Gil Brandt, a longtime executive of the Dallas Cowboys who helped the club become “America’s Team,” died on Thursday morning, the team announced. He was 91 years old. The cause of death was not announced, but Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones called Brandt a “friend” and “mentor.”
“We are so deeply saddened by the passing of Gil Brandt – a true icon and pioneer of our sport,” Jones said 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, which rightfully earned him a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame where his legacy will be celebrated forever.”
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Brandt was the Cowboys’ vice president of player personnel for 28 years from 1960 when the team entered the NFL as an expansion franchise. He was fired in May 1989 when Jones became owner and general manager. During his time with the Cowboys, Brandt worked with general manager Tex Schramm and head coach Tom Landry, and the Cowboys posted 20 consecutive winning seasons from 1966 to 1985. The team also made five Super Bowl appearances and won two of them.
Brandt is credited with being the first in the NFL to use computers to enter number grades for prospects at the head position in evaluation for the NFL draft and the first to test prospects’ mental makeup under pressure through psychological testing, per ESPN. Before joining the Cowboys, Brandt was an executive for the Los Angeles Rams (1955-1957) and San Francisco 49ers (1958-1959). He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019 and the Cowboys Ring of Honor in 2018.
“He was an innovator and set the standard for excellence in player acquisition,” Jones said. “From the creation of the NFL Combine to revolutionizing the NFL Draft, Gil finished his over six-decade NFL career with an eye towards the future of the league and teaching fans about the sport he loved as a radio broadcaster. Gil was as good a storyteller as it gets, with a memory as sharp as a tack. His dedication to, and passion for, this game left a lasting impact on generations of Hall of Fame players and coaches. There are very few people that have been able to have the kind of generational impact that he did. Gil was as dedicated to growing this league and sport as anyone ever was, and we are all grateful and better for it. Our hearts go out to Gil’s wife, Sara, his son Hunter and all of Gil’s family and friends.”
