Without a doubt, I always anticipated your presence. I am grateful. I appreciate your presence, individuals. Seated in the back, the Cowboy group, there’s a squad, I am aware.
I’m extremely grateful to be getting none other than my ’17 classmates, these guys. I can’t express enough how much I appreciate standing here at the Hall of Fame – without mentioning the name David Baker. I’d like to start by thanking the City of Canton.
To accomplish further, it motivates and uplifts me, but it not only uplifts me when I contemplate the sacrifice they’ve made and the significance of being present with them this evening.
The initial meeting of the NFL’s owners took place in that location. In fact, it occurred in an automobile showroom. The birthplace of the NFL was just a short distance away. Canton is the sole destination on the planet that unites the most exceptional individuals who have played, coached, or made significant contributions to the sport.
Innovators, creators, and pioneers. DeBartolo, Rooney, Mara, Hunt, Wilson, Schramm, Brown, Rozelle, they were all present. All-Americans of a room full, I felt like a freshman walk-on. I must admit, I was overwhelmed. I vividly recall my initial encounter with the team owners.
I was really scared when I entered that room. I was very scared. As a young man, I had made many decisions and experienced many failures. Some of them definitely threatened my family’s financial future. I had actually become afraid of what is known as the “business” of heights. Even in my mind, I exaggerated the kind of risk that buying the Dallas Cowboys was.
Keep persevering and don’t show anyone your fear, and just tighten it a bit more, fasten that chinstrap, clench your teeth if you’re scared, Jimmy. Be ready: Don’t avoid that obstacle, football kicked in. However, I understood that the time to act had arrived.
It truly is. You quickly discover that it’s genuinely humiliating to fall flat on your face when you fail more often than you succeed as a young man, I pursued success.
I will inform you that when you are feeling down, you are part of the opposing team. That particular situation was difficult. On the 13th squad, Frank Broyles, who once considered me for a position, gave me the opportunity to compete under his leadership at the University of Arkansas.
It becomes a battle of wills when your desire to win demands that you be stronger than the man in front of you, across from you. You’re not pretty anymore. You’re tired. The life lesson was that games won in the fourth quarter were from Coach Broyles.
By my senior year, I learned that if you play in a game and be a starter on a team that won the National Championship, you become a special part of a team and your teammates will never be the same again.
I may have possibly formed a team of friends for life. Right there, I’m actually starting to sit with Jimmy Johnson. He is a big leader for us. It’s possible that the team that Billy Moore, All-American, and Fred Marshall, Ronnie Caveness, Jim Lindsey, and Jerry Lamb helped create, might have been the best competitor I have ever seen or had the chance to play with.
He taught me the importance of perseverance. It’s a very simple concept, but I am grateful to him for it. We have been coached really well by Coach Broyles. However, now we are struggling in the fourth quarter. He was talking a long time ago.
Currently, I must inform you that, if I had been aware of the amount I am currently paying them, I would have pursued a career in coaching. Coaching didn’t offer much financial reward, but I quickly realized that coaching was something I was passionate about. My experience as a college player motivated me to consider pursuing football as a profession.
(Laughter.)…..
I aspire to be in the NFL. Every day, I think about it. Every day, I think about it. I talked about it all the time. Football stayed with me.
When I found out, while I was reading the newspaper and consuming a substantial amount of coffee, that the Dallas Cowboys were available for purchase, I don’t understand why, but the following morning I woke up feeling quite unwell. Unexplainably, I found myself on a fishing excursion with my son in Mexico in the year 1988.
Despite the hangover, I’m determined to make it back to the United States if I live in Dallas. “You don’t know me from Adam,” I said, and I found a phone in the lobby connecting with someone on the other end, Jerry Jones.
I am really aware that being in the NFL and having a chance to be with the Dallas Cowboys means everything to me.
It was high time to face reality. It was time to stop talking and start taking action. I had dreamt about this moment where I had finally secured a stable financial position, and it seemed like I had narrowly avoided several obstacles. In just one month, the Dallas Cowboys lost a million dollars in cash. The team was in complete disarray. The economy was in a state of chaos.
I was really afraid of failing, like someone who is afraid of heights in the business world, so I bought the Dallas Cowboys, because at that time I felt as if I was walking on a tightrope, stringing it from the Empire State Building next to the tallest building in New York.
