Cornell Green, Five-Time Pro Bowl Cowboys Defensive Back, Dies at 86
Green, a key member of the 'Doomsday Defense,' played his entire 13-year career with Dallas and won Super Bowl VI.
Cornell Green, a legendary defensive back for the Dallas Cowboys and a five-time Pro Bowl selection, died Wednesday at the age of 86. The team announced his passing, but a cause of death was not immediately provided.
Green spent his entire 13-year NFL career with the Cowboys from 1962 to 1974. He was a pivotal figure in the team's famed "Doomsday Defense" and a two-time First-Team All-Pro selection. Green appeared in two Super Bowls, including Super Bowl VI, which the Cowboys won in 1972.
Remarkably, Green never missed a game during his 13 seasons, starting 167 of the 168 contests he played. He recorded 34 career interceptions, tying him for fifth in team history, and led the Cowboys in interceptions four times.
Green's journey to the NFL was unconventional. He played only one season of high school football and did not play college football. However, he was invited to the Cowboys' training camp in 1962 and earned a spot on the roster. Earlier that year, he had been drafted by the NBA's Chicago Zephyrs. Green was a standout basketball player at Utah State, where he was a two-time All-American and was later inducted into the school's Hall of Fame.
After retiring from playing following the 1974 season, Green transitioned into scouting. He worked for both the Cowboys and the Denver Broncos, earning AFC Scout of the Year honors in 2010.
In recognition of his significant contributions to the franchise, Green was named to the Cowboys' 25th Anniversary Team in 1984.