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| Born: | March 4, 1932 [1] Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school: | North Division (WI) |
| College: | Wisconsin |
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Gil Brandt (born March 4, 1932) is an American former football executive who was the vice president of player personnel in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys from 1960 to 1988. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.
A native of Milwaukee, he attended North Division High School where he was a 150-pound starting defensive back. He also lettered in basketball and track.
He enrolled at the University of Wisconsin, but left after two years.
Brandt worked as a photographer who specialized in new-born babies and was employed as a part-time scout for the Los Angeles Rams based on a recommendation by Elroy Hirsch. [2] In 1958, he was hired as a full-time scout by the San Francisco 49ers.
He served as the Dallas Cowboys' chief talent scout since the club's inception in 1960. He had served as a part-time scout for the Los Angeles Rams under General Manager Tex Schramm in the 1950s. When Schramm took command of the newly formed Dallas franchise in 1960, Brandt was one of the first people he hired. Schramm, Brandt and Coach Tom Landry formed the triumvirate which guided the Cowboys for their first 29 years.
He helped pioneer many of the scouting techniques used by NFL clubs today, [3] such as:
He also made a reputation of acquiring high draft choices by making impactful trades, which were used to select players like Randy White, Ed "Too Tall" Jones and Tony Dorsett. [10]
Brandt's dismissal from the Cowboys on May 2, 1989, completed a purge that began with Jerry Jones' purchase of the franchise just over nine weeks prior on February 25 and also resulted in Landry's ouster and Schramm's resignation. [11]
Following the death of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins on the morning of April 9, 2022, during an interview on a Sirius XM NFL radio show later that same day, a host asked Brandt for his thoughts. Brandt replied that Haskins was "living to be dead, so to speak," and claimed that draft evaluators had criticized Haskins for his work ethic during his transition from college football to the NFL, stating, "It was always something. It was one of those, 'I'm not offsides, but they keep calling me for offsides.' It's a tragic thing. Anytime somebody dies it's tragic, especially when you're 24 years old and you've got your whole life ahead of you. Maybe if he'd have stayed in school an [extra] year, he wouldn't do silly things." [12] Brandt's comments generated significant controversy, including from several other current and former NFL players like Haskins's former teammate Cameron Heyward, who called Brandt's comments "disgraceful," [13] and former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant, who called Brandt's comments "unacceptable." [14] Several called for Brandt to lose his job in NFL radio over the comments. [13] [15] Brandt later apologized for the comments in a statement on Twitter, saying he "reacted carelessly and insensitively" and apologizing for his "poor choice of words." [12] [16] [17]
After a few years out of football, he returned as a print analyst and draft expert. [18] He currently contributes to NFL.com as a senior analyst and is a major contributor in selecting the Playboy All-American football team. Brandt has also been responsible for inviting collegiate players to the NFL Draft every year. He is a regular on SiriusXM NFL Radio as a commentator on "Late Hits", "The Endzone", and the "SiriusXM NFL Tailgate Show".
He was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame on April 9, 2015. [19]
He was announced as the 22nd member of the Cowboys' Ring of Honor on November 2, 2018. [20]
On February 2, 2019, it was announced at the annual NFL Honors Awards that Brandt was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and his bust was sculpted by Scott Myers. [21]
Texas Earnest Schramm Jr. was an American football executive who was the original president and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys franchise of the National Football League (NFL). Schramm, usually referred to as "Tex", became the head of the Cowboys when the former expansion team started operations in 1960.
Michael Jerome Irvin is an American sports commentator and former professional football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). In 2007, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
In professional sports, scouts are experienced talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization. Some scouts are interested primarily in the selection of prospects, younger players who may require further development by the acquiring team but who are judged to be worthy of that effort and expense for the potential future payoff that it could bring, while others concentrate on players who are already polished professionals whose rights may be available soon, either through free agency or trading, and who are seen as filling a team's specific need at a certain position. Advance scouts watch the teams that their teams are going to play in order to help determine strategy.
