Head Coach John Harbaugh issued a statement mourning the loss of NFL Hall of Famer Gil Brandt, who passed away Thursday at age 91.
An iconic figure in the NFL, Brandt served as vice president of player personnel for the Cowboys from 1960 to 1988. He is credited with introducing computers into scouting evaluations and was regarded as having one of the game's shrewdest eyes for talent.
"Gil was a friend to all of us in football," Harbaugh said. "He was a friend to my dad, and then Jim and me. I am grateful to have known him, and for all his football advice and wisdom. R.I.P. Gil Brandt."
General Manager Eric DeCosta has often named Brandt as one of his career idols. DeCosta credits Brandt for sparking his interest in becoming a general manager when he was just six years old and began following the Cowboys.
"I was fascinated by the Cowboys and Tom Landry, Gil Brandt, Tex Schramm – the whole notion of scouting and building a football team," DeCosta said in his team biography. "Doing things differently than all the other teams did back then really appealed to me."
