Jerry Jones: "Knock on the Door"

Jerry Jones, the Arkansas oilman who purchased the Dallas Cowboys for $140 million in 1989 and has turned the Cowboys into a franchise worth more than $4 billion, and was general manager for the three Dallas Super Bowls, was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on February 4 as a Contributor.

Jones will now have a Bronze Bust in Canton to go with the three Super Bowl trophies (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX) he won as the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, and his $1.2 billion showcase that set a new standard for NFL stadiums (AT&T Stadium).

The Cowboys esteemed owner is the sixth member associated with the Cowboys of the 1990s, who won three Super Bowl titles in a four-year span, to be elected into the Hall of Fame. Jones now sits alongside Gold Jackets: Troy Aikman, Larry Allen, Michael Irvin, Deion Sanders and Emmitt Smith who were all a part of those great dynasties. He will also be remembered for being the first NFL owner whose team went to the Super Bowl four times in his first seven years with the franchise.

Just moments after the announcement, Jones recounted the events that occurred in his Houston hotel room when he heard the famous knock at the door – the arrival of Pro Football Hall of Fame President David Baker to tell him the good news, “You are going to Canton.”

“I was with my family. I have tremendous family involvement in everything that I’ve done in sport,” said Jones at the NFL Honors awards show. “I’ve had family around me in my love for football and my love for the people that are in sports.”

Shortly after being revealed as a Hall of Famer, Jones took to a small stage with his fellow Class of 2017 members – LaDainian Tomlinson, Jason Taylor, Kurt Warner, Kenny Easley, Terrell Davis and Morten Anderson.

Jones is now a part of one of the elite football fraternities in the world. His legacy will be cemented in Canton, Ohio forever. He is widely involved in NFL ownership committees, including marketing, sponsorship, television, stadium management, labor negotiations and television. He continues to push past the limits and expand the values of the game globally.