Gil Brandt

Gil Brandt (born March 4, 1933) was a Vice President of player personnel for the Dallas Cowboys from 1960 to 1988.

Life
A native of Milwaukee and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Brandt worked as a baby photographer before his flair of discovering football talent led him into the NFL. Gil Brandt left the Dallas Cowboys after Jerry Jones bought the team. After a few years out of football, he returned as a print analyst and draft expert.

Career
Brandt served as the Cowboys' chief talent scout since the club's birth in 1960. He had served as a part-time scout for the Los Angeles Rams under General Manager Tex Schramm in the 1950s. When Schramm took command of the newly formed Dallas franchise in 1960, Brandt was one of the first people he hired. Schramm, Brandt and Coach Tom Landry formed the triumvirate which guided the Cowboys for their first 29 years.

Brandt helped pioneer many of the scouting techniques used by NFL clubs today, such as computer analysis of prospects (especially those from small colleges), converting basketball players and track athletes into football players and finding top free agent rookies, such as Drew Pearson, Cliff Harris, and Everson Walls. Brandt was also one of the first NFL talent scouts to look outside the United States for potential players. For example, he looked to Latin American soccer leagues for kickers.

Brandt currently contributes to NFL.com as a senior analyst. He is their main personnel guru, offering insight and commentary on all aspects of players and teams. Brandt is also a major contributor in selecting the Playboy All-American Football Team along with sports editor Gary Cole. Brandt has also been responsible for inviting collegiate players to the NFL Draft every year. He is a regular on Sirius NFL Radio Network as a commentator on "Late Hits", "The Red Zone", and the SIRIUS NFL Tailgate Show.