Jerry Jones didn’t start his career in the owner’s box. Long before he became the face of the Dallas Cowboys, he was a kid from North Little Rock with a radio and a dream, listening to Razorback games and hoping to one day wear the red jersey himself.
Jones, now 83, was a starting offensive lineman for the 1964 Arkansas Razorbacks team that went undefeated and claimed a national championship. He wasn’t the fastest or the flashiest player on the field, but he was, in his own words, a “plow horse” — someone who did the dirty work up front so others could shine. That 1964 team, led by coach Frank Broyles, remains one of the most celebrated in college football history, and Jones played a key role in anchoring an offensive line that paved the way for a powerful rushing attack.
He grew up in a house where Arkansas sports were a constant presence. In that 2010 interview with the David and Barbara Pryor Center, Jones recalled how listening to games on the radio sparked his love for the game and the university. “You start dreaming about being part of that,” he said. “You start thinking, ‘I’d like to be on that field.’”
His path to Fayetteville wasn’t straightforward. Born in Los Angeles, Jones moved to Arkansas when he was just 3 years old. He attended North Little Rock High School, where he played football and began building the grit and work ethic that would define his career. After high school, he walked on to the University of Arkansas team, eventually earning a scholarship and a starting spot on one of the best teams in the country.
The 1964 Razorbacks went 11-0, beat Nebraska in the Cotton Bowl, and were named national champions by the Football Writers Association of America. It was a season filled with moments that still echo in Arkansas sports lore — and Jones was in the trenches for all of it. He wasn’t known for highlight-reel plays, but his teammates and coaches knew his value. “He was one of those guys who made everyone else better,” former Razorback teammate Bill Montgomery said in a 2019 interview.
After his playing days, Jones moved into coaching and then into business. He worked in real estate and oil before eventually buying the Dallas Cowboys in 1989. Under his ownership, the Cowboys became one of the most recognizable franchises in sports, winning three Super Bowl titles in the 1990s. But Jones has never forgotten his Arkansas roots. He’s remained a booster of the Razorbacks and frequently speaks about how his time in Fayetteville shaped him.
Even now, with decades of NFL ownership behind him, Jones still points to his Razorback days as foundational. “It taught me what it meant to be part of something bigger,” he said in a 2017 interview. “That team, that season — it was about trust, effort, and grinding together. That’s something I carried with me no matter where I went.”
For fans in Northwest Arkansas, the connection is clear. Jones’ story is one of a local kid who made it big but still carries the values of the place that shaped him. His name might be on Cowboys Stadium, but his heart still beats Razorback red.
Source: NWA Democrat Gazette
