Fmr. Dallas Cowboys defensive back and Super Bowl champ Cornell Green dies at 86

Cornell Green, a defensive back who never missed a game in his 13 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and was part of their original Doomsday Defense, has died at age 86, the NFL team said Wednesday.

The team provided no details on the cause of his death.

Green didn’t play football in college and instead was an NBA draft pick in 1962 before being invited to attend the Cowboys’ training camp that year.

He made the Dallas roster and played in all 182 regular-season games from 1962-74, plus 15 playoff games. He was part of the Cowboys’ first Super Bowl championship during the 1971 season, and later selected as part of their 25th anniversary team.

“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,” the Cowboys said in a social media post. “Cornell remarkably never missed a game in 13 seasons, becoming one of the best and most dependable teammates to ever wear the star.”

Green was selected to five Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro selection by The Associated Press in 1966 and 1967. His 34 career interceptions are tied for fifth-most in team history.

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Born in Oklahoma City, Green grew up in California, where he played basketball at El Cerrito High School and also played football as a junior. He played two seasons at a community college in California before transferring to Utah State, where he is still the career leader with 1,067 rebounds and ranks sixth with the 1,890 points he scored over two seasons (1960-61 and 1961-62).

The Chicago Zephyrs, the NBA franchise that became the current-day Washington Wizards, drafted Green in the fifth round with the 37th pick overall.

But he instead went to the NFL, where he started three of 14 games as a rookie, and then 167 of 168 the rest of his career. He was a cornerback his first eight seasons and moved to safety his final five seasons.

After retiring as a player, Green spent time as a scout for the Cowboys and later the Denver Broncos.

Bruce Bennett / Contributor

From the source 1970'S: Cornell Green #34 of the Dallas Cowboys poses for a portrait circa 1970's. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images)