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Cowboys owner's son takes more visible role with team
Posted Tuesday, Sep. 04, 2012
By Carlos Mendez
cmendez@star-telegram
In training camp, Stephen Jones gave a radio interview in which he said Morris Claiborne needed to start practicing because he couldn't "make the club in the tub."
An interesting quote, but not unusual. Everybody knew it was in the best interest of the Cowboys and Claiborne, their No. 1 pick sidelined by an achy knee, for him to start practicing as soon as possible.
But the comment gained national traction.
Reporters followed up. Jones had to explain and re-explain that he was not at odds with the rookie. From his perspective, it was just a general thought about injured players needing to get back on the field.
But the statement's impact was evidence of the growing public stature Stephen Jones is gaining in the Cowboys' organization. As much as his father, team owner Jerry Jones, Stephen is becoming a representative voice of the team.
After 23 years with the Cowboys, it is a natural progression for the oldest of Jerry Jones' three children.
Stephen, 48, has long been the chief operating officer and executive vice president, in charge of the salary cap, free agency and contract negotiations.
But in recent years, he has been steering the team as a behind-the-scenes general manager. He gets credit for convincing his father to release Terrell Owens three years ago, for managing much of the team's daily business while Jerry Jones promoted the building of Cowboys Stadium, and for creating salary room despite the releases of high-priced veterans like Marion Barber.
This year, he added the title of pro personnel director.
He has two weekly radio shows, like his father. He spoke frequently to reporters in training camp, like his father. And he sits on the NFL's competition committee, like his father used to.
Stephen is out there like Jerry is out there.
"You know, title or perception, that's not important to me," he said. "I think the people who are around, including Jerry, know what my role is, my influence is. I'm very proud of it. I'm very confident in it. I feel confident that not only Jerry, but people in our organization, listen and respect and appreciate what I do."
Stephen was a big backer of hiring Jason Garrett as head coach. Naturally, it's no surprise that Garrett says they see eye-to-eye on the kind of players they want.
"Very few times have we not been on the same page in deciding what we wanted to do," Garrett said. "I think he's a great leader. I think he understands the idea of creating the right kind of culture and the decisions you have to make to do that. We're definitely on the same page in how we want this organization to work."
Everything still runs through Jerry Jones, who gives himself the power to make the final call on everything. But from many accounts, Stephen has joined Garrett to form a power base that is influencing the direction of the franchise.
"As an unabashed Jason Garrett fan, for me, that's good news," Cowboys radio announcer and longtime observer Brad Sham said. "It's still a results business. But it doesn't surprise me. I know Jason a lot better than I know Stephen. And it doesn't surprise me, from what I know of both of them, that those things they would find in common."
When the Cowboys installed Garrett as head coach after being interim in 2010, the organization turned conservative in its approach to finding talent.
No more reaches for high-risk, high-reward players like Owens and Adam "Pacman" Jones. No more trading two No. 1s for a Joey Galloway or a Roy Williams.
"It sets you back, not only giving up picks, but the money," Stephen said. "That's how you don't get to where you want to go, is making mistakes like that, and we have to own up to them, and we have to do better than that."
The new emphasis, in place the last two off-seasons, on good-citizen players who are also productive and have a high "motor" and a "passion" for football, comes from the Stephen-Garrett power base.
"Very much so," Stephen said, asked if he related to the kind of ideas Garrett was espousing when he joined the Cowboys as offensive coordinator in 2007. "I believe that. I think that's how you get there. I knew that when he started talking like that. He talked like that before he was the head coach. That's why obviously I felt like, and Jerry felt like, he'd be a good head coach, because his principles were well-founded, and well-founded in areas that we believe in as well."
One day, the Cowboys might reach again for a difference-making player with a troubled history, Stephen said. But it will be when he and Garrett both believe the team is ready for that.
"You never say you're never going to take a chance on somebody. I don't think Jason would say that," Stephen said. "But you've got to start with getting the foundation right, getting the pieces in place that can handle a situation like that. Obviously, up in New England, they've built a championship team, and they'll bring in a question mark every now and then and give it a run. Because they're either going to buy into the Patriot way or they're going to leave. Obviously, we had that going on in the '90s, and we want to get that back now."
