Pro Football Hall of Famer Gil Brandt, one of the architects who helped turn the Dallas Cowboys from an expansion franchise into "America's Team," died Thursday at the age of 91.
He was the Cowboys' vice president of player personnel for 28 years, from 1960 when the team entered the NFL as an expansion franchise until May of 1989, when he was fired by new owner and general manager Jerry Jones.
Under the leadership of Brandt, coach Tom Landry and general manager Tex Schramm, the Cowboys posted 20 consecutive winning seasons from 1965 until 1985 and made five Super Bowl appearances with two championships.