IRVING – Jerry Jones has been busy lately.
He was in the midst of a coaching search for most of the last three weeks. Two weeks ago, he went to Miami for Super Bowl XLI and was there when Michael Irvinwas selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A week ago, he found a new coach, Wade Phillips. This week, the focus is on Phillips' coaching staff.
All the while, Jones kept his hands in the family's other businesses and held meetings regarding the Cowboys' new stadium being constructed in Arlington.
But tonight in Waco, Jones will get a chance to take a breath.
Sort of.
Jones and Don Perkins, a member of the Ring of Honor, will be among eight inductees into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. Joining them will be former Houston Comets star Cynthia Copper, Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds, Olympic decathlete Rafer Johnson, UT running back Roosevelt Leaks, Houston Oilers quarterback Warren Moon and Oklahoma Heisman Trophy winner Billy Sims.
"The thought of getting to be a part of the Texas Hall of Fame is humbling; it really is," Jones said. "Everything about it was about people, a team."
Jones said he wouldn't even have been mentioned if it weren't for the Cowboys and the likes of Tom Landry, Tex Schramm and Gil Brandt.
Considering the ill will toward Jones in 1989 when he purchased the Cowboys, fired Landry, hired Jimmy Johnson and went 1-15 in his first season, finding a spot in the Texas Sports Hall of Fame is an honor Jones does not take lightly.
His ties to Texas athletics began when he was a guard at Arkansas, playing in the old Southwest Conference.
But it's with the Cowboys where he has made his mark.
Under Jones' stewardship, the Cowboys have won three Super Bowls. Initially viewed as an outcast by the old guard of ownership, Jones has become one of the NFL's most influential owners. In 2009, the team will call a $1 billion stadium in Arlington home. Jones hopes to bring a Super Bowl to North Texas in 2011.
Jones' passion for the Cowboys runs deep. Twice in the last two weeks, he has been brought to tears. At Irvin's Hall of Fame announcement, Jones excused himself when recounting a story about riding in an ambulance after Irvin suffered a career-ending neck injury. As he introduced Phillips last week, he became emotional when discussing the importance of getting the right coach for the job.
"He's always been emotional when I've been around him," said Jones' son, Stephen, the Cowboys' executive vice president. "Maybe he's not showed as much of that publicly, but he's always managed and led with emotion."
In recent years, Jones has made the preliminary list of modern nominees for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but he said he has not given thought to one day earning induction in Canton, Ohio.
"I believe this: I don't think this is a destination for me at all, the Texas Hall of Fame," Jones said. "... I would hope it lends credibility that we can take the Cowboys to a new stadium and be an ambassador. I believe that's possible. We are going to have the visibility to do it."
Jerry Jones – Owner and general manager, Dallas Cowboys
Don Perkins – Cowboys running back, Ring of Honor member
Cynthia Cooper – Houston Comets, WNBA star
DeLoss Dodds – Athletic director, University of Texas
Rafer Johnson – Olympic decathlete
Roosevelt Leaks – UT running back
Warren Moon – Houston Oilers quarterback, Pro Football Hall of Fame member
Billy Sims – Oklahoma running back, Heisman Trophy winner
Texas Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet, 7 p.m. today at Baylor's Ferrell Center