Tom Landry, the iconic coach of the Dallas Cowboys, is sitting right here, honoring me and his son. He was an icon and remains a part of the Cowboys’ history, being the only coach to lead the team for 29 years. It was a very painful experience. It was extremely challenging. The first order of business was to hire people who wanted to be a part of the Cowboys.
I am greatly grateful to those three individuals. The support they provided, I would not have been able to establish the Cowboys today without it. Among the spectators, there is Gil Brandt, who represents Tom Landry and Tex Schramm. If it weren’t for Tom Landry, Tex Schramm, and Gil Brandt, I would not have reached this point.
Jimmy Johnson desired someone who could be our coach. I wanted someone who could get it done. I was well aware that I wanted someone. I was aware that I wanted someone. There was no easy way to do it. There was no real easy way to do it. The changes were truly inevitable.
(Applause and cheers.)
It was my first experience as a general manager and owner, making a very unpopular and difficult decision. Of course, when I said it, the town laughed at me. I was sure I would get out of town. He said that he would be worth five first-round draft choices or five Heisman Trophy winners.
Thank you. I endured all the feedback they could offer. We had resilience, we were motivated, we were united. Alongside our supporters, we reinstated the Cowboys’ reputation for five years and collaborated exceptionally, contrary to common belief. You were an exceptional collaborator. You were an exceptional teammate. It was an excellent choice, Jimmy.
(Applause and cheers.)
Troy Aikman was the one. It was a no-brainer choice because we were so lucky to be so lucky. We got the first pick in the draft. We had the worst team in the NFL. Well, it didn’t start out so well but.
(Applause and cheers.)
How fortunate can you be to get someone of Troy’s character and stature in the first pick of the draft? He was a champion and someone I knew who could build a championship team around. He had the talent to handle the weight of the world, the integrity, and the toughness. If you had a shot at it, you’d stand there and take it first.
Jerry said, “Let’s sit down and think about it, guys.” He added, “I’ll never forget to call Jimmy.” Jimmy had worked with our group’s staff.
With all of our excitement and enthusiasm, we went out that first year and just won one football game in 1989. But things soon changed. They changed with really great ability and great passion. Men like Michael Irvin, who had joined the Cowboys a year early, but Jimmy had coached in Miami, a person who has more magnetism, charisma and heart than any player I’ve ever known. Michael Irvin. (Applause and cheers.) Someone who is fallible, but so am I.
Smith Emmitt, a man who came into the league and created a goal of becoming the NFL’s all-time record rushing rookie. If I’ve ever seen a man of goals, it’s him, and he went out and won it.
In my mind, Larry Allen is the greatest guard who ever played in the NFL, someone who overcame more odds and made the most out of every opportunity.
Thank you, individuals. I am eternally appreciative, and that is a privilege as significant as the one this evening. They permitted me to accompany them on this platform as their presenter for the Hall of Fame. Larry, you acquainted me with Canton; Michael, Emmitt, you introduced me to Kevin.
(Applause and cheers.)
The Cowboys eventually reacquired him. We resolved the issue. However, he did. The selection of new players enabled us to effectively construct the Dallas Cowboys, who then traded him to Minnesota in a deal that Herschel had the option to decline. It’s worth noting Herschel Walker.
Herschel, I will forever express my gratitude to you. The key ingredient to forming an exceptional team is the readiness to assist us in achieving the objective I am grateful to him for, and that is why I am immensely indebted to him.
The doll captures that unfortunate individual. The most stunning trophy ever seen – the mighty samurai warrior – now belongs to the winner of this Tokyo preseason Bowl. “Well,” he said, as I caught sight of a little 12-inch geisha doll. I then saw this enormous samurai warrior, who was as tall as me, and I looked prepared for this ceremony. I was watching from the sidelines, and at halftime, Warren’s team was leading by 14 points. At that particular moment, they were better than us. And sitting on the stage tonight was none other than Warren Moon. We played against the Houston Oilers. We had a preseason game in Tokyo. Our team was performing well. It was the year 1992.
(Laughter.)…..
I would like to win the trophy. We haven’t won crap, you know. Jimmy, I have seen what’s going on over on the other sideline, and I said it to Jimmy and hurried over there.
(Laughter.)…..
“We’re game for trying to get something ready in this preseason, and we know these preseason plays are not really in our best interest. “We’ve had Aikman out since the first eight plays, you know, Jerry,” he said.”
Well, of course, Bud Adams from Houston won a great samurai trophy when I took that little geisha doll home from Tokyo, Japan to Dallas, Texas. Don’t you pout when it’s a long journey!
