Jerry Jones Says Jimmy Johnson is Inspiration for Cowboys Playing in Hall of Fame Game
FRISCO - What's the No. 1 reason the Dallas Cowboys are playing in the 2020 Hall of Fame preseason game in Canton?
Jimmy Johnson.
“We are very excited about being named to play in the Hall of Fame Game this year,'' Jones said on Tuesday morning, shortly after the NFL's announcement that it will be the Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers who will kick off off the preseason on Thursday, Aug. 6 at 7 p.m. CT in Canton. "When we learned that Jimmy Johnson would be involved in the August (and not September) ceremony in Canton, we approached the Hall of Fame and expressed a strong interest in being a part of honoring his legacy and induction by bringing our team and Cowboys fans to Canton.”
And so the Hall of Fame will feature a Dallas Cowboys flavor - on the stage and on the field.
The NFL generally selects the participating teams based on the buzz surrounding that year’s inductees. In this case, Jerry's Cowboys want to be part of that buzz ... And this season’s Hall of Fame newcomers certainly have a Dallas and Pittsburgh flavor.
Representing the Cowboys are former coach Jimmy Johnson and safety Cliff Harris. (Representing the Steelers are finer coach Bill Cowher and defensive backs Donnie Shell and Troy Polamalu.) But Harris will be inducted in a September 18 ceremony as part of the Centennial Class. Johnson will be part of the August event.
And so, so will Jerry's Cowboys.
Dallas last played in the game in 2017 in conjunction with Jerry Jones’ induction. That created a long summer for the Cowboys featuring lots of travel - from Dallas to Oxnard (likely with a July 21 start to training camp) to Canton and back - but the logistical challenges aside, it all sets up age in to be a memorable experience for Cowboys Nation.
