With the Broncos playing the Dallas Cowboys this week, I was thinking, who is the most notable ex-Cowboy to have a great influence on the Broncos?
To me, that’s an easy one. It’s Cornell Green.
Now, many fans will say, who the heck is Cornell Green? The answer is, a big time contributor to the Broncos now and for many years in the past, and a huge part of Dallas Cowboys history as well.
Cornell Green this year enters his 30th year as an NFL scout and 23rd doing so for the Denver Broncos. Hard, tough, sometimes thankless work, lots of travel, cold meals when you wish they were hot and early wake-up calls when you want to sleep in. Scouts are the backbone of the NFL.
He has seen a lot of players in his time, and one of the great tributes to a scout is maintaining his role in a new administration, which Cornell has done several times.
Before his involvement with the Broncos, Cornell scouted for the Cowboys, after a playing career that can only be called illustrious. He began scouting for the Cowboys in 1970 while still an active player—that is something that does not happen every day!—and came to the Broncos in 1987.
Cornell Green never played one minute of college football, but was a two-time All-American basketball player at Utah State (1959-60 and 1961-62), where he averaged 23 points per game at forward for the Aggies.
The Cowboys admired his athleticism and signed him as a free agent. Cornell went on to play for Dallas from 1962-75, and in that 14-year career played cornerback for 10 seasons and then moved over to safety for his last four.
Cornell Green earned Pro Bowl honors seven times, winning that honor at both positions. A major player in Cowboys history, he is also a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame in both the states of Oklahoma and Utah.
An amazing career to consider, a basketball player taking a flyer on pro football in 1962 and still active as a scouting consultant for the Denver Broncos five decades later.
And by the way, his brother, Pumpsie Green, had a lengthy career in major league baseball and literally was the man who integrated the Boston Red Sox—but that’s another story.
Broncos-Cowboys week: let’s tip our caps of the two teams to Cornell Green!
Tags: Cornell Green, Dallas Cowboys, Jim Saccomano, Week 4
I enjoy the stories of the guys who make it big, coming from a not-so-big background (besides Green’s basketball career). Cool post!
I am a Utah State Aggie Alumni and I have heard many great things about Cornell, it was interesting to know that he went on to such a great football career and now works for my Broncos. Great post!
That is a great story. Its amazing to me that such great talent is at work for us that we don’t even know about. Keep up the great work.
GO BRONCOS !!
Great post Jim! Tip of the hat to Cornell, here’s to keeping up the great work!
Ok heres what I dont get the “experts” are saying we are heading into the tuff part of are schedule that we havent had a challange ok what about the teams we are getting ready to play.
Dal- 2-1 W TB- 0-3 34-21 They beat only 0-3 teams and their better
L NYG- 3-0 31-33 then us?
W CAR- 0-3 21-7
NE- 2-1 W BUF- 1-2 25-24 – buf almost won this game. Tom isnt playing
L NYJ- 3-0 9-16 like he can and the D has fell apart but they
W ATL- 2-1 26-10 are going to the playoffs?
@SD- 2-1 W OAK- 1-2 24-20 oak almost won this game. and SD only
L BAL- 3-0 26-31 other win was against a 0-3 team and
W MIA- 0-3 23-13 yet their going to win the west?
@BAL- 3-0 W KC- 0-3 38-24 KC hasnt scored 20 points since and yet
W SD- 2-1 31-26 Bal has one of the best D how?
W CLE-0-3 34-3
PIT- 1-2 W TEN- 0-3 13-10 The only team PIT has won againt has no
L CHI- 2-1 14-17 wins and yet their still really good?
L CIN- 2-1 20-23
Ya we have other teams to play but these are the next 5 games that everyone even some so called bronco fans over at the DP are saying we are going to lose. I know we havent had the biggest challange so far but neither has these teams look at most their wins come from 0-3 teams and yet we get ragged on.
My alma mater is Southern Utah University (there are no Thunderbirds I know of that have become Broncos), but it’s always nice to hear about Utahns who do well for my Broncos, such as Rulon Jones. Thanks Jim and of course, let’s beat the Cowboys. GO BRONCOS!!!
Thank you Jim for yet another fascinating insight into the history and legends of the NFL. It is these stories which bring out further observations from knowledgeable fans, and may I say they are the most interesting of all the blogs.
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