(Laughter.)…..
Oh, I attempted as we crossed California, but no one would engage in conversation with me thereafter.
“Jerry, do you prefer having that cursed Samurai warrior return to Tokyo or receiving this Lombardi Trophy?” Jimmy asked as he presented us with the trophy. Paul Tagliabue, the Commissioner of the NFL, presents us with the Lombardi Trophy while we stand in the Rose Bowl. Fast forward about five or six months.”
(Celebration and applause.)
In Arizona, our group, headed by Barry Switzer, accomplished it when no group had ever triumphed three Super Bowls in a four-year span before 1995. Surely a dynasty was created in Atlanta, and we repeated it one year later. Football has the power to transform lives in that way. Emerging victorious in the Super Bowl will forever hold a unique significance.
If any, the addition of firepower was considered for a Super Bowl run. The game we won in Atlanta and played saw the loss of 10 key players who were starters for the Cowboys, which diminished our depth. The challenge to win that third Super Bowl became more difficult with the introduction of free agency to the NFL.
We acquired Deion Sanders on our team. Deion Sanders was a free agent. Before the Super Bowl, Deion Sanders had stayed with us in a house in San Francisco. Therefore, we made our own move in free agency.
Barry Switzer walked into a hornet’s nest and never flinched. He also got drafted by Allen Larry and joined Jimmy Johnson in an exclusive club. He became the second college coach to lead a team to a national collegiate championship and a Super Bowl title. What a great job, Barry!
Throughout our journey, I became acquainted with members of the media who have contributed to the growth of our game, such as Charean Williams, Chris Mortensen, John McClain, John Clayton, Jarrett Bell, and Peter King.
I wouldn’t be here without him. In any era of the National Football League, I also want to make a special mention of Rick Gosselin, one of the greatest writers to ever cover it, known as “Goose.”
John Madden, more than anyone I’ve ever known, stands for the virtues of football. His love for this sport and respect for the beliefs in it are unmatched. He is a special person in my life, someone who has been incredibly important.
Keep in mind that it may remind you of numerous things. Each other will discuss when the lights in the Hall go out tonight, he talked about how they did. John held his audience in the palm of his hand, just as he always did on that day. John was immortalized here in the Hall of Fame in 2006.
Thank you, John. The way you communicate with me and the way you look after me mean a lot to me. I can’t wait to see you and talk to you. I know you’re watching me when the lights in the hall are turned off. John, I love you.
What could we do to make it better? I always knew how we could go to the next level. As a young person, I always knew why this game was great and why it had such value, especially as someone who owned a team.
For some time now, we have players, coaches, and owners who value their chance to carry the ball. Currently, we have Roger Goodell as a leader who truly abides by that principle.
We have a really great vision for the future of this game, guys. We are fortunate to have brilliant individuals like Dan Snyder on our team. We also have the Tisches and John Mara. We are in the NFC East division.
If we manage to maintain our position at the forefront, I will make an effort to be actively involved, ensuring that everything remains dynamic and lively. If it is within God’s plan, the game will continue to be exceptional. It will endure and flourish for future generations. We do not fear. Instead, we eagerly welcome what lies ahead. We confront these challenges directly and without hesitation.
I really love remembering what Bates Bill, Johnston Daryl, Newton Nate, Williams Eric, Novacek Jay, Deion, Woodson Darren, and Haley Charles meant to our team. I would just like to recognize a few of them by saying their names because I really love them all.
Of course, it’s Garrett Jason, followed by Gailey Chan Campo Dave. I have never enjoyed anyone more than you. Thank you, Bill, for giving your all. Wade, our head coaches, I’m so proud of the work you did to win the Super Bowl, partner.
And then there are the Cowboys of recent years. Tony Romo. (Applause and cheers.) No quarterback in Cowboys history was asked to carry as much of the load for his team as Tony. He beat all the odds and delivered some of the most remarkable plays and unforgettable performances in our team history.
No. 82, Jason Witten. (Applause and cheers.) Jason’s right there at the top five of all the men, owners, commissioners, players that I’ve met in the NFL. Not players, people. He exudes character and class. And, Jason, I’ve never been prouder. Last year when we opened our training camp, and there you were with all the survivors of those brave policemen that are dead, and there you were with all of them recognizing what they’ve done for the City of Dallas. Our mayor’s here. Thank you, Jason. (Applause and cheers.) Jason will be here. He’ll have one of these jackets. I hope he doesn’t start his five-year clock running. It takes five years for a player.
