Cornell Green Dies at 86, Super Bowl Champion with Cowboys Spent 46 Years in NFL as Player, Scout

Former Dallas Cowboys defensive back and Denver Broncos scout Cornell Green has died at the age of 86.

The Cowboys shared news of his passing on Wednesday.

Per Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News, Green passed after a long battle with dementia. He is predeceased by his wife of nearly 60 years, Betty Ruth Green, and survived by his two sons (Randy and Ronney) and five grandchildren. A memorial service will be held in his honor in January, per Sherrington.

"You'd never know my father was a football player," Randy Green said, per Sherrington. "He stayed away from the limelight. His friends feel he should be in the Ring of Honor and Hall of Fame. But my dad sat me and my brother down once and said, 'Listen, I'm not going to go out there and politic for this. If I don't get in on my own merits, I'm good with that.'

"We felt like he should be in. Especially the Ring of Honor."

Green was born in Oklahoma City on Feb. 10, 1940. He is one of five brothers. One of them, Pumpsie Green, became the Boston Red Sox's first-ever Black player when he made his debut on July 21, 1959.

Cornell Green went to Utah State but didn't play football. Instead, he was a two-time All-American in basketball and still holds the school's career rebounding record (1,067).

The NBA's Chicago Zephyrs selected him in the fifth round of the 1962 draft, but he never played pro basketball. Rather, the Cowboys signed the 6'3" forward and turned him into a defensive back thanks to longtime vice president of player personnel and Pro Football Hall of Famer Gil Brandt.

The signing worked out quite well for the Cowboys. Green never missed a game over his 13 seasons, suiting up for 182 contests and starting 170 overall. He was a five-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro (two First Team, two Second Team). Green picked off 34 passes, including seven in 1963 and seven in 1967. He played cornerback from 1962-1969 before shifting to strong safety from 1970-1974.

He scored four touchdowns (two off interceptions, two off fumble recoveries). Green also added a pick-six in the 1967 Divisional Round.

With Green as a starter, the Cowboys made Super Bowls V and VI in 1970 and 1971, winning the latter contest 24-3 over the Miami Dolphins thanks to a tremendous defensive performance.

Green was ultimately an integral part of the first generation of the infamous "Doomsday Defense" alongside the likes of Bob Lilly, Chuck Howley and Mel Renfro.

During the 1970-1975 offseasons, Green worked as an offseason scout for the Cowboys. He stepped away from the game for some time but returned to football in 1987 with the Denver Broncos, who were led by head coach Dan Reeves, Green's former teammate.

Green ultimately served as a Broncos scout from 1987-2015 and scouted in the NFL for 35 seasons overall.

Denver enjoyed much success during Green's tenure, winning all three of its Super Bowls, six AFC Championships and 11 AFC West titles. The Fritz Pollard Alliance named Green the AFC Scout of the Year in 2010.