FRISCO — Former Dallas Cowboys defensive back Cornell Green died at age 86. The Dallas Cowboys announced Green's death on October 21, 2026, without providing details on the cause of his death.

Green played 13 seasons for the Dallas Cowboys and never missed a game during his career. He started 167 of 168 games after his rookie season and was a member of the first generation of the team's Doomsday Defense.

Green played cornerback for his first eight seasons with the Cowboys before moving to safety in 1970. He led the team in interceptions four times and is tied for fifth in franchise history with 34 interceptions. His accolades included three Pro Bowl selections, two first-team All-Pro honors, and appearances in two NFL Championship Games, Super Bowl V, and Super Bowl VI.

"Cornell Green shut out (Miami wide receiver Paul) Warfield," former Dallas Cowboys player Calvin Hill said. "Warfield was like a mega-bomb, and the fact that we were able to prevent him from being who he was – in my mind, the greatest receiver I've ever seen – was remarkable." Green helped the Cowboys win Super Bowl VI with a 24-3 victory over the Miami Dolphins.

Green played only one season of football during his junior year of high school. He played basketball at El Cerrito High School in California and Contra Costa College, earning all-state honors at both institutions. After transferring to Utah State University, Green earned All-American honors in basketball in 1961 and 1962. He holds the Utah State career rebounding record with 1,067 rebounds and is the school's sixth leading scorer with 1,890 points.

The Chicago Zephyrs drafted Green in the NBA draft in 1962, but he received an invitation to attend the Dallas Cowboys training camp that same year. Gil Brandt, the Dallas Cowboys player personnel director, recruited athletes from other sports. "We purposely looked for players with speed," Brandt said. "We brought the fast guys in and then some played on defense and some played on offense."

"A lot of them that Gil Brandt found were basketball players and ended up being great," White said. "Cornell Green, a bunch of them ended up being great football players." Gilbert Harvey Brandt served as the vice president of player personnel for the Dallas Cowboys from 1960 to 1988 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019.