Jerry Jones facts for kids
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Jones in 2017
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| Personal information | |
| Born: | October 13, 1942 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 (1962–1964) |
| Career history | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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Jerral Wayne Jones Sr. (born October 13, 1942) is an American businessman. He is best known as the owner, president, and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys, a team in the National Football League (NFL). He bought the team in 1989.
Jones was born in Los Angeles, California. He moved to North Little Rock, Arkansas, when he was a child. His parents owned a grocery store. Jerry played football as a running back at North Little Rock High School. After high school, he went to the University of Arkansas. He was a co-captain of the 1964 college football team that won a national championship.
In 1989, Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys for $140 million. He hired his old college teammate, Jimmy Johnson, as the new head coach. Under Jones's leadership, the Cowboys won three Super Bowls: Super Bowl XXVII, XXVIII, and XXX. Jones is one of the few NFL owners who also had a successful career as a football player.
Even though some people didn't like his early decisions, Jones helped the Cowboys become one of the most valuable sports teams in the world. Today, the team is worth an estimated $10 billion. He was also important in getting big TV deals for the NFL. This helped the league become very successful financially. Jones was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017. His net worth is estimated to be $16.1 billion, mostly from his ownership of the Cowboys.
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Early Life and Education
Jerry Jones was born in Los Angeles, California. His family moved to North Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1945. His parents owned two grocery stores there. Jones played as a running back for the North Little Rock High School football team. He graduated in 1960.
After he graduated, his parents moved to Springfield, Missouri. His father became the president of an insurance company. Jerry Jones later became an executive vice president at this company. In 1971, his parents sold the insurance company. They then opened a place called Buena Vista Animal Paradise, where people could visit exotic animals.
College Football Career
Jones went to the University of Arkansas. He was a co-captain of the 1964 Arkansas Razorbacks football team. This team won a national championship. Jones played as an offensive lineman for coach Frank Broyles. One of his teammates was Jimmy Johnson. Years later, Jones would hire Johnson as the first head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
Jones is one of the few NFL owners who was also a successful football player in college.
Business Ventures
After college, Jerry Jones tried several business ideas. He once borrowed money to open Shakey's Pizza Parlor restaurants. When that didn't work out, he joined his father's insurance company. He also earned a master's degree in business in 1970.
After other attempts, he started a successful oil and gas exploration business in Arkansas. This company, Jones Oil and Land Lease, still looks for natural resources today.
In 2008, Jones partnered with Yankee Global Enterprises. They created a company called Legends Hospitality. This company provides food, drinks, merchandise, and manages operations for sports and entertainment venues.
Dallas Cowboys Ownership
On February 25, 1989, Jerry Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys. He paid $140 million for the team. Soon after, he made a big change. He fired Tom Landry, who had been the only coach in the team's history. Jones then hired his former college teammate, Jimmy Johnson, as the new head coach. Johnson had just led the University of Miami Hurricanes to a national championship. A few months later, Jones also took over as the general manager.
The Cowboys had a tough first season under Jones and Johnson, winning only one game. But they quickly became one of the best teams in the NFL in the 1990s. The Cowboys won Super Bowl XXVII in 1992. They won again in Super Bowl XXVIII the next year. After Johnson left, Barry Switzer became the coach. He led the team to another win in Super Bowl XXX in 1995.
When Jones bought the Cowboys, the team was losing money. Under his leadership, the Cowboys have grown in value to an estimated $10.1 billion. Many people credit Jones with a lot of the NFL's financial success since 1989. For example, he helped the league get big television deals. These deals have made the NFL the richest sports league in the world.
The 2020 NFL season was Jones's 32nd year as the Cowboys owner. This is longer than all the previous owners combined.
Awards and Honors
Jerry Jones has received many awards for his work in football and business.
NFL
- Three-time Super Bowl champion (as owner, president, and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys)
- 2014 NFL Executive of the Year
NCAA
- 1964 College Football National Championship (as a player for the Arkansas Razorbacks)
Halls of Fame
- Pro Football Hall of Fame (inducted in 2017)
Other
- 2013 Horatio Alger Award
Personal Life
Jerry Jones married Eugenia Chambers in 1963. They met in college. They have three children: Stephen, Charlotte, and Jerry Jr. All three of his children work for the Dallas Cowboys in important roles.
Stephen Jones is the Cowboys' chief operating officer and director of player personnel. Charlotte Jones Anderson is the executive vice president and chief brand officer. Jerry Jones Jr. is the chief sales and marketing officer.
Jones splits his time between homes in Highland Park, Texas, and Destin, Florida.
In 2015, Jones shared that he had hip replacement surgery. As of November 2024, his net worth is reported to be $16.1 billion. The Dallas Cowboys are valued at $10.1 billion, making them one of the world's most valuable sports teams.
In 2022, a photo from 1957 surfaced. It showed a 14-year-old Jerry Jones watching an argument at North Little Rock High School. White students were trying to stop African-American students from entering the school. This was during a time when schools were beginning to integrate. Jones said he was just a curious bystander. He has since expressed regret that he didn't do more to help the Black students feel more welcome.
Images for kids
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Jones in 2017
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Jones gifts George H. W. Bush a Cowboys helmet, 1989.
