Jerry Jones' NFL Anniversary: His 3 Best Cowboys Moves

Three Super Bowl Rings Is Impressive, But Surprisingly, We Say That's Not Jerry Jones' Best NFL Move in his now 31 Years as Dallas Cowboys Owner.

FRISCO - On this day in 1989, Jerry Jones purchased the Dallas Cowboys for $140 million. Fast-forward 31 years with Jones, now 77 years old, at the helm and the Cowboys’ worth totals $5.5 billion (per Forbes).

"Jocks and socks,'' Jerry famously said back then regarding his plan for hands-on involvement.''

The purchase made history as the first time anyone had ever paid more than $100 million for a sports team and drastically changed the trajectory of America’s team.

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Three Super Bowl trophies and a lot of headline grabbing titles later, we are looking at Jones’ three best moves as the owner of America’s team.

3. How about those three Super Bowls Championships?

It’s hard to believe that three Super Bowl titles wouldn’t top his best moves... But that illustrates just how notable Jones’ leadership of the Cowboys - and maybe more, his influence on the NFL - has been.

Jones quickly restored the winning tradition in Dallas, becoming the first owner in NFL history to lead his team to three Super Bowl titles in his first seven years of ownership.

With Super Bowl XXVII, XXVIII and XXX victories, the Cowboys earned the crown as the first team ever to claim three Super Bowls in a four-season span.

2. Hiring Jimmy Johnson as head coach

After firing the only coach the team ever knew in Tom Landry, ending Landry's 29-year run, Jones hired his old Arkansas college teammate Jimmy Johnson.

Johnson and Jones became co-architects of Dallas’ winning culture and the Cowboys hit full stride, improving from going 1-15 in 1989 to winning the Super Bowl in 1992 and 1993.

1. Jones inducted into the Hall of Fame

Jones’ best accomplishment is his impact on the NFL over the past three decades, which led to his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

Jones’ vision influenced the $1.2 billion AT&T Stadium in Arlington and state-of-the-art The Star headquarters in Frisco. He has his detractors, of course. But his leadership echoes throughout the NFL in marketing, branding, sponsorship, television, and stadium management. 

Next up: Jones' worst moves as Cowboys owner ...