Blogging The Boys
We’re counting down the days until the Dallas Cowboys battle the Philadelphia Eagles in the season opener of the 2025 NFL season. To pass the time and mark the days, we are running through 100 Days of Cowboys. So sit back and enjoy some Cowboys history while we countdown to football.
Today – number 27
Cornell Green
Born: February 10, 1940. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Position: Defensive back
Dallas Cowboys: 1962-1974
Awards: Super Bowl champion- VI
All-Pro- 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969
Pro Bowl- 1965, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1972
Cornell Green played defensive back for the Dallas Cowboys from 1962 to 1974, becoming one of the most versatile and dependable players in team history. Remarkably, Green was never drafted; he was signed as a free agent after playing basketball—not football—at Utah State. Transitioning to the NFL, he became a cornerstone of the Cowboys’ secondary, earning five Pro Bowl selections and playing in three Super Bowls, winning Super Bowl VI. Known for his intelligence and athleticism, Green was a critical part of the original “Doomsday Defense.”
Best known for:
Green was best known for being a ball-hawking, hard-hitting safety and cornerback, helping solidify the Cowboys’ defense during their rise to championship contention in the 1960s and early 1970s.
Lesser known fact:
Green is one of the very few NFL players to make the Pro Bowl without ever playing college football, as he was originally a standout basketball player, proving his raw athleticism and adaptability were extraordinary.
