1
00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,640
Speaker 1: Cat's time to chat with the executive vice president, CEO

2
00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:06,760
Speaker 1: and director of player Personnel for the Dallas Cowboys at

3
00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:08,799
Speaker 1: Stephen Jones here on one Old five three the Fan

4
00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:11,039
Speaker 1: and a good afternoon to you, sir. How the heck

5
00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:14,840
Speaker 1: are you? Good afternoon? Guys, just kind of getting in

6
00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:18,760
Speaker 1: the holiday spirite these days and things working hard and

7
00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:22,600
Speaker 1: focused on getting to win here on Sunday. What's your

8
00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:25,919
Speaker 1: favorite what's your favorite holiday decoration? This is the first

9
00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:28,040
Speaker 1: year I got a little train that runs around the

10
00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:32,280
Speaker 1: Christmas tree. It's my favorite. What's your favorite decoration? My

11
00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:37,599
Speaker 1: favorite decoration probably that's a good question. It's probably an

12
00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:42,480
Speaker 1: ornament we've picked up out in Jackson Hole, a Cowboys Santa. Ah,

13
00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:45,720
Speaker 1: there we go, Cowboys Santa. Now do you do something

14
00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:48,200
Speaker 1: nice in the yard there? Do you get all into

15
00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:50,559
Speaker 1: it and decorate the house as well? Or is it

16
00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:54,480
Speaker 1: mostly on the inside? Stephen, Well, my wife does an

17
00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:58,680
Speaker 1: outstanding guy. I'm obviously got a very little say in it,

18
00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:01,200
Speaker 1: but she does a great job with all the lights

19
00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:03,960
Speaker 1: and then course in the house has got a couple

20
00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:07,959
Speaker 1: of Christmas trees that really make it festive. And you know,

21
00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:10,240
Speaker 1: when you have adult children and they're out of the house.

22
00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:12,640
Speaker 1: You certainly look forward to getting everybody back home, and

23
00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:17,119
Speaker 1: it'd be great to have them back next week. Now

24
00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:19,440
Speaker 1: we're gonna get to cowboy questions and we're really gonna

25
00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:21,319
Speaker 1: grill you. But I have a follow up on the

26
00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:24,679
Speaker 1: Christmas lights? Are you you mean to tell me that

27
00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:28,200
Speaker 1: Missus Jones is out there breaking out the ladder and

28
00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:30,440
Speaker 1: climbing on the roof. You don't hire somebody to do

29
00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:36,520
Speaker 1: the lights, no comments, I just get my wife all

30
00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:40,360
Speaker 1: the credits. Oh man, well played. That's a veteran of

31
00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:46,000
Speaker 1: a happy life right there. All right, So historic rivalry

32
00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:51,600
Speaker 1: revisited here this week's Stephen. What the matchup of Cowboys

33
00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:53,760
Speaker 1: and forty nine ers from the past is the most

34
00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:57,720
Speaker 1: memorable one to you? Well, obviously the one where we

35
00:01:57,760 --> 00:01:59,640
Speaker 1: went to our first Super Bowl. We were playing out

36
00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:02,200
Speaker 1: in camp to stick and no one gave us much

37
00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:04,920
Speaker 1: of a chance. We were a young football team and

38
00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:08,920
Speaker 1: traveled out there an old Candlestick Clark and uh, you know,

39
00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:12,600
Speaker 1: playing the mighty forty nine ers and I'll never forget

40
00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:15,600
Speaker 1: to play when when Troy hit Harper on the big

41
00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:19,160
Speaker 1: big pass that pretty much field the win force down

42
00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:22,840
Speaker 1: the home stretch and uh, certainly the rest was history.

