Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has always made it known who is in charge. Ever since purchasing the Dallas Cowboys, Jones has been the man in the spotlight. He’s a fiery guy who not only owns the team but also makes personnel decisions related to the football team. Jones has made some bold moves, but his biggest one came right after he signed on the dotted line to become the team’s owner.

Jerry Jones buys the Dallas Cowboys in 1989

On Feb. 25, 1989, Jerry Jones purchased the Dallas Cowboys from owner from H.R. ‘Bum’ Bright for $140 million. It was the first time ever that a sports team had ever surpassed the $100 million mark. At one point previously, Jones attempted to purchase the San Diego Chargers, but that venture failed.

Jones is a rare commodity in that he’s an NFL owner who played football at the collegiate level. Jones was an offensive lineman for the University of Arkansas and was the co-captain of the Razorbacks’ national championship team in 1964. He was also named as an all-Southwest Conference offensive lineman in his senior year.

Jones has owned the Cowboys since 1989 and has turned the franchise into one of the most desirable. Prior to Jones coming on board, the Cowboys were on the verge of bankruptcy. Today, the Dallas Cowboys franchise is worth $5.5 billion.

The success of the Dallas Cowboys

Not only has Jerry Jones helped turn the Dallas Cowboys into a multi-billion dollar franchise, he has turned them into a winner on the field. Although the Cowboys haven’t won a Super Bowl since the 1995 season, the team has been more than competitive on the field.

The Cowboys drafted Troy Aikman with the first overall pick in the 1989 NFL draft and that was the starting point for a very successful run in the 1990s. They had selected future Hall-of-Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin in the first round of the 1988 draft and then added future HOF running back Emmitt Smith in 1990 to help make up one of the most talented offensive corps in the 90s.

The Cowboys parlayed that offensive talent into three Super Bowl victories in the 1990s. Dallas won back-to-back championships in the 1992 and 1993 seasons. After the San Francisco 49ers won Super Bowl XXIX the following season, the Cowboys came back and defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XXX to cap the 1995 season.

Jones has always been in charge

Not only is Jerry Jones the owner of the Dallas Cowboys but he’s also the general manager of the team. He’s in charge of personnel decisions and always has his nose in the day-to-day football operations. This year, while the country is in quarantine, Jones was on his own when it came to the 2020 NFL draft.

Jones has never shied away from making the tough decisions, or any decisions for that matter. Immediately after purchasing the team back in 1989, he made the very controversial decision to fire longtime coach Tom Landry, who had been the head coach of the team for 29 years. He hired his former college teammate Jimmie Johnson to replace him.

Landry had been told face-to-face that he had been replaced, but it hadn’t been announced to the public yet. When Jones held his opening press conference, he announced Johnson as the new coach, irking many, including Landry himself. “I’ve never been one to get that upset, because I accept people as they are,” said Landry a few days later. ”Sure, the firing could have been handled better, but I won’t get upset over it. I wouldn’t think I would coach again, because it would just be hard, not being in the Cowboys’ blue.”