Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

The ESPN Pro Football Encyclopedia shows Cornell Green listed as a cornerback in the 1960s and then a safety in the 1970s. Mel Renfro was the opposite- a safety in the 1960s and a cornerback in the 1970s. I know Herb Adderley came to the team in 1970. Why did Green and Renfro switch positions? Was it that Green was getting older and needed to be converted or was it something else?

JWL wrote:The ESPN Pro Football Encyclopedia shows Cornell Green listed as a cornerback in the 1960s and then a safety in the 1970s. Mel Renfro was the opposite- a safety in the 1960s and a cornerback in the 1970s. I know Herb Adderley came to the team in 1970. Why did Green and Renfro switch positions? Was it that Green was getting older and needed to be converted or was it something else?

An article during the buildup to Super Bowl V (January 1971) had this:

"Cowboy coaches say openly that the team always had a weakness at cornerback. Herb Adderly was obtained from Green Bay to fill the left corner and Renfro was switched to right corner. Cornell Green went to strong safety and a rookie, Charlie Waters became the free safety."

The article states that Renfro wasn't happy about the move, saying that the career longevity of a safety was longer.

Cornell Green was almost 2 years older so the move was done in part to put someone younger at CB.

Renfro was also much faster than Green. That might've had something to do with the switch, although the speed difference was always there, so I'm not sure why they waited so long to make the switch. "The Dallas Cowboys Encyclopedia" by Jim Donovan, Ken Sins and Frank Coffey (1996) says SS Mike Gaechter tore an Achilles in 1970, and Landry moved Green to SS to replace him.

JWL wrote:The ESPN Pro Football Encyclopedia shows Cornell Green listed as a cornerback in the 1960s and then a safety in the 1970s. Mel Renfro was the opposite- a safety in the 1960s and a cornerback in the 1970s. I know Herb Adderley came to the team in 1970. Why did Green and Renfro switch positions? Was it that Green was getting older and needed to be converted or was it something else?

Yep, as others have stated that was the reason. Someone on Cowboys, maybe Lilly, joked that when Cornell got old for a safety they'd move him to OLBer for a few years. He was a good athlete, but did lose speed, maybe got bigger and could handle more weight.

Renfro could have been a 1970s dominant free safety had he stayed there... but he was a fine corner, too