43
00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:25,960
Speaker 1: We won that game, and it was just a really

44
00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:29,240
Speaker 1: big deal in terms of, uh, you know, giving that

45
00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:33,000
Speaker 1: young team the confidence that it needed to uh you know,

46
00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:35,560
Speaker 1: really make a great run there in the nineties and

47
00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:39,320
Speaker 1: ultimately when three Super Bowls. Of course, we had one

48
00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:41,919
Speaker 1: let down in there, uh you know, that third year

49
00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,519
Speaker 1: when Michael and Dion went at it and we lost

50
00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:46,800
Speaker 1: that game. But uh, as he said, there's been some

51
00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:49,760
Speaker 1: epic battles, certainly going back to the Catch with a

52
00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:53,640
Speaker 1: Lot with Dwight Clark and when they beat the Cowboys, uh,

53
00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:56,440
Speaker 1: you know, back when they were up and coming. So uh,

54
00:02:56,600 --> 00:02:58,720
Speaker 1: you know, it's just some great history there between the

55
00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:01,600
Speaker 1: forty nine ers and the Cowboy reason certainly look forward

56
00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:05,200
Speaker 1: to having them here this Sunday. So we were talking

57
00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:08,080
Speaker 1: about that rivalry and some of the most memorable games

58
00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:10,840
Speaker 1: earlier this week. And obviously the salary cap is a

59
00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:14,200
Speaker 1: big part of balancing out the NFL. But outside of that,

60
00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:18,160
Speaker 1: what would you cite as the biggest reason you guys

61
00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:22,280
Speaker 1: haven't been able to get back? You know, I just think,

62
00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:25,240
Speaker 1: you know, the more you're in this business, things have

63
00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:27,239
Speaker 1: to fall right for you. And I think we've had

64
00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:30,160
Speaker 1: you know, a handful of teams that really had a chance,

65
00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:34,960
Speaker 1: you know to get there under coach ourselves, you know, certainly, uh,

66
00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:37,360
Speaker 1: you know, had a year where we really felt like

67
00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:40,280
Speaker 1: we had a really good football team. We ended up

68
00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:43,040
Speaker 1: you know, losing the game to the Seahawks on the

69
00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:45,520
Speaker 1: you know, on the on the snap if you will,

70
00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:48,320
Speaker 1: uh that went around. We didn't get to kick extra

71
00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:52,400
Speaker 1: point there, and so or um. You know, there's just

72
00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:54,640
Speaker 1: you know, things that play in and things don't go

73
00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:57,240
Speaker 1: your way. I'll never forget out of Texas Stadium where

74
00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:59,400
Speaker 1: we really thought we had the Giants number that year.

75
00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:01,800
Speaker 1: They went off to beat the Packers and go to

76
00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:05,160
Speaker 1: the super Bowl. But really felt like, you know, at halftime,

77
00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:07,200
Speaker 1: we really had that game in hand, and then they

78
00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:10,320
Speaker 1: were able to you know, take advantage of a few

79
00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:14,240
Speaker 1: a few tough situations for us, a few drop passes,

80
00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:16,560
Speaker 1: and you know, we didn't get first downs when we

81
00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:19,560
Speaker 1: needed them, and we didn't get there either. So you know,

82
00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:21,680
Speaker 1: there's just been uh, you know, I would have equated

83
00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:24,279
Speaker 1: it more than anything. It's just you know, hard to

84
00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:27,280
Speaker 1: get these things pulled off. And you know, we've had

85
00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:30,480
Speaker 1: some great players, great coaches, whether it's coached parselves, whether

86
00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:33,599
Speaker 1: it's Wade Phillips, whether it's Jason Garrett. We've had some

87
00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:36,800
Speaker 1: really good coaching where we've had really good teams and

88
00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:39,560
Speaker 1: really good players and we just don't quite get there.

89
00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:43,719
Speaker 1: But Stephen, I've gone on the radio several times down

90
00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:45,880
Speaker 1: our show and I said, I want to see pissed

91
00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:50,400
Speaker 1: off Jerry is what I want to see. And is

92
00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:54,320
Speaker 1: is that? Is that the right direction you think? I mean,

93
00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:56,920
Speaker 1: I've you know, working for you guys and stuff like that.

94
00:04:57,040 --> 00:05:01,000
Speaker 1: When Jerry was pissed off things got done. Is that

95
00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:04,159
Speaker 1: the direction that this team in the offseason? Do we

96
00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:08,520
Speaker 1: do we need to have that going forward? Yeah? I

97
00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:11,120
Speaker 1: think you know a lot of times you were you know,

98
00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:14,279
Speaker 1: you were there internally, Brian, right, you know you probably

99
00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:16,320
Speaker 1: got to see it. Jerious. You know, we don't there

100
00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:21,000
Speaker 1: dirty laundry or you know, who's who's who's leaning on somebody.