Shannon Sharpe is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons, primarily with the Denver Broncos. Regarded as one of the greatest tight ends of all time, he ranks third in tight end receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. He was also the first NFL tight end to amass over 10,000 receiving yards. He is the younger brother of former wide receiver Sterling Sharpe.
Joseph "Dandy" Don Meredith was an American football quarterback, sports commentator, and actor. He spent all nine seasons of his professional playing career (1960–1968) with the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his last three years as a player. He subsequently became a color analyst for NFL telecasts from 1970 to 1984. As an original member of the Monday Night Football broadcast team, he famously played the role of Howard Cosell's comic foil. Meredith was also an actor who appeared in a dozen films and seven major television shows, some of which had him as the main starring actor. He is probably familiar to television audiences as Bert Jameson, a recurring role he had in Police Story.
DeMarcus Omar Ware is an American former professional football player who was an outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Troy University and was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys with the 11th overall pick in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft. After spending nine seasons with the Cowboys, Ware departed in 2013 as the franchise's all-time leader in quarterback sacks with 117. Ware then played three seasons for the Denver Broncos, with whom he won Super Bowl 50 over the Carolina Panthers. After the 2016 season with the Broncos, he announced his retirement from the NFL. In 2017, he signed a one-day contract with Dallas to retire as a Cowboy. In 2018, the Broncos hired Ware as a pass-rush consultant. In 2023, Ware was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor (RoH) is a ring that formerly existed around Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas and currently around AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, which honors former players, coaches and club officials who made outstanding contributions to the Dallas Cowboys football organization. In 1993, Jerry Jones said the Ring of Honor "stands for the men who built this franchise and had it called America's team"
The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general managers, and scouts. With increasing interest in the NFL Draft, the scouting combine has grown in scope and significance, allowing personnel directors to evaluate upcoming prospects in a standardized setting. Its origins stem from the National, BLESTO, and Quadra Scouting organizations in 1977.
Clinton Williams Murchison Jr. was a businessman and founder of the Dallas Cowboys football team. A son of Clint Murchison Sr., who made his first fortune in oil exploration and became notorious for exploiting the sale of "hot oil", Clint and his surviving brother inherited their father's wealth and business interests to which Clint Jr. added ventures of his own. These included the establishment of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys franchise, real estate development, construction, home building, restaurants and financing the offshore pirate radio station called Radio Nord.
Duane Julius Thomas is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at West Texas State University.
The 1982 Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 23rd season in the National Football League. The Cowboys finished with a record of 6 wins and 3 losses, placing them second in the NFC. After losing the season opener to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cowboys won the next six, including five after the strike had ended. However, two losses at the end of the regular season cost them home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. After beginning their playoff run with victories over the Buccaneers and the Packers, the Cowboys traveled to Washington, where they met defeat at the hands of their arch-rival, the Redskins. It was the third straight season that the Cowboys lost in the NFC championship game. The Redskins would advance to win the Super Bowl.
The 1960 Dallas Cowboys season was the inaugural season for the franchise in the National Football League (NFL).
Tyron Jerrar Smith is an American football offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at USC where he won the Morris Trophy, recognizing the best offensive and defensive linemen on the West Coast, in 2010. Smith was drafted by the Cowboys with the ninth overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Jaylon Smith is an American football linebacker for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Notre Dame and was drafted 34th overall by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Jordan Phillips is an American football defensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Oklahoma.
Jihad Ward is an American football defensive end for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Illinois.
Chidobe Richard Awuzie is an American football cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He played college football at Colorado.
Jeremy Sprinkle is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He played college football at Arkansas and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Micah Aaron Parsons is an American football outside linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). Parsons played college football at Penn State, where he was named a Consensus All-American, the Butkus–Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year, and the Cotton Bowl Defensive MVP as a sophomore in 2019, before being drafted by the Cowboys in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Parsons was named the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year following the 2021 season.
Dwayne Haskins Jr. was an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons. He played college football at Ohio State, where he set the Big Ten Conference records for single-season passing yards and passing touchdowns as a sophomore. His success earned him the Sammy Baugh Trophy and Kellen Moore Award, along with several conference honors.
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