The Dallas Cowboys lost a core member of their football fraternity. Former Cowboys defensive back Cornell Green passed away on Wednesday (October 21). He was 86 years old.
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Former Cowboys Standout Dead at 86
The Cowboys confirmed the news of Green's passing in a statement released on Wednesday. They honored him for "becoming one of the best and most dependable teammates to ever wear the star."
"We are sad to share news of the passing of Cowboys Legend Cornell Green this morning," the Cowboys said in a statement obtained by the New York Post. "Cornell was a true trailblazer, having never played football in college, yet becoming a multi-time Pro Bowler, All-Pro, and NFL Super Bowl Champion with the Cowboys, playing defensive back from 1962 to 1974. He was a member of the 25th Anniversary Cowboys Team as well. Cornell remarkably never missed a game in 13 seasons, becoming one of the best and most dependable teammates to ever wear the star. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."
Green Had an Impressive Football Career
Green was not a household name among other legendary defensive backs such as Deion Sanders and Ronnie Lott. But when you look at his list of career milestones, perhaps he should be mentioned among those ranks.
He played all 13 seasons of his NFL career with the Cowboys. He became a Super Bowl Champion in 1971. Green also racked up five Pro Bowl selections, was a three-time First Team All-Pro selectee, and a one-time Second-Team All-Pro selectee. His 34 career interceptions also tied him for the fifth-most takeaways in the franchise's history.
Perhaps his most remarkable achievement was his durability. Green appeared in all 182 regular-season games and 15 playoff games during his NFL career. Never missing a single contest.
What is even more remarkable is that He achieved all of this without ever playing a down of college football. Due to the fact that he made the transition to the NFL after being a college basketball standout for the Utah State Aggies. He helped lead the team to the NCAA Tournament in 1962.
At the time of writing, no cause of death for Green has been revealed.
