Cowboys’ HOF exec Brandt dead at 91
Longtime Cowboys executive Gil Brandt has died at the age of 91.
Brandt worked alongside legendary coach Tom Landry and general manager Tex Schramm to help turn the Cowboys into a perennial Super Bowl contender. He worked with the Cowboys from 1960-88 and his innovative scouting techniques helped revolutionize the sport and the franchise.
“We are so deeply saddened by the passing of Gil Brandt — a true icon and pioneer of our sport. 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,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement. “He was my friend and a mentor not only to me, but to countless executives, coaches, players and broadcasters across the National Football League, which rightfully earned him a spot in the Pro Football
Hall of Fame where his legacy will be celebrated forever.”
Brandt was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019. He also helped create the NFL Scouting Combine and is known for the introduction of computers in the player evaluation process.
Brandt drafted Roger Staubach and Herschel Walker and was also responsible for the undrafted signings of Drew Pearson, Cliff Harris and Everson Walls. The Hall of Fame executive was known for building relationships with prospects and also introduced psychological evaluation to the Cowboys’ scouting.
“One of the stories they liked to tell from the Cowboys days was that some fairly obscure player name came up, and Gil said, ‘His father sells eggs in Albuquerque,’” Greg Aiello, a former NFL public relations executive who worked with Brandt, told NFL.com.
Brandt worked as an NFL draft analyst for SiriusXM in his later years.