Gil Brandt, who was responsible for the Dallas Cowboys acquiring multiple Pro Bowlers, Hall of Famers and Super Bowl Champions, passed away on Thursday. As one of the architects of America’s Team from 1960 to 1988, he’s considered one of the greatest personnel people and executives in NFL history.
Gil Brandt | FOX 4 Dallas- YouTube
His death, while living in hospice care, was announced by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Brandt was enshrined in Canton for his Herculean efforts in 2019.
Gil Brandt joined the Dallas Cowboys in 1960, and along with coach Tom Landry and president and general manager Tex Schramm helped construct a perennial winner and a two-time Super Bowl champion. During that time, they earned their famous moniker as ‘America’s Team’, becoming not only one of the most recognizable franchises in the NFL – but in all of pro sports.
On behalf of the franchise, owner Jerry Jones issued a fond farewell to the old scout.
“We are so deeply saddened by the passing of Gil Brandt — a true icon and pioneer of our sport,” Jones wrote in a statement. “Gil was at the very core of the early success of the Dallas Cowboys and continued to serve as a great ambassador for the organization for decades beyond that. His contributions cemented his spot in the Ring of Honor. He was my friend and a mentor not only to me but to countless executives, coaches, players, and broadcasters across the National Football League.”
Brandt is widely credited for his innovative approach to scouting athletes, including attempting to sign stars from other sports who might be a fit in the NFL. During his tenure, he pioneered the modern approach of scouting and player acquisition, giving the Dallas Cowboys a whopping total of nine Pro Football Hall of Famers – including names like Roger Staubach Troy Aikman, and several more.
“Gil Brandt was a pioneer in the truest sense of the word,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. “As the personnel architect of the Cowboys for nearly three decades, he transformed the way teams scouted talent by building a player evaluation system using computers. He was the first to scout players from outside the U.S. and from different sports. The NFL today would not be the same without Gil Brandt.”
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