Former Cowboys chief scout Gil Brandt moves one step closer to the Hall of Fame

Legendary Dallas Cowboys chief scout Gil Brandt is one step closer to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Brandt and Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen have been selected by the PFHOF’s Contributors Committee as the two contributor finalists for the Class of 2019.

Brandt ran the Cowboys scouting department from 1960-1989, helping build the franchise from its inception into America’s team championship legacy with 20 consecutive winning seasons, five Super Bowl appearances and two Super Bowl titles during that time.

He is considered the godfather of modern scouting, as he pioneered many of the scouting techniques used by NFL teams today.

He was the first one to use computers for scouting and talent evaluations, the first one to use psychological tests to evaluate the mental makeup. Brandt and the Cowboys were the first to scout other sports for talent and the first to look outside of the United States for players.

“Looking at Gil Brandt, and the job he did with personnel, he certainly should be in the Hall of Fame based on his contributions to this game and contributions to the personnel and scouting side of it,” New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick said last year. “He’d probably be the first guy I’d put in there.”

Bowlen has been the principal owner of the Broncos since 1984 and has overseen seven Super Bowl appearances and three Super Bowl titles.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was enshrined as a contributor in 2017. Former Cowboys general manager made it as a contributor in 1991.

A contributor is defined by the Hall as an individual who has made outstanding contributions to professional football in capacities other than playing or coaching.

Contributors will be voted in on along with the rest of the Hall of Fame finalists Feb. 2, 2019, the day before Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta.

This story was originally published August 23, 2018 at 3:55 PM.