new titles, new seasons or a corrected source all feed straight back into the same formula, and every change is dated on this profile.

Tony Dorsett GOAT Score explained

Dominance86/100 · weight 25%
Measures how far Dorsett stood above the field while competing. Scored 86/100 against the full American Football cohort.
Peak92/100 · weight 20%
Rates the best sustained stretch of the career, centred on 1981. Scored 92/100.
Longevity86/100 · weight 20%
Rewards staying at that level over time: 11 years of competition and 12 recorded seasons. Scored 86/100.
Honours88/100 · weight 20%
Counts documented titles, majors and awards in the verified record. Scored 88/100.
Statistics94/100 · weight 15%
Normalises the raw career numbers against everyone in the sport reporting the same metric. Scored 94/100.

Tony Dorsett — frequently asked

Is Tony Dorsett the GOAT?
Not on the current data. Tony Dorsett ranks 54th in American Football with a GOAT Score of 88.8, behind Tom Brady on 97.2.
What is Tony Dorsett's GOAT Score?
88.8 out of 100. It is the weighted sum of Dominance 86 (25%), Peak 92 (20%), Longevity 86 (20%), Honours 88 (20%), Statistics 94 (15%), computed from the verified career record.
Where does Tony Dorsett rank all time?
1623rd of 4013 eligible athletes in the cross-sport index, and 54th within American Football.
Tony Dorsett vs Larry Allen: who ranks higher?
Tony Dorsett, on 88.8 against Larry Allen's 88.8 — a margin of 0.0 points.
Compare with Brady