It might or might not be a coincidence, but Stephen Jones' growth in public stature happened around the time former head coach Bill Parcells left the Cowboys.
Stephen, who played football at Arkansas and grew up surrounded by coaches such as Lou Holtz, Ken Hatfield and Monte Kiffin, said Parcells, like Jimmy Johnson, was a strong mentor and impressed him with many ideas about managing a football organization.
"Bill was more about global leadership," Stephen said. "First and foremost, that you have to be willing to have confrontation. That you have to be willing to have those days where things aren't always hunky-dory. ...Bill could have been CEO of a company easily. He knew what you should look for, how you should build a winning organization. He was one of the ones who helped us philosophically in how we look at drafting players."
Stephen said the Cowboys began to focus heavily on character in their draft boards under Parcells.
He said the Cowboys used to consider every draftable player. Their board would list 250 names. Today, they won't draft a player with question marks. Their board might list as few as 150 names.
"A player may not fit from a scheme standpoint or from a cultural standpoint or a character standpoint," Stephen said. "And those guys, we don't want them on our football team. So let's focus on guys that we do like. I think that's the biggest change is the philosophy there -- let's go after Dallas Cowboys."
Jerry Jones said in the summer the window is closing for the current group of Cowboys to win a Super Bowl.
Stephen won't go that far. He and Garrett agree on a plan. Stephen wants to see it through.
"It's a lot harder for him than it is me," Stephen said of his father. "He laughs about the window because of his age and that type of thing. He says, 'Maybe I'm just thinking my window is getting a bit shorter.' But for me, I think, if you do things right, I think ultimately, the prize will be there, and we'll win a championship.
"I'm convinced we're going to win championships."
Says a voice of the franchise.
Carlos Mendez, 817-390-7760
Twitter: @calexmendez
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/09/04/4229975/cowboys-owners-son-takes-more.html#storylink=cpy
Posted Tuesday, Sep. 04, 2012
By Carlos Mendez
cmendez@star-telegram
In training camp, Stephen Jones gave a radio interview in which he said Morris Claiborne needed to start practicing because he couldn't "make the club in the tub."
An interesting quote, but not unusual. Everybody knew it was in the best interest of the Cowboys and Claiborne, their No. 1 pick sidelined by an achy knee, for him to start practicing as soon as possible.
But the comment gained national traction.
Reporters followed up. Jones had to explain and re-explain that he was not at odds with the rookie. From his perspective, it was just a general thought about injured players needing to get back on the field.
But the statement's impact was evidence of the growing public stature Stephen Jones is gaining in the Cowboys' organization. As much as his father, team owner Jerry Jones, Stephen is becoming a representative voice of the team.
After 23 years with the Cowboys, it is a natural progression for the oldest of Jerry Jones' three children.
Stephen, 48, has long been the chief operating officer and executive vice president, in charge of the salary cap, free agency and contract negotiations.
But in recent years, he has been steering the team as a behind-the-scenes general manager. He gets credit for convincing his father to release Terrell Owens three years ago, for managing much of the team's daily business while Jerry Jones promoted the building of Cowboys Stadium, and for creating salary room despite the releases of high-priced veterans like Marion Barber.
This year, he added the title of pro personnel director.
He has two weekly radio shows, like his father. He spoke frequently to reporters in training camp, like his father. And he sits on the NFL's competition committee, like his father used to.
Stephen is out there like Jerry is out there.
"You know, title or perception, that's not important to me," he said. "I think the people who are around, including Jerry, know what my role is, my influence is. I'm very proud of it. I'm very confident in it. I feel confident that not only Jerry, but people in our organization, listen and respect and appreciate what I do."
Stephen was a big backer of hiring Jason Garrett as head coach. Naturally, it's no surprise that Garrett says they see eye-to-eye on the kind of players they want.