Hey DeMarcus. Prior to Witten, he will reach Canton. I am proud of him for that Super Bowl championship; connected to it, I just wish the Cowboy had it.
Away from the field, I’ve got to mention Marylyn Love. Marylyn has been my assistant for over 40 years. (Applause and cheers.) If the truth be told, she runs the Cowboys. She is the team mom and tells me that every single day.
My mom was always there for him. I will always remember that my mom gave me something that is the edge of life, sitting around the breakfast table, he gave me that vision and inspiration. But my dad could outsell me from 1 to 10. I was very entrepreneurial, but with meager resources. They were businesspeople, but exceptional teachers were my parents.
They are proud and smiling. I am proud of you. That’s the way you do it in America, and they came from sharecroppers and beat the ground. They came from large families. I saw them when they beat the ground.
The greatest joy I’ve ever had in my life has been the opportunity to work with my daughter Charlotte and my sons Jerry and Stephen when I was coaching youth football. It was so much fun and I grew into a bigger experience as their coach.
The father was the one who benefited the most from the entire situation. When I had to do it, I believed that the time I spent there would be for their benefit. However, I genuinely believed this because I was occupied and had numerous financial obligations, you know.
My inspiration is my backbone. I work hard to get credit for their ideas. It is a blessing to have your passion and genetics, and to have the opportunity to work on a daily basis with three people who share your name.
Stephen, who was concerned about the structure of the salary cap at that time, well. Are we not going to do it? Are we not going to do it? Of course, that’s why we’re all here tonight, “Well,” I said, “are you really going to do this?” “You said,” I said, and Stephen puts his arm around me, pushes me against the door, and grabs me, just as I cut the deal, it’s time, Stephen, “Well,” I said, and I came back to the room. He was in the other room – heaven bless you, Eugene; Eugene Parker, God bless you – the love of my life, Eugene Parker, Deion’s agent, and we were in one room negotiating Deion’s contract when my sparring partner, sometimes my barometer, my advocate, my devil’s advocate, he’s been by my side since Day 1.
Thank you, Stephen, for this big part of the award. He devotes his time to the daily operation and also dedicates his time to the League. He pours his time into the daily operation. He has been with me through the best days and the most difficult times. I can’t imagine not having him by my side, and we still go forth and back every day.
(Applause and cheers.)
I’m deeply grateful that the NFL gives her the opportunity to be involved at the league level, as she is a person who values the safety and health of our game and is committed to securing its future. She is as much a part of securing the future of our game in terms of perspective on safety and health as any person in this country. She was raised playing high school football and has two boys of her own. She is beautiful and smart. My daughter, Charlotte, is a leader in women’s sports.
Some of the mothers are considering signing a slip of permission for football, as they need to observe what Charlotte does and listen to ensure a safe future for our sport at the youth level.
The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign commences, it commences when we play. Her enthusiasm ignited every Thanksgiving Day. She dedicated seven years of service. The first woman in 125 years was appointed as the National Chairman of the Salvation Army Advisory Board. She indeed was.
Charlotte, I want to express my gratitude. I am truly proud. I know firsthand that Thanksgiving Day is of great interest to many people because it involves football. We have witnessed how the Red Kettle campaign has helped millions of people, with over 70 million individuals watching and as many as 60 million actively participating. We have also had the privilege of having millions of volunteers who have contributed to these efforts. Rest assured, we are committed to continuing these endeavors and ensuring that we make it to the next Super Bowl.
(Applause.)….
Thank you, Jerry. Jerry Jones is always finding new ways to frustrate me, so I understand why he’s frustrated. And just like the apple falling closest to the tree, Jerry Jones is a pit bull. He’s like a baby to me. He’s my namesake. He’s the one I want to grab by the throat every other day, because that’s how much he annoys me. Jr. Jerry is my favorite.
(Applause.)….
As a part of the NFL, we have never skipped a single football match ever since she started hosting for our friends and guests for more than 597 football games since 1989. Only you have the ability to bring a warm and compassionate atmosphere that has always represented this family, so you are my presenter for tonight. When it came to reaching the center, I truly lacked the strength, but you, my wife Gene, have always kept me on track.
(Applause and cheers.)
After Jimmy made a mistake and we went our separate paths.
(Laughter.)…..
And, Kenny Easley, there will be no admissions here tonight.