101
00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:24,360
Speaker 1: You know, internally, I don't think that's good for anybody.

102
00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:28,000
Speaker 1: But I can tell you there's been some moments over

103
00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:32,640
Speaker 1: the years and this year where everybody understands that, you know,

104
00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:36,040
Speaker 1: we're not getting the job done. So uh uh, certainly

105
00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:39,239
Speaker 1: we all understand that. I certainly understand who you're talking

106
00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:42,720
Speaker 1: about there. I've seen it many times. I've been I've

107
00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:45,559
Speaker 1: been on the wrong end of it. I've watched it happen,

108
00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:49,600
Speaker 1: and so uh certainly it's affected, uh you know when

109
00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:52,839
Speaker 1: you do that, and you know he has high expectations,

110
00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:55,560
Speaker 1: as you know, as he likes to say, I'm not

111
00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:58,719
Speaker 1: getting any younger, so uh you know he knows that.

112
00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:02,440
Speaker 1: Uh you know, every year that passes and uh you know,

113
00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:06,039
Speaker 1: we don't get something done, the lost opportunity especially you know,

114
00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:08,960
Speaker 1: as far as he's concerned, he'll use that. You know,

115
00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:11,800
Speaker 1: Jerry and I mean Stephen and Will and a lot

116
00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:14,440
Speaker 1: of this group around here young and you know they've

117
00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:17,520
Speaker 1: got they've got years to be involved, but uh, I

118
00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:20,320
Speaker 1: don't have as long as they have. So certainly it's

119
00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:22,520
Speaker 1: a it's a big deal to him. Uh. You know,

120
00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:26,000
Speaker 1: he's had an amazing career, thirty years Hall of Fame

121
00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:29,600
Speaker 1: career and uh certainly one uh you know, has won

122
00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:32,680
Speaker 1: three Super Bowls, which you know ranks him up there

123
00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:35,800
Speaker 1: with most owners. But uh, you know he wants this.

124
00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:38,880
Speaker 1: Uh you know, he wants a championship. You know, here

125
00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:41,880
Speaker 1: here in the fourth quarter worse than uh, worse than

126
00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:44,800
Speaker 1: anybody can imagine. And you know, I'm not so sure.

127
00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:48,279
Speaker 1: I know I've seen very uh comments that he's made,

128
00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:51,000
Speaker 1: but uh, you know, when we've talked internally, I know

129
00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:53,480
Speaker 1: there's a lot of things he trade, uh you know

130
00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:55,599
Speaker 1: that have happened good to us. Uh, you know, for

131
00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:59,840
Speaker 1: another championship. What is oh, go ahead, Jeffrey. What is

132
00:06:59,880 --> 00:07:03,039
Speaker 1: your evaluation of the defensive coaching staff so far this

133
00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:05,560
Speaker 1: year and over the end of this season? What does

134
00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:10,800
Speaker 1: success or progress look for them? Yeah, you know, we'll

135
00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:12,920
Speaker 1: get into all that when the season's over. Right now,

136
00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:15,880
Speaker 1: we're trying to get better each week. You know, we've

137
00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:19,440
Speaker 1: had some you know points in the season where you know,

138
00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:22,440
Speaker 1: you really feel like you're making making some progress and

139
00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:25,280
Speaker 1: you know they you know, our hats off to them.

140
00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:28,920
Speaker 1: Last week, we really had some challenges there. We started

141
00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:31,720
Speaker 1: two of our practice squad cornerbacks and ended up with

142
00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:34,560
Speaker 1: the last two that we pulled up practice squad cornerbacks

143
00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:38,800
Speaker 1: and obviously navigated those waters and answered challenges. There's been

144
00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:41,600
Speaker 1: other times, you know, where we've had challenges where we

145
00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:45,040
Speaker 1: didn't obviously, you know, you saw last week when you

146
00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:49,320
Speaker 1: get turnovers, what can happen for you? And we certainly

147
00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:51,600
Speaker 1: won that turnover battle big. We got way out in

148
00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:54,880
Speaker 1: the front, and you know, good things happened to you. Unfortunately,

149
00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:57,520
Speaker 1: we've been on the wrong end of that turnover battle

150
00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:00,800
Speaker 1: way too many times. And certainly, uh you know, it's

151
00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:02,960
Speaker 1: probably while we're in the shape we're in this year.

