One NFL player you forgot played for your favorite team

Denver Broncos – Tony Dorsett

From an unknown Dallas Cowboys player to a superstar from the Cowboys golden era. Tony Dorsett was the big-name running back in Big D before Emmitt Smith and until Smith broke all his team records, he was the name every back was compared to.

Dorsett spent 11 seasons in Dallas and was a workhorse for them right out of the gates. As a rookie, he had 1,007 yards and 12 touchdowns. It was the first of five-straight 1,000-yard seasons and the first of eight in his first nine years in the league. The only exception was in 1982 when he missed seven games due to the season being shortened by a strike.

In 1986, the Cowboys signed Herschel Walker, which signified the beginning of the end for Dorsett in Dallas. Walker eventually took the starting job but Dorsett wasn’t done playing. This led to him being traded to the Denver Broncos ahead of the 1988 season.

Reunited with Dan Reeves, his former offensive coordinator in Dallas, Dorsett managed to run for 703 yards and five touchdowns. That performance moved him into second place all-time behind Walter Payton, although Emmitt Smith ended up passing them both up.

The veteran running back tried to return for another season but during the 1989 training camp, he tore a ligament in his knee and ended up retiring.

Another Hall of Famer that nearly spent a season in Denver was Jerry Rice who signed in 2005, but he retired before the start of the season.