Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has been pulling the strings for his football team since he purchased the franchise back in 1989. Under his watch, the Cowboys have grown to become the most valuable NFL franchise and American sports team in the nation, estimated to be worth $8 billion, according to Forbes.
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Every step of the way, his wife Gene Jones has been right there. Jones' life has been a wild one, but most of it has included Gene, who he met all the way back in college.
Jerry Jones: From Arkansas Heartthrob to Mega Owner
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Before getting to know Jerry's wife, you have to understand his story. Jones was born in Los Angeles, California, but was raised in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Jones was a star running back at North Little Rock High School, but ended up playing as an offensive lineman in college at Arkansas, where he won a national championship in 1964. It was on that championship team that Jones met Jimmy Johnson, the man whom he'd later hire as head coach of the Cowboys.
Jones attempted various business ventures after college, including buying the American Football League's San Diego Chargers, but his success in business didn't take off until he founded Jones Oil and Land Lease, and soon thereafter, his purchase of the Cowboys, which ultimately led to him achieving his status as a billionaire.
Flashback: Co-captain of the National Champion Arkansas Razorbacks Jerry Jones & his wife at homecoming in 1964 pic.twitter.com/3mpfpNRLFh
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) October 5, 2015
After becoming owner of the NFL team, Jones fired general manager Tom Landry and stepped into the role himself. Cowboys fans were likely less than thrilled about the slow start, but Jones and Jimmy Johnson managed to morph the team into perennial playoff contenders out of the NFC.
Led by star quarterback Troy Aikman, the Cowboys ended up winning three Super Bowls in Jones' first decade in command. Due to his success as an owner, Jones was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
For all the success the Cowboys have seen under Jones' leadership, perhaps Jerry's biggest accomplishment in life is his relationship with his wife, Eugenia, which has been going strong since 1963.
Jerry Jones Met His Wife Gene on a Blind Date
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Jerry Jones and wife Gene Jones, formerly Eugenia Chambers, have been married for 60 years, and officially tied the knot back in 1963. Both Jerry and Eugenia attended the University of Arkansas, where Jerry was a football star for the Razorbacks and Eugenia was a freshman on campus.
Believe it or not, North Texas' biggest power couple's first date was in fact a blind date, much like Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen, who met on a blind date in New York.
Jones, being a college football co-captain at the time, was a big shot on campus in Fayetteville. Despite not having met one another, Jerry and Eugenia Jones went to dinner and the state fair together, alongside some of their friends.
While at the fair, Jones struggled to win her a prize teddy bear, and ended up buying one for her instead. Possibly a bit of foreshadowing as to his spending power in the future.
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Clearly Jerry's charm worked on Gene and the pair are happily married with three children: Stephen Jones, Jerry Jones Jr., and Charlotte Jones.
The entire family is involved with the franchise. Stephen is currently employed by the Dallas Cowboys as the organization's CEO and director of player personnel, while Jerry Jr. acts as the chief marketing officer and chief sales officer. Charlotte is the chief brand officer. All three children also act as executive vice president for the Cowboys. The Jones family boasts a monumental net worth of billions of dollars, largely due to their ownership of the Cowboys and AT&T Stadium.
While Gene spends far less time in the spotlight than Jerry, the couple have remained happy together for over half a century, so something seems to be working.
