Jerry Jones

For other people named Jerry Jones, see Jerry Jones (disambiguation).

Jerry Jones
refer to caption
Jones in 2017
Dallas Cowboys
Position:
Personal information
Born: (1942-10-13) October 13, 1942 (age 81)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school:North Little Rock (AR)
College:Arkansas
Career history
As an executive:
Career highlights and awards
As owner
As player
Executive profile at PFR

Jerral Wayne Jones Sr. (born October 13, 1942)[1][2] is an American businessman and the owner, president, and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He bought the team from Bum Bright in 1989.

He was born in Los Angeles, California, and moved to North Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1945. His parents owned Pat's Super Market. Jones was a running back at North Little Rock High School, graduating in 1960. Afterward, his family moved to Springfield, Missouri, where his father led a successful insurance company. Jones attended the University of Arkansas, co-captaining the 1964 national championship football team.[3] Following graduation, he became an executive vice president at his family's insurance company.[4] After selling it, the Joneses established Buena Vista Animal Paradise.[5]

In 1989, Jones purchased the Dallas Cowboys for $140 million, and swiftly replaced Tom Landry with Jimmy Johnson as the head coach. Under Jones, the team achieved success, winning Super Bowl XXVII, XXVIII, and XXX. Jones stands out as an NFL owner with a successful football player background. Despite initial criticism for firing beloved personnel, Jones' leadership elevated the franchise's value to an estimated $5.5 billion. He played a pivotal role in securing lucrative TV deals, contributing to the NFL's financial prosperity. Criticized for his high visibility and controversial decisions, Jones, as both owner and general manager, he remains a polarizing figure among fans. Notably, he mended relations with Jimmy Johnson in 2023, inducting him into the Cowboys Ring of Honor. Jones also influenced team relocations and faced fines from the NFL for public comments on officiating and labor issues.

He earned the 2014 NFL Executive of the Year award. Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017, he also won the 1964 college football championship with the Arkansas Razorbacks. Jones, a recipient of various honors, holds a net worth of $8.5 billion, mainly from his Cowboys ownership. In March 2022, legal action was taken against him by a woman claiming to be his biological daughter. Jones has a family, with his son Stephen holding a key role in the Cowboys organization. In November 2022, a photo from 1957 emerged showing Jones witnessing racial tensions during school integration in Arkansas, leading him to express regret for not doing more to support Black students.

  1. ^ "Jerry Jones's Career Capsule". ProFootballHOF.com. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  2. ^ "JERRAL WAYNE JONES, SR". HoratioAlger.com. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  3. ^ "Jerral Wayne "Jerry" Jones | Arkansas Business Hall of Fame | Walton College | University of Arkansas". walton.uark.edu. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  4. ^ "Jerry Jones – Missouri Sports Hall of Fame". Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  5. ^ Farmer, Sam (September 19, 2021). "For Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Southern California has always been a second home". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 9, 2024.