Tony Dorsett

Since the beginning of his life, Tony Dorsett has always been determined to prove his strength – no matter the odds that are stacked against him. From humble beginnings in a quiet Pennsylvania mill county, Dorsett always felt he was destined for greater things. One of Dorsett’s passions that drove him to succeed was football. After a stellar high school and college football career, Tony Dorsett would go on to become a running back in the NFL for both the Dallas Cowboys, and later the Denver Broncos.  Tony Dorsett was considered an underdog when he first played football in high school, weighing in at just 147 pounds. Dorsett’s coaches were skeptical that someone of his stature would be able to stand up against other linebackers on the team, but his competitive nature and talent would prove them wrong.

He became one of the only two players to have received the Heisman Trophy, win the Super Bowl, conquer the College National Championship, and be inducted into the College Hall of Fame as well as the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

However, seeing as running backs typically have more head to head contact than any other position in the league, Dorsett would take roughly 20 to 30 head collisions per game. This created a problem in Dorsett’s NFL post-career, as he encountered a new obstacle that couldn’t be overcome on the football field.

However, seeing as running backs typically have more head to head contact than any other position in the league, Dorsett would take roughly 20 to 30 head collisions per game. This created a problem in Dorsett’s NFL post-career, as he encountered a new obstacle that couldn’t be overcome on the football field.

In November 2013, Tony Dorsett confirmed that he displayed symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) as a result of the repeated heavy blows to the head that he endured playing football. Citing memory loss as one of the primary reasons for leaving the NFL, Dorsett began to struggle with the hardships that resulted from his degenerative brain condition.Now, Dorsett struggles with the simplest of brain functions. Dorsett often times has difficulty remembering the faces of people who have been around him all his life and just remembering simple directions has become a huge burden upon his memory.