Jerry Jones

Jerry Jones (born October 13, 1942, Los Angeles, California, U.S.) is an American business executive who is the owner of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, one of the world’s most valuable sports teams. Since he acquired the franchise in 1989, Dallas has won three Super Bowls (1993, 1994, and 1996). Jones is among the league’s most influential owners and is sometimes called the “shadow commissioner.”

Early life and education

Jones was born in Los Angeles to Arminta (née Clark) Jones and John (“Pat”) Jones. In 1945 the family moved to North Little Rock, Arkansas, where his father opened several grocery stores named Pat’s Super Market. The senior Jones later worked for Modern Security Life, an insurance company in Missouri that he helped to make hugely profitable.

While in high school, Jerry Jones played running back on the football team. In 1960 he enrolled at the University of Arkansas, where he was moved to the offensive line. During his senior year, Jones was cocaptain of the 1964 national championship team. The following year he graduated with a B.S. in business administration and later that year received an M.F.A. In 1970 he earned an M.B.A.

Business career

After graduation, Jones embarked on a career in business. According to some reports, he attempted to open a string of pizza restaurants in Missouri, but the venture failed. He then worked at Modern Security Life before founding an oil exploration company in 1971. It later struck oil in Oklahoma, and Jones subsequently branched out into gas drilling. These ventures made him a multimillionaire, and he later expanded into other areas. He notably invested in Papa John’s pizza franchises in Texas and cofounded Legends, a hospitality business that, among other work, manages live sporting and entertainment events. By the early 21st century Jones’s net worth was estimated at more than $12 billion.

Dallas Cowboys

In 1966, at age 23, Jones nearly purchased the San Diego Chargers (now Los Angeles Chargers) of the upstart American Football League (AFL). He agreed to pay Barron Hilton $5.8 million for the football team but later backed out of the deal after discussing it with his father. Jones soon regretted his decision, as later in 1966 the AFL and the NFL announced an agreement to merge, and the Chargers franchise was sold for about $10 million; by the early 21st century it was valued at more than $5.8 billion.

Jones continued to dream of owning a football team, and in 1989 he bought the Cowboys (and Texas Stadium) from Harvey (“Bum”) Bright for $140 million. While once a powerhouse franchise, Dallas was struggling. In his first act as owner, Jones fired Tom Landry, the only person to have been the head coach of the Cowboys. Jones replaced him with Jimmy Johnson, a former teammate at Arkansas. “The greatest thing that is going to ever happen to the Cowboys is Jimmy Johnson,” Jones said at the news conference when announcing the coaching change.

Cowboys fans were furious over the firing of Landry, even though the team was coming off a 3–13 season. Other personnel changes followed. Notably, general manager Tex Schramm resigned, and Jones took over his position. One of Jones’s first acts as GM was to make quarterback Troy Aikman the number one overall pick in the 1989 NFL draft. That first season was a disaster for Dallas. Aikman threw twice as many interceptions as touchdown passes, and the Cowboys finished with a record of 1–15, unthinkable for “America’s Team.” At the beginning of the next season the Cowboys traded Herschel Walker, a star running back, to the Minnesota Vikings for numerous players and draft picks. Jones’s controversial moves soon paid off. Aikman blossomed into a future Hall of Fame quarterback, and the draft choices from the Walker trade yielded superstars defensive back Darren Woodson and running back Emmitt Smith.

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In 1991 the Cowboys finished the regular season with a record of 11–5 and returned to the playoffs after a five-year absence. However, Dallas lost in the divisional round. The following season the Cowboys again made the postseason, and they advanced to the Super Bowl, where the team defeated the Buffalo Bills. The Cowboys repeated as champions in 1994. During this time, however, Jones and Johnson had become increasingly estranged, partly because of Jones’s desire to be more involved. Shortly after the second Super Bowl win, Johnson quit, and Jones hired Barry Switzer, another Arkansas teammate. In 1996 the Cowboys again won the Super Bowl.

Since then, however, Dallas has failed to win a championship, the longest stretch the team has ever gone without one. In a 2023 TV interview on Football Morning in America, Jones talked about the drought but remained optimistic. “I know how hard it is to win [a Super Bowl]. You shouldn’t give up the ghost because you fall short in a highly competitive league.”

Jones pushed for a new home for the Cowboys, and in 2009 AT&T Stadium opened in Arlington, Texas. One of the largest domed stadiums in the world, it has 80,000 seats but can be reconfigured to accommodate more than 100,000 people. The stadium also hosts other events, including concerts.

Influence and criticism

Jones is a powerful figure in the NFL, playing a major role in its various business dealings, including sponsorships and television contracts. He reportedly has also been involved in the relocation of a number of teams. His actions are credited with generating massive revenue for the NFL and its owners. His marketing deals for the Cowboys—which occasionally drew opposition from the league—also proved highly lucrative.

The outspoken and opinionated Jones often attracted criticism. He frequently clashed with his coaches as he sought to exert more control over the Cowboys, and as the face of the team—and its GM—he has been the focus of fans’ anger during the long Super Bowl drought.

In 2022 he faced controversy when a 1957 photograph surfaced, showing a 14-year-old Jones at the back of a group of white boys who were blocking the entrance to North Little Rock High School to prevent Black students from entering the desegregated school. Jones stated in an interview with The Washington Post that he went there just to observe the incident, saying he was a “curious kid.” In discussions of the photograph, some noted that Jones had never hired a Black football coach.

Personal life

While attending the University of Arkansas, Jones met Eugenia (“Gene”) Chambers, and the couple married in 1963. They later had three children.

In 2017 Jones was inducted as an owner into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.