Jerry Jones

American businessman who has been the owner, president, and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) since February 1989. He bought the floundering franchise that year and within the span of ten years, he helped to lead the team to three SuperBowl titles and six conference titles. The success of the team has been a testament to the sheer genius of Jones.

As both a salesman and showman, Jones is a decision maker who has never shied away from taking either credit or blame. Especially prevalent with Jones is his ability to market anything, including his team. He managed to make the Cowboys, once again, into "America's Team." Jones also developed the concept of making NFL games into corporate events.

He is an influential man not only within the realms of his team, but also within the realms of the league. Jones holds several seats on NFL committees that are in charge of everything ranging from the formulation of TV contracts to changing the fundamental rules of the game. On the downside, Jones is known as an egomaniac who will win at any cost. He has also been accused of nepotism in appointing several family members to key positions with the Cowboys organization. In addition, the mid-90s saw his team under fire for off-the-field scandals that seemed to be occurring with his players on a seemingly weekly basis.

On 31 January 1993, he had his first Super Bowl victory in Pasadena and his second on 30 January 1994 in Atlanta. After back-to-back Super Bowl wins, the football world was again startled when Jimmy Johnson left, largely due to conflicts with Jones. He was replaced by Barry Switzer on 30 March 1994.

The Cowboys brought in a third Super Bowl victory on 28 January 1996 at 7:49 PM MST in Tempe, Arizona. However there were ongoing conflicts with fellow NFL owners during the 1995-1996 seasons regarding endorsement deals and revenue sharing. NFL instigated a suit against Jones but it was settled out of court.