152
00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:06,440
Speaker 1: You know, it's just one not being able to create

153
00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:10,320
Speaker 1: turnovers and to not protecting the ball well enough throughout

154
00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:14,400
Speaker 1: the season. But certainly, you know, we want to see

155
00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:16,920
Speaker 1: improvement from this team, and that's why winning games is

156
00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:18,800
Speaker 1: so important. I know a lot of people are very

157
00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:22,119
Speaker 1: concerned about, you know, draft picks and things of that nature.

158
00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:25,400
Speaker 1: That's not what we're about. We're mathematically all be in

159
00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:29,560
Speaker 1: a long shot still in the playoff picture, and then

160
00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:31,640
Speaker 1: uh no, at the end of the day, we want

161
00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:33,760
Speaker 1: to We just feel like it's more important for our

162
00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:38,000
Speaker 1: organization right now to have momentum as we finish up

163
00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:41,080
Speaker 1: the season. So you know, a strong finish would be big, big,

164
00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:44,480
Speaker 1: big for our organization and it would be fun to

165
00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:47,720
Speaker 1: stack up some wins here and we'll talk more about

166
00:08:47,760 --> 00:08:50,520
Speaker 1: this matchup here shortly. I would like to go back

167
00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:53,880
Speaker 1: and visit another dynamic with Jerry that I'm sure you

168
00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:57,400
Speaker 1: have an interesting perspective on and it's this narrative. Well,

169
00:08:57,480 --> 00:08:59,800
Speaker 1: let me ask you this, is it important to players

170
00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:03,800
Speaker 1: see the coach as the boss instead of the GM.

171
00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:07,240
Speaker 1: How's that really go? And have Cowboys players viewed the

172
00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:09,440
Speaker 1: coach as the boss or do they see it as

173
00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:13,120
Speaker 1: we just need to keep Jerry happy. I don't see

174
00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:14,960
Speaker 1: that as an issue at all. I mean, we've had

175
00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:18,240
Speaker 1: a lot of success with this, uh, with with our

176
00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:21,080
Speaker 1: teams over the thirty years. We've won super Bowls, We've

177
00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:25,440
Speaker 1: won at NFCS, We've had great championships. We've had great

178
00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:30,480
Speaker 1: coaches here, Jimmy to Switzer, to Bill Parcels, UH coach

179
00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:33,560
Speaker 1: Phillips to Jason and now Mike, who's had you know,

180
00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:36,200
Speaker 1: a ton of success in his career in terms of, uh,

181
00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:39,200
Speaker 1: you know, year after year getting his team in the playoffs,

182
00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:43,120
Speaker 1: get the conference championship games, winning Super Bowls. Uh. You know,

183
00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:45,480
Speaker 1: we just don't see uh, you know, any of the

184
00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:48,040
Speaker 1: issues that you're you're bringing up here as an issue.

185
00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:51,920
Speaker 1: I think our players ultimately know, uh, you know, they're

186
00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:54,760
Speaker 1: they're playing for their head coach, and UH they also

187
00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:58,800
Speaker 1: know there's uh, like like any organization, there's there's a

188
00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:02,720
Speaker 1: general managers and owners that also you know, can step

189
00:10:02,760 --> 00:10:06,480
Speaker 1: in at any point. That's true with any organization, and Steven,

190
00:10:06,559 --> 00:10:09,400
Speaker 1: it looks like it get back on the football side

191
00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:11,160
Speaker 1: of things. So it looks like you're getting some good

192
00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:15,040
Speaker 1: medical information back on Digs beyond ith those guys getting

193
00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:19,080
Speaker 1: it back in practice. Uh. Plan going forward is all

194
00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:21,439
Speaker 1: hands on deck. Let's see how these kids kind of

195
00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:24,640
Speaker 1: finish out the year for you. Oh, absolutely, I mean

196
00:10:24,679 --> 00:10:28,120
Speaker 1: getting these young guys more and more reps is so important. Uh.

