It’s easy to see Jerry Jones as just another billionaire who owns an incredibly valuable team. Helicopter purchases for the team, travelling to road games in a private jet, and turning up in the biggest suite at AT&T Stadium for home games. He fits the profile. But make no mistake, Jerry Jones hasn’t forgotten his roots.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Last night, he proved the same thing, making a kind gesture for a player in his second year with the Dallas Cowboys. As the team ended the road game in Houston with a win, there was one player who made an early exit alongside Jones.
As Brian Schottenheimer revealed, “There’s no one more excited in that locker room right now than George Pickens. Well, maybe. Shemar James’ wife is in labor, and he’ll be flying home with the Joneses. And that’s pretty cool. So, praying for an easy delivery, and God is good.”
In a short clip shared by the Cowboys on X, a jubilant Schottenheimer was seen pumping up the team and the notable players from the game for their work. Shemar James appeared at the end of the video wrapped in a towel, cheered with the team once, and rushed out of the room.
James’ wife Erica had revealed the couple was expecting a child a few weeks ago as they returned from Oxnard. She went into labor right as the Cowboys sealed their win against the Texans, one that saw Shemar rack up two solo tackles.
When Jones found out about James’ situation, he took the young linebacker with him to see his child. But that’s not all! Jones’ help went beyond just offering a plane ride back.
A latter update by MLFootball revealed that Jerry Jones went even further to support his player. Not only did the Cowboys owner bring James aboard his private flight back to Dallas, but he also personally arranged an escort to transport the linebacker straight from the runway to the hospital. Recognizing the agonizing pressure of the race against time, Jones stepped in to eliminate every possible delay, ensuring James reached his wife’s side as quickly as humanly possible.
That’s been part of his approach as the team’s owner. Thirty-seven years ago, when Jerry Jones put his entire fortune on the line to purchase a team that seemed to be leaking money, he wasn’t just purchasing a franchise. He wanted to be involved in every aspect of it: right from the business to his relationships with players, whether it’s on or off the field. He’s proved it every single time.
When Michael Irvin lay motionless on the ground with a neck injury that made people fear the worst, it was Jones right by his side, riding in the ambulance along with Irvin.
When Nate Newton, the guard who won Super Bowls with the team back in the 1990s, ran into legal trouble multiple times after his career ended, even serving a sentence in prison, he found a supportive figure in Jones.
“He ain’t never turned his back on me. He’s always had a few kind words for me. There ain’t no doubt in my mind where I stand when it comes to Mr. Jones.”
And he wasn’t alone. Early on in Dez Bryant’s career, Jones helped him take care of his finances, after he had put himself on a difficult path with expensive jewellery purchases. Bryant knew how valuable Jones’ advice was.
“I learned a lot of stuff from Jerry, especially with my own business. A lot of my work and a lot of my mind came from him. It’s just the way he inspires people. The way he goes about his business is everything. If you don’t love him, by the time [you’re done meeting him] you’re going to love him. He’s got that effect on people.”
And that’s the biggest thing about Jones. He hasn’t just been someone who wants to win Super Bowl rings with the franchise. Jones wants his players to succeed and truly takes care of them, no matter their history. That’s the reason why, when three Cowboys players, Michael Irvin, Emmitt Smith and Larry Allen, were inducted into the Hall of Fame, they asked Jones to present them during the ceremony.
It’s the same sentiment the likes of Tony Romo, Dave Campo, Darren Woodson, Dat Nguyen, and Greg Ellis have emphasized.
The lack of trophies, playoffs, or disappointing seasons hasn’t changed what Jones has done for his players, and in the words of Dez Bryant:
“Jerry Jones is the greatest of all time.”