IRVING, Texas– Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones will be inducted as a charter member of the National Football Foundation's Leadership Hall of Fame on Thursday night.
Jones, whose induction was announced this past summer, will be honored during an event Oct. 3 at the Omni Dallas Hotel.
"Jerry Jones has established himself as one of our nation's top businessmen with a desire to win that is eclipsed by no one," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "He honed his leadership skills early in life as an All-Southwest Conference player for Hall of Fame coach Frank Broyles on the 1964 national championship Razorback team, and he has built on those successes ever since. We are thrilled to have him as a charter NFF Leadership Hall of Fame inductee."
The NFF announced the creation of the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame in May. The new platform provides the organization with a powerful vehicle for recognizing the country's most influential individuals who have ascended to the highest levels of success and exhibited the critical leadership qualities that transcend ordinary enterprises.
"Jerry Jones cares deeply about the future of football, and he has been a great supporter for the NFF and its mission to protect the game for subsequent generations," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "He fully understands the power the sport commands in our society today, and he knows firsthand the value the sport can play in transforming young lives by teaching valuable lifelong lessons and creating educational opportunities. His accomplishments and commitment to the sport make him the perfect person to help us launch the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame. We are thankful for his contributions on many, many levels."
Inductees into the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame must exhibit a passion for the NFF's mission of building leaders through football, and their accomplishments must embody the same qualities in amateur football that define excellence in American life: hard work, discipline, determination, teamwork, integrity and the relentless pursuit to improve. Each inductee's accomplishments will be enshrined in an exhibit at the new College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta as role models for future generations to emulate. [embedded_ad]
"I think it's fantastic. He's such an iconic figure in football – he really is – and I think that's the right word," said Cowboys coach Jason Garrett. "You've heard me say this a lot: his passion for the National Football League, his passion for all levels of football is really, really high. He's made such a significant difference in the 25 years he's owned this football team."
At Thursday night's event, Jones' outstanding record of leadership and many contributions to the sports business world and the community will be highlighted along with the role football played in his life. Jones joins George Pyne, the president of IMG Worldwide Sports and Entertainment, as a charter inductee into the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame.
Proceeds from the event will go to support the NFF's "I Played Football" campaign, which is a series of public service announcements that will emphasize the value of the sport in the lives of many of our nation's greatest leaders. The campaign will kick off this fall, featuring a 30-second TV spot with GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt who played offensive tackle at Dartmouth College.