197
00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:31,120
Speaker 1: You know, one of the pluses that have come from,

198
00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:33,920
Speaker 1: you know, our challenges on the injury front is a

199
00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:36,920
Speaker 1: lot of young players are getting reps and uh, you know,

200
00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:39,959
Speaker 1: whether that's a steal and a night out of tackle,

201
00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:43,680
Speaker 1: whether that's uh the young corners we played with last week,

202
00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:47,280
Speaker 1: whether that Cede lamb Or or Digs or Gallimore or

203
00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:51,040
Speaker 1: beyond Its or you know, any of our other young

204
00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:53,800
Speaker 1: players that we have. You know, it's a real plus

205
00:10:53,840 --> 00:10:56,839
Speaker 1: because as we all know, the way our system works,

206
00:10:56,840 --> 00:11:00,959
Speaker 1: our players certainly share with the sur cap in terms

207
00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:04,280
Speaker 1: of uh, you know, when we've had great prosperity in

208
00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:07,000
Speaker 1: our league, at the same time, we've obviously had some

209
00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:11,280
Speaker 1: economic challenges. We certainly know our stadiums aren't full and

210
00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:14,160
Speaker 1: certainly that'll affect our salary cap. So to have young

211
00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:17,920
Speaker 1: players you know that we're developing here this year that

212
00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:20,560
Speaker 1: have had to step in and play, we'll be big

213
00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:24,360
Speaker 1: pluses for us. As we know that, uh you know

214
00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:27,360
Speaker 1: to what degree, we don't know yet, but the salary

215
00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:30,400
Speaker 1: cap certainly, uh is not going to build and climb

216
00:11:30,640 --> 00:11:35,560
Speaker 1: like it's traditionally done, especially here in the short term. Stephen.

217
00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:39,199
Speaker 1: With Ezekiel Elliott, it sounds like that he's a little

218
00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:41,719
Speaker 1: behind where he was a week ago, but that he's

219
00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:44,600
Speaker 1: going to try to play. Do you guys worry about

220
00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:46,440
Speaker 1: that at all? Or does if he feels like he

221
00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:48,280
Speaker 1: can go, he can go, because that's a big guy

222
00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:52,040
Speaker 1: that you've gotten. Every every injury is different. Um, I think, uh,

223
00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:54,520
Speaker 1: you know, at the end of the day, though, you know,

224
00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:56,319
Speaker 1: we're never going to put a player in armed way

225
00:11:56,360 --> 00:12:00,000
Speaker 1: if it's you know, certainly uh not only get worse,

226
00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:02,560
Speaker 1: but be something that's uh, you know, not smart to

227
00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:04,960
Speaker 1: have a player out there. But you know, we found

228
00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:08,040
Speaker 1: over the years that Marcus Lawrence did it there even

229
00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:10,559
Speaker 1: when he was in contract years and find that your

230
00:12:11,040 --> 00:12:14,080
Speaker 1: great players will step up and play when they're you know,

231
00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:16,520
Speaker 1: quite a bit less than one hundred percent, they're certainly

232
00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:18,520
Speaker 1: not going to talk about it. Zeke's the last guy

233
00:12:18,559 --> 00:12:22,199
Speaker 1: who would say something. You know, we Zack Martin, I've

234
00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:24,920
Speaker 1: seen him do it a game and game again, where

235
00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:29,240
Speaker 1: he's far from one hundred percent d law. As I mentioned,

236
00:12:29,559 --> 00:12:32,280
Speaker 1: you know, these guys are just pros, and you know

237
00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:35,400
Speaker 1: they're committed to their team's period the end of discussion.

238
00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:38,160
Speaker 1: And you know, that's why I admire so much about Zeke.