"Very few times have we not been on the same page in deciding what we wanted to do," Garrett said. "I think he's a great leader. I think he understands the idea of creating the right kind of culture and the decisions you have to make to do that. We're definitely on the same page in how we want this organization to work."
Everything still runs through Jerry Jones, who gives himself the power to make the final call on everything. But from many accounts, Stephen has joined Garrett to form a power base that is influencing the direction of the franchise.
"As an unabashed Jason Garrett fan, for me, that's good news," Cowboys radio announcer and longtime observer Brad Sham said. "It's still a results business. But it doesn't surprise me. I know Jason a lot better than I know Stephen. And it doesn't surprise me, from what I know of both of them, that those things they would find in common."
When the Cowboys installed Garrett as head coach after being interim in 2010, the organization turned conservative in its approach to finding talent.
No more reaches for high-risk, high-reward players like Owens and Adam "Pacman" Jones. No more trading two No. 1s for a Joey Galloway or a Roy Williams.
"It sets you back, not only giving up picks, but the money," Stephen said. "That's how you don't get to where you want to go, is making mistakes like that, and we have to own up to them, and we have to do better than that."
The new emphasis, in place the last two off-seasons, on good-citizen players who are also productive and have a high "motor" and a "passion" for football, comes from the Stephen-Garrett power base.
"Very much so," Stephen said, asked if he related to the kind of ideas Garrett was espousing when he joined the Cowboys as offensive coordinator in 2007. "I believe that. I think that's how you get there. I knew that when he started talking like that. He talked like that before he was the head coach. That's why obviously I felt like, and Jerry felt like, he'd be a good head coach, because his principles were well-founded, and well-founded in areas that we believe in as well."
One day, the Cowboys might reach again for a difference-making player with a troubled history, Stephen said. But it will be when he and Garrett both believe the team is ready for that.
"You never say you're never going to take a chance on somebody. I don't think Jason would say that," Stephen said. "But you've got to start with getting the foundation right, getting the pieces in place that can handle a situation like that. Obviously, up in New England, they've built a championship team, and they'll bring in a question mark every now and then and give it a run. Because they're either going to buy into the Patriot way or they're going to leave. Obviously, we had that going on in the '90s, and we want to get that back now."
It might or might not be a coincidence, but Stephen Jones' growth in public stature happened around the time former head coach Bill Parcells left the Cowboys.
Stephen, who played football at Arkansas and grew up surrounded by coaches such as Lou Holtz, Ken Hatfield and Monte Kiffin, said Parcells, like Jimmy Johnson, was a strong mentor and impressed him with many ideas about managing a football organization.
"Bill was more about global leadership," Stephen said. "First and foremost, that you have to be willing to have confrontation. That you have to be willing to have those days where things aren't always hunky-dory. ...Bill could have been CEO of a company easily. He knew what you should look for, how you should build a winning organization. He was one of the ones who helped us philosophically in how we look at drafting players."
Stephen said the Cowboys began to focus heavily on character in their draft boards under Parcells.
He said the Cowboys used to consider every draftable player. Their board would list 250 names. Today, they won't draft a player with question marks. Their board might list as few as 150 names.
"A player may not fit from a scheme standpoint or from a cultural standpoint or a character standpoint," Stephen said. "And those guys, we don't want them on our football team. So let's focus on guys that we do like. I think that's the biggest change is the philosophy there -- let's go after Dallas Cowboys."
Jerry Jones said in the summer the window is closing for the current group of Cowboys to win a Super Bowl.
Stephen won't go that far. He and Garrett agree on a plan. Stephen wants to see it through.
"It's a lot harder for him than it is me," Stephen said of his father. "He laughs about the window because of his age and that type of thing. He says, 'Maybe I'm just thinking my window is getting a bit shorter.' But for me, I think, if you do things right, I think ultimately, the prize will be there, and we'll win a championship.
"I'm convinced we're going to win championships."
Says a voice of the franchise.
Carlos Mendez, 817-390-7760
Twitter: @calexmendez
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/09/04/4229975/cowboys-owners-son-takes-more.html#storylink=cpy