Tony
Dorsett arrived in Dallas in 1977 via a draft-day deal
the Cowboys swung with the Seattle Seahawks for the sole intention
of selecting the Heisman Trophy winner from the University of  Pittsburgh.
Then Cowboys president and General Manager Tex Schramm paid what
seemed like a bundle for the right to draft Dorsett: One first-round,
and three second-round choices.
As his
11-career turned out in Dallas, a steal of a deal for an eventual
Pro Football Hall of Fame player.
The Dorsett
deal paid dividends in his very first year with the Cowboys, the
four-time All-American picking up where he left off in college, rushing
for 1,007 yards to earn NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and
set the rushing bar for rookie running backs in Dallas.
"A
lot of the people said I wouldn't last in this league," Dorsett
said in 1987. "I was the skinny little kid from Aliquippa, Pa.,
who wasn't supposed to make it."
Dorsett
did make it, in fact he became one of the greatest running backs
in NFL history. On Sept. 26, 1988 while playing his final NFL season
with the Denver Broncos, Dorsett moved into second place on the NFL
all-time rushing list with 12,306 rushing yards, and eventually finished
his career with 12,739 yards. At the time, Dorsett trailed only Walter
Payton when he retired after suffering a knee injury the following
summer, but now ranks fifth behind Payton, Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders
and Eric Dickerson.
By the
time Dorsett completed his 12-year career, he had collected a victory
in Super Bowl XII, four Pro Bowl selections, one All-Pro honor and
three All-NFC selections.
One of
the most notable moments of Dorsett's career came on Jan. 2, 1983,
before a Monday Night Football television audience playing against
the Minnesota Vikings. Dorsett received a handoff from quarterback
Danny White and proceeded to run 99-yards for a touchdown, thus recording
an unbreakable NFL record. Dorsett's greatest season came in 1981
when he rushed for 1,646 yards, a franchise record at the time, a
total that now ranks third to only Emmitt Smith's two, 1700-yard
seasons.
"When
he came to us, we hadn't had a strong running attack for about three
years," Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach once said. "Tony
Dorsett is one of the greatest backs in NFL history."
Dorsett
was the Heisman Trophy winner in 1976 and was the first Pitt football
player to have his jersey retired. Dorsett left Pitt as a four-time
All-American and four-time 1,000-yard rusher. His final collegiate
highlight was a 27-3 victory over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl to claim
the national title.
In 1994
Dorsett became the ninth Cowboys player inducted into the Ring of
Honor, and that same year he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall
of Fame.
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Kellie
Rasberry
Always quick
to voice her opinion, whether it's popular or not, Kellie Rasberry
never falls short of compelling. Love her or hate her, there's
no in between! Starting her radio career at the age of 19, Rasberry
quickly assumed the duties of news director and eventually hosted
her own morning radio show in her hometown of Florence, SC. In
addition to her on-air duties and her commitment to Kidd's Kids,
Rasberry enjoys auditioning for occasional acting and voice-over
work. Her biggest role to date was playing the part of Teresa
in LeAnn Rimes' made-for-television movie, "Holiday in your
Heart." Rasberry also had the honor of co-hosting, along
with Kidd Kraddick, the webcast of the "2000
Blockbuster Entertainment Awards" and she co-hosted an episode
of "Live with Regis!" during "Women
of Radio" week. Kellie is the proud mother of a little girl,
Emma Kelly.
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Claudia
Marshall, has been with the Arthur Murray organization
for twenty-nine years. She started as a teacher in 1979 and soon
began a competitive career in Ballroom Dancing  as well. In 1984
she became a Certified Master Examiner enabling her to judge
competitive events and certify instructors. In 1985 she began
her executive career, managing the Bradenton,Florida studio.
The studio had been a poor performer prior to her arrival and
in one year the studio became a Group 1 school. Because of this
accomplishment she spoke at the Arthur Murray National Convention
and is a continued keynote speaker at each convention thereafter.
In 1986 she became the United States Rising Star Smooth Champion.
In 1988 she moved to the Columbus, Ohio Franchise to be their
executive manager. Similarly, the studio in Columbus was doing
a substandard performance. In one year the Columbus studio became
a Group 1 rated studio with a Top Performance record. In 1991
Claudia was rated the Top Manager in the country. While continuing
her management responsibilities, she expanded her career by becoming
a Traveling Consultant to other Arthur Murray Studios. In 1994
along with her husband Zack, Claudia moved to the Dallas area.
For the past 14 years the Dallas and Plano studio owned by Zack & Claudia
have been Group 1 studios and recognized worldwide for their
business standards of high professionalism as well as high dance
standard. In 2004 Claudia wrote a Techniques of Service A
Cut Above the Rest and is currently working on her 2nd training
manual to be used in all of our studios worldwide. At this time
she is elected Area 5 chairperson for Arthur Murray International.
IN 2007 she became the International Director of Training for
Arthur Murray International.
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