C.O. Brocato, who scouted players over four decades with the Houston Oilers-Tennessee Titans, has died. He was 85.
His daughter, Becky, told the Titans that Brocato died Tuesday in Arlington from cancer.
Brocato joined the Houston Oilers in 1974 for the first of three seasons as a scout before leaving to scout for the United States Scouting Combine. Brocato rejoined the Oilers in 1981 as a scout and had a variety of jobs with the franchise, including scouting consultant, even as the team relocated to Tennessee in 1997.
His career spanned 599 games with the franchise, and Brocato was among the preliminary nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005, 2007 and 2008.
The Titans named the draft room in honor of Brocato in April, and general manager Ruston Webster called this a sad day for the franchise.
"So many of us have learned so much from him, and his lessons and principles will live on," Webster said in a statement.
"C.O.'s dedication, eye for talent, knowledge of the game and ability to build relationships set him apart in the scouting profession, and we will never forget his impact on our organization. We send our thoughts and prayers to his daughter, Becky, and the rest of his family during this difficult time."
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Brocato went to Baylor and was the football coach at Jesuit High School in Louisiana between 1958 and 1967. He was defensive coordinator in 1968 at Northern Arizona and then at Texas-Arlington between 1971 and 1974 before going to work for the Oilers.
