Tony Dorsett is a Hall of Fame running back who was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys with the 2nd pick in the 1977 NFL Draft. Prior to the NFL, Tony Dorsett won a Heisman Trophy while at the University of Pittsburgh. While with the Pittsburgh Panthers, he set the college all-time rushing record which stood for 22 years. When Tony Dorsett retired from the NFL he was 2nd all-time in rushing yards; today he is 10th on the list. Below is a look at some of Tony Dorsett’s career highlights.
- 1977 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year
- 4x Pro Bowl
- 1x All-Pro
- 1x Super Bowl Champion
Tony Dorsett’s rookie card is in the 1978 Topps set. The card itself is not rare, you can commonly buy one on eBay for $10-20 based on condition. Historically, the easiest way to obtain his autograph was via paid signings. However, around 4 years ago, he signed TTM for a small group of collectors between Thanksgiving and Christmas and then quickly stopped. Then out of nowhere, Tony Dorsett began signing TTM again with a modest $10 per item fee. For nearly two years, it was nearly a guarantee that you would get your cards back signed within 2-3 weeks as long as you included $10 per card. Unfortunately, it appears as the window of opportunity has closed again as he has been returning cards unsigned. I was fortunate to get him a couple of times and this is my favorite one as it has a dual inscription for the Hall of Fame and Rookie of the Year.
Currently there are 151 autographed Tony Dorsett 1978 Topps rookie cards in the PSA registry. The card may never be worth thousands of dollars, but it should continue to slowly gain value over time. Tony Dorsett will always be remembered as an all-time great and he played the majority of his career on a team with a large fan base.
Total Investment: $33.50
Estimated Value: $200
Return on Investment: 497%