We’re used to seeing the stoic, hard-hitting personality of Jerry Jones. But when Jerry Jones sat down with reporters this summer and revealed his decade-long battle with stage-4 melanoma, it felt like we were seeing a side of him we had never truly witnessed before. And it just underscored how much he loves his franchise.

If you’re wondering how Jerry upheld the front office responsibilities whilst dealing with stage-4 cancer? It’s because of the strength he found through the locker room. “It was motivational. It basically gave strength. And again, I can look no further than the players on the field out there. These guys play hurt all the time. And there’s no question that being around that atmosphere makes you realise that it’s okay if you don’t feel alright,” he said.

He basically said that if they can show up on the field hurt, why can’t I? And it’s not surprising that he feels this way. Remember when CeeDee Lamb played through the pain of an excruciating shoulder injury? Or when Jalen Tolbert was willing to play with a broken finger?

It’s impossible to witness your players willing to play through some of the worst pains you can possibly experience as a football player and not be inspired. That’s exactly what happened with Jerry Jones. Walking the halls at The Star, hearing music blaring at practice, and watching players shake off knocks to keep grinding clearly left its mark on him. And that’s probably the reason he still is the Cowboys‘ GM.

He also talked about the hardships the common people have to endure every single day. “Millions of people are dealing with setbacks every day,” Jones said. “You’ve gotta keep that in mind all the way through.” There’s a saying that tells you to look around the world and you’ll realize how good you have it. That’s the saying Jerry Jones lives by.

And your respect for Jerry Jones as a man will definitely rise after you take a look at the battle through which he’s endured. He never made it a big deal in public. But when he finally opened up about the cancer battle, you’ll understand the depth of what he went through.

Jerry Jones opens up on the cancer battle

Jones didn’t hold back on the details, laying out a timeline that sounded more like a medical chart than an owner’s press conference. He revealed he was first diagnosed with stage-4 melanoma in June 2010, endured four surgeries. Two on his lungs and two on lymph nodes.

And later, he turned to an experimental PD-1 immunotherapy trial at MD Anderson. The treatment, which he admitted was both grueling and “experimental,” came with heavy side effects like joint pain and stress. Still, after going through cycles “two, three times every month” for stretches, Jones eventually got the news he was clear of melanoma.

And we’re lucky to still have him with us, thanks to modern PD-1 treatments. The survival rates have dramatically improved because of them. Recent trials show some patients living multiple years, with five-year survival rates climbing into the 40–50% range when using combination or sequential immunotherapy approaches.

That’s why Jerry kept on with the praise and called the trial “amazing” and “life-saving.” And it’s all because of the people who were there for him. To quote Jerry, “You don’t like to think about your mortality, but I was so fortunate to have some great people that sent me in the right direction. I’m proud to get to be sitting here with you guys and be getting to do what we do.”