Jerral Wayne Jones Sr. (born October 13, 1942)[1][2] is an American businessman who is the owner, president, and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL).

[5] In 1989, Jones purchased the Dallas Cowboys for $140 million, and swiftly replaced Tom Landry with Jimmy Johnson as the head coach.

Despite initial criticism for firing beloved personnel, Jones' leadership elevated the franchise's value to an estimated $10 billion.

Criticized for his high visibility and controversial decisions as both owner and general manager, Jones remains a polarizing figure among fans.

Jones also influenced team relocations and faced fines from the NFL for public comments on officiating and labor issues.

After his graduation, Jones' parents moved to Springfield, Missouri, where Pat was president and chairman of Modern Security Life Insurance Co.

[8] With the success of the company, the Joneses assembled the 5,500-acre (2,200 ha) Buena Vista Ranch east of Springfield in Rogersville, Missouri, in the Ozark Mountains.

[11] Other notable teammates were Glen Ray Hines, a consensus All-American offensive tackle; Ken Hatfield, who went on to coach several major programs including Arkansas; Jim Lindsey; future Outland Trophy winner Loyd Phillips; and College Football Hall of Fame linebacker Ronnie Caveness.

[12] According to an interview with Jones on HBO, after graduating from college in 1965, he borrowed a million dollars from Jimmy Hoffa's Teamsters union to open up a string of Shakey's Pizza Parlor restaurants in Missouri.

[13] When that venture failed, Jones was given a job at his father's insurance company, Modern Security Life of Springfield, Missouri.

[16] In 2008, Jones formed a partnership with Yankee Global Enterprises to create Legends Hospitality, a food, beverage, merchandise, retail, and stadium operations corporation serving entertainment venues.

[11] A few months later, Jones fired longtime general manager Tex Schramm and assumed complete control over football matters.

In particular, he was decisive in securing Fox as the NFC's primary broadcaster at a time when the traditional "Big Three" networks were trying to convince the league into accepting a rollback in television rights fees.

Jones stated he did not give consideration to retaining Landry for even a season, as he said he would not have purchased the team unless he could hire Johnson as coach.

[28] Bright had wanted to fire Landry as early as 1987, only to have general manager Tex Schramm tell him that there wasn't a suitable replacement available.

[36] Jones and Mike Brown of the Cincinnati Bengals are the only two active NFL owners who have the title or powers of general manager.

Jones stated that working as his own general manager helps streamline decision-making and communication lines with the coaching staff.

Jones "crossed the line", drawing a "six-figure" fine, sources said, as the commissioner distributed a memo to all 32 owners, along with a reminder that the gag order remains in effect.

[43] Jones was the inspiration for the character Baxter Cain (Robert Vaughn), owner of the Dallas Felons, in the 1998 film BASEketball.

[44] Jones also appeared in a 2013 Pepsi commercial, walking into an elevator filled with three men wearing New York Giants apparel, who look at him with discontent.

In one scene, Jones is depicted as having huge, bulging chameleon-like eyes, as a young woman's head pops up from his lap.

He appeared as himself in the ninth episode of Landman,[47] titled "Wolf Camp", alongside Billy Bob Thorton and Jon Hamm.

[55][56] Jones revealed in July 2015 at a press conference before Cowboys training camp that he had undergone hip replacement surgery, joking that he would not start the season on the PUP list.