Former Dallas Cowboys executive and legendary talent evaluator Gil Brandt died.
Brandt died on Thursday morning at the age of 91, according to a press release from the Cowboys. Team owner Jerry Jones issued a statement in which he praised Brandt for being “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,” Jones said. “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.”
Brandt joined the Cowboys with the title of chief talent scout at the franchise’s inception in 1960. He worked for Dallas until 1980. Brandt also held scouting roles for brief periods with the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers before he became instrumental in building “America’s Team.”
Brandt was responsible for the Cowboys drafting and acquiring a number of NFL legends, including Roger Staubach, Herschel Walker and Drew Pearson. He helped build rosters for teams that won two Super Bowl titles in the 1970s.
Many would argue that Brandt is responsible for the way rosters are constructed today and have been for decades. He helped implement the use of computers in the player evaluation process and greatly contributed to the creation of the NFL Scouting Combine. It would be fair to call Brandt the founder of modern analytics.
In more recent years, Brandt continued to share his wealth of football knowledge while working as an analyst for NFL.com. He also had a popular SiriusXM NFL Radio show.
Brandt was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019.