When you can’t stand it anymore, I said, “What did I say? Just shut up and stop getting yourself into a mess.” And after a minute of lying there, I can imagine anything as silent as it is. Gene has been watching the news and finding out about it, of course, and I have come home.
Stephen’s spouse, Karen; Charlotte’s spouse, Shy; Jerry’s spouse, Lori. It might be the most crucial lesson I imparted to them – our offspring are fortunate to have exceptional partners. They have bestowed upon us the most valuable present that any grandparent could desire: nine of the most cherished grandchildren – a multitude of accomplished grandchildren playing in our backyard. I express my gratitude to all of you.
(Applause.)….
The winning play of the game was present, and it was spectacular. Jay Novacek stood in that very spot, and he threw the ball. It appeared as if he didn’t even glance at his target due to the pressure, it seemed that way. Troy Aikman stepped back, in fact, it was a crucial moment in the football game.
And he replied, “Oh, I was aware that Jay would be present. He’s consistently present.” Someone inquired, “Troy, it seemed like you didn’t even glance. How did you hurl the ball?” After the match, as I’ve been informed.
That is my family. You all are always present.
(Applause.)….
Proceed and demonstrate it not only to teach football but also to teach life skills in his life. There was someone who was scared, someone who didn’t play football, but I will tell you that he does. I knew someone who was a borderline genius, someone who hires his college teammate for the greatest adventure ever. There are no excuses for failing to learn, are there? How do we get here by playing football?
Adversity taught me the art of smiling, said Irvin Michael. It was when things got rough that he laughed even louder. He used to play football, being a football player himself. Frank Broyles taught me that the games were won in the fourth quarter. He was a football coach.
Are we proud of them? I wanted to make sure that Nike was a part of the NFL, but we worked really hard and got it. At the time, I had the opportunity to sue the league for $700 million and I considered turning around and doing so. When I did, the league sued me for $300 million, and that’s when Nike and Phil Knight were introduced. Sometimes I did things that rubbed people the wrong way, and sometimes I went against the grain.
Thank you, Phil. The coat I’m wearing tonight, which was sent to me, was made in my locker room the other night, Phil Knight, and Phil.
(Applause and cheers.)
Thank you so much. Thanks, Rupert. No one recognized the worth that he recognized, and he possessed bravery, my goodness, but considering the networks, it was quite a established circumstance he was entering, wasn’t it. He harbored an aspiration. Rupert Murdoch possessed a perspective. Rupert Murdoch.
They were odd men out and it was Fox now, because Pat Summerall asked them to debate on CBS. He also asked me to go on “Nightline” and Rupert negotiated the NFL contract. After that, we had a show on “Nightline”.
How did they manage to get it done? Did they have any talent? How were they planning to show our games to everybody? Even Fox didn’t cover the entire United States – God bless you, Pat. And Pat aptly pointed out that they are a great friend.
The clock was ticking so urgently. It was all done and dusted yesterday, but it didn’t really spread around. I had put everything into the world, but I burned all the boats. I am known for knowing how to get things done, but I don’t really know how I did it. When I bought the Cowboys, there was one thing that someone said.
The game of football has been made possible for us by the men who have stood on the shoulders of those who have made this happen for us. We have got what we have in store for the future of this great game because of the interest and urgency that men like them have brought to our great game.
In football, if you can feel as good as you do when you make six touchdowns in a day, and if you can look at yourself in the mirror, then you are doing well. However, nobody in the world knows about it when you hit your teammates in the film the next day. You can make a block in the line, which is what football is all about.
Why ask for a reason for keeping only yourself in this world, and why is there no reason for it?
We are a family filled with love and a passion for football. We have always been inspired by the dreams that football represents. I have always regretted not pursuing dance, but I have also missed out on the pain that comes with it. As we look back on our lives, we realize that the memories of Brooks Garth will always hold a special place in our hearts.
The fans of the Dallas Cowboys are the greatest fans on Earth. They are the heartbeat of the game. I am a fan. I want to thank you for being there tonight. I might use whatever skills I have to help move the ball forward and work to be a part of this great game. Obviously, I had the chance to have this opportunity, folks.
(Applause and cheers.)
I love the fans of Massillon High School. I love the fans of the Redskin, Eagle, and Giant teams. I am here in this town because I love the fans of McKinley. I love the game, and I love you because you are here tonight. I also love it because I am here. Thank you, guys.
(Applause and cheers.)