Dorsett Back, Faces $20,000 Fine

Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett, armed with a new $9.65-million contract, was still facing a $20,000 fine after arriving at the team’s training facility in Thousand Oaks Thursday.

Dorsett missed 20 days of practice at a cost of $1,000 a day.

“The fine is still intact, and he has to pay it,” Coach Tom Landry said. “You can’t make an exception for a player.”

At one point during the negotiations, Dorsett called the Cowboys “double-crossers,” adding: “I never dreamed things would get as ugly as they did. I’m happy to be back, and I never thought I’d say that about training camp. It’s been an ordeal.”

The Dallas Morning News said the new contract is worth $9.65 million in salary, annuity and real estate. Under terms of the contract, Dorsett’s salary will dip from $500,000 a year to $450,000 for the next three years before returning to $500,000 for 1988 and 1989.

Dorsett will also receive a $6-million annuity, $300,000 a year from 1993 to 2012 and $850,000 worth of Dallas real estate, in addition to a $750,000 loan with the real estate as collateral. The loan will be used to repay $500,000 he borrowed from the Cowboys and to pay $200,000 to the Internal Revenue Service, which says Dorsett owes $412,000 in back taxes.

Meanwhile, Landry announced that although quarterback Gary Hogeboom will start in the exhibition game against the San Diego Chargers Saturday night, veteran Danny White will start the regular-season opener Sept. 9 against Washington.