Cornell Green (defensive back) facts for kids
Green, circa 1960
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| Position: | Cornerback / Safety | ||||||||||||
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| Born: | February 10, 1940 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 208 lb (94 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | El Cerrito (El Cerrito, California) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Utah State | ||||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 1962 | ||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Cornell M. Green, born on February 10, 1940, is a former American football player. He played as a defensive back for 13 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL). Interestingly, he never played college football. Instead, he was a two-time All-American basketball player for Utah State University. He was even picked in the 1962 NBA draft, but not in the NFL draft.
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Early Life and College Basketball
Green was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He grew up in Richmond, California, and went to El Cerrito High School. He is honored in his high school's Athletic Hall of Fame. He played basketball there from 1955 to 1957. He was named All ACAL, All Northern California, and All State in 1957. He also played football for one year in 1956.
After high school, Green played basketball at Contra Costa College. He was named All State in basketball there. He then went on to play college basketball at Utah State University in Logan. He became an All-American player in 1961 and 1962. He also earned All-Skyline conference honors in all three of his years (1960–62).
As a forward, Green set a school record for career rebounds with 1,067. This record still stands today. He is also the sixth highest scorer in Utah State history with 1,890 points. In 1962, he scored 745 points, which is the fourth best single season total. His 403 rebounds in 1960 are still a school record for a season. He was named the Skyline conference MVP as a sophomore.
During his three seasons with the Aggies, Utah State played in important tournaments. They went to the National Invitation Tournament in 1960, reaching the semifinals. They also played in the NCAA Tournament in 1962. The 1960 team finished eighth in the Associated Press Poll. This is still the highest year-end ranking for the school's basketball team.
The Chicago Zephyrs picked Green in the fifth round of the 1962 NBA draft. However, he decided not to play in the NBA. Instead, he started a 13-year career in the NFL. In 1993, Green was inducted into the Utah State University Intercollegiate Athletics Hall Of Fame. He was also inducted into the State of Utah Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001.
Professional Football Career
Cornell Green was a college basketball player who had never played a single game of college football. Yet, the Dallas Cowboys saw his athletic talent. They decided to turn him into a defensive back for their team.
The Cowboys heard about Green from his college basketball coach, LaDell Anderson. They signed him for $1,000. This was a smart move by the Cowboys, who were known for finding unique players. Another story says Green himself asked Cowboys executive Gil Brandt for a chance. At the time, Green was thinking about playing in the NBA. He had been drafted by the Chicago Zephyrs. When he first joined the Cowboys' training camp in 1962, he thought it would just be a short tryout. He even said, "I figured I’d go there for a week ... and they’d cut me."
His teammates gave him the nickname "Sweet Lips." He surprised everyone by making the 1962 team as an undrafted free agent. This means he wasn't picked in the draft but signed directly by the team. He learned quickly and started three games. He was even chosen for the NFL All-Rookie team. The next season, he became a full-time starter at left cornerback. He had his best year for interceptions with seven.
Green became a very important player for Coach Tom Landry's defense. He was a tough defender throughout his career. He was known for his strong play, even if he didn't always catch many interceptions. Gil Brandt once joked that if Green had better hands, he would have had three times as many interceptions.
He played cornerback for his first eight seasons. During this time, he led the team in interceptions four times. He was also chosen for the Pro Bowl five times and the All-Pro team four times. Coach Tom Landry said Green had the athletic skills from basketball to be a great defensive back. He added that Green had no problem with tackling players, which is a big part of football.
In 1970, the Cowboys needed to improve their cornerback position. So, Coach Landry moved Mel Renfro from safety to cornerback. Renfro was an All-Pro safety, so this was a big change. Green then moved from cornerback to the strong safety position.
After these changes, the Cowboys played in two Super Bowls in a row. Green went back to the Pro Bowl as a safety in 1971 and 1972. He was part of the team that won Super Bowl VI.
Green was incredibly durable, meaning he rarely got hurt. He never missed a game in his 13 seasons. He played 168 games and started 145 games in a row for the Cowboys. He was chosen for five Pro Bowls at two different positions: cornerback and strong safety. He was named first-team All-Pro in 1966 and 1967, and second-team All-Pro in 1968. He is sixth in career interceptions (34) in Cowboys history. He also holds the Cowboys record for blocked kicks with 10, including eight blocked field goals.
He stopped playing in September 1975. After that, he became a full-time scout for the Cowboys. In 1985, he was named to the Dallas Cowboys 25th Anniversary Team. In 2017, the Professional Football Researchers Association recognized Green in their Hall of Very Good. In 2020, he was ranked number 23 on the list of the 60 greatest Cowboys players. This was part of the team's 60th anniversary celebration.
After Football
Green started scouting for the Dallas Cowboys in 1970 while he was still playing. He continued scouting for them until 1979. After a break in private business, he joined the Denver Broncos in 1987. He spent 35 years scouting in the NFL, with 28 of those years with the Broncos. In 2010, he received the AFC Scout of the Year Award.
Personal Life
Cornell Green is the brother of Pumpsie Green. Pumpsie Green was the first African American player to play for the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox were the last Major League Baseball team to have an African American player.
