Gil Brandt, who helped build Cowboys into 'America's Team,' dies - ESPN

Pro Football Hall of Famer Gil Brandt, one of the architects who helped turn the Dallas Cowboys from an expansion franchise into «America's Team,» died Thursday at the age of 91.

He was the Cowboys' vice president of player personnel for 28 years, from 1960 when the team entered the NFL as an expansion franchise until May of 1989, when he was fired by new owner and general manager Jerry Jones.

Under the leadership of Brandt, coach Tom Landry and general manager Tex Schramm, the Cowboys posted 20 consecutive winning seasons from 1965 until 1985 and made five Super Bowl appearances with two championships. The Cowboys won those titles by defeating the Miami Dolphins 24-3 in Super Bowl VI and the Denver Broncos 27-10 in Super Bowl XII.

Landry was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990 and Schramm in 1991, but Brandt had to wait to join them until 2019, when he was inducted as a contributor. He is also in the Cowboys' Ring of Honor, added in 2018.

«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,» 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 is credited with being the first in the NFL to use computers to enter number grades for prospects at each position in evaluation for the NFL draft and the first to test