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Jerry Jones: The Myth, The Man, The Hall of Famer

Photo: Keith Allison/Flickr

Jerry Jones: The Myth, The Man, The Hall of Famer

He’s one of the world’s top businessmen.

He’s outspoken and unafraid.

He’s arguably one of, if not the most famous and instantly recognizable sports franchise owner in the world.

He is, in fact, the true face of the franchise; synonymous in every way with the team’s name. When he speaks, all ears are on him. When he moves, all eyes are on him.

He’s Jerry Jones, best known for being the owner, president, and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys.

And on Saturday, add Hall of Famer to that list.

The owner of the world’s most valuable sports team (valued at $4 billion, Forbes) and the 2014 NFL Executive of the  Year will be formally introduced as a member of the 2017 NFL Hall of Fame Class in Canton, Ohio this Saturday. He will be presented by his wife of  54 years Gene Jones.

The enshrinement will occur two days after the Cowboys kick off the preseason schedule in Canton for the Hall of Fame game with the Arizona Cardinals. Jones will become the 16th representative of the Cowboys to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

When he brought the team in 1989 for $150 million, few knew the team would eventually win 3 Super Bowls (92, 93, 95) be worth over $4 billion, and reach cult-like status becoming forever known as America’s Team, whether winning or losing. The former co-captain of the University of Arkansas 1964 national championship team, Jones has bled football for decades.

He can often be seen prowling the sidelines at Cowboy’s games usually at halftime or after, sometimes before if the score isn’t up to his satisfaction. His “face of the franchise” status, always the one the media goes to about players, any controversy, what the game plan is – instead of the head coach – has been polarizing for years. Many think he should not be as visible as he is.

But he is. He always has been and for the foreseeable he always will be. From the purchasing of the team, to the firing of the beloved Tom Landy, to the 90’s Super Bowl winning teams, to the parting of the ways with former college teammate and friend Jimmy Johnson, to the always in the news bad boys and off the field issues for days periods, to the “are they or are they not America’s team” debate and more.

For better or worse, for richer or poor, in sickness and in health, in controversy off the field and on, Jerry Jones is the Dallas Cowboys and the Dallas Cowboys are Jerry Jones.

And Saturday night, the man and the myth that is Jerry Jones will be a Hall of Famer – due in large part to the Dallas Cowboys.

Just for fun, here are 5 things you probably didn’t know about Jerry Jones:

  1. His first name is Jerral
  2. He has a master’s degree in business.
  3. Jones was the inspiration for the character Baxter Cain owner of the Dallas Felons, in the 1998 film BASEketball
  4. He is a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity.
  5. While he attended school, college and made his name and fortune in Arkansas, he was actually born in Los Angeles, California.

 

 

Credentialed media member and writer covering the Dallas Stars. | Dorothy J Gentry is an educator and journalist covering the NBA, Mavericks, WNBA, Wings and Dallas area sports & entertainment for Texas Metro News, rotoden.com, Garland Journal, Dallas Sports Fanatic & others. She is a member of the NABJ Sports Task Force.

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