239
00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:40,480
Speaker 1: He's a competitor and you know he wants to be

240
00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:43,480
Speaker 1: out there with his teammates barring something that you know,

241
00:12:43,559 --> 00:12:46,960
Speaker 1: he either just can't go or it's certainly not anybody's

242
00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:49,680
Speaker 1: best interest for him to be out there. All right, Stephen,

243
00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:52,000
Speaker 1: I have a rule that I ask three dumb questions

244
00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:54,000
Speaker 1: in every interview, and I've only done two. So my

245
00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:57,880
Speaker 1: third one is if you had never gotten into football,

246
00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:01,400
Speaker 1: what do you think you would be doing in life? Well,

247
00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:03,360
Speaker 1: I was in the oil and gas business. I was

248
00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:07,240
Speaker 1: a engineering college and uh and went into the oil

249
00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:10,079
Speaker 1: and gas business. And as you know, our family still

250
00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:13,160
Speaker 1: h you know, is involved in the old business and

251
00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:16,040
Speaker 1: the real estate business. So uh, you know, I'm pretty

252
00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:18,600
Speaker 1: sure I'd be doing that if I weren't involved. But

253
00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:21,360
Speaker 1: we've been so blessed our family has I have been,

254
00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:25,320
Speaker 1: my dad has, my brother and sister. You know, get

255
00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:27,680
Speaker 1: to be involved in the NFL. We get to be

256
00:13:27,720 --> 00:13:30,520
Speaker 1: involved with the Dallas Cowboys. And you know it's not

257
00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:33,000
Speaker 1: always going to be uh. You know you're gonna have

258
00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:36,440
Speaker 1: years like this where you know, you sometimes think, boy,

259
00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:39,559
Speaker 1: this is difficult, but then you pinch yourself and you say,

260
00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:42,600
Speaker 1: my guys, we're getting to be involved, you know, in sports,

261
00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:44,920
Speaker 1: which we love as a family. We're getting to be

262
00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:48,600
Speaker 1: involved at the highest level, certainly is the NFL. Uh

263
00:13:48,679 --> 00:13:51,760
Speaker 1: and in particular the Dallas Cowboys. And you know you

264
00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:54,920
Speaker 1: count your blessing certainly this time of year, around Thanksgiving

265
00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:58,560
Speaker 1: and Christmas. H you just feel blessed. Uh. You know

266
00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:00,800
Speaker 1: that you get the opportunity. And you know, one thing

267
00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:03,320
Speaker 1: Jerry's preached from the day walk in the door, certainly

268
00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:07,280
Speaker 1: to myself. You know, our family is you know, we

269
00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:10,280
Speaker 1: want to leave the Cowboys in a better place, you

270
00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:13,320
Speaker 1: know than when Wins found them. And certainly, you know

271
00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:15,839
Speaker 1: things have gone well for us. I think cowboys had

272
00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:18,640
Speaker 1: two championships our family. You know, we've been able to

273
00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:21,120
Speaker 1: deliver three. It's certainly not enough in our mind. We

274
00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:23,640
Speaker 1: want more. Uh. You know, we have a brand new

275
00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:26,160
Speaker 1: stadium at AT and T Stadium, we have the Star

276
00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:30,000
Speaker 1: which is a premier practice facility, and you know, our

277
00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:32,600
Speaker 1: goals to keep looking for ways to make not only

278
00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:37,160
Speaker 1: the NFL better, I mean the Cowboys better, but also

279
00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:40,040
Speaker 1: the NFL better, and we'll continue to strive to do that.

280
00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:42,320
Speaker 1: Feel very blessed to be a part of it, but

281
00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:47,360
Speaker 1: certainly feel very accountable to continue to improve and certainly

282
00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:50,440
Speaker 1: we owe it to our fans to do a better

283
00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:55,120
Speaker 1: job in delivering championship CALIBERK football teams. Well, Steve, I'd

284
00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:57,320
Speaker 1: like to go on records say there's nobody that throws

285
00:14:57,320 --> 00:14:59,960
Speaker 1: a better holiday party than the Jones family. That's why

286
00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:02,720
Speaker 1: thing I I will I was always grateful for working

287
00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:06,040
Speaker 1: with you guys, So happy holidays to you, sir. Really

288
00:15:06,360 --> 00:15:09,120
Speaker 1: we mean that, well, we appreciate it, and it's a shame,

289
00:15:09,760 --> 00:15:11,480
Speaker 1: as we all know, we're not able to do those

290
00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:15,120
Speaker 1: type of things this year. It's a heck of a deal. Yeah,

291
00:15:15,120 --> 00:15:18,120
Speaker 1: and so we missed that, we missed being with our

292
00:15:18,160 --> 00:15:21,720
Speaker 1: employees that they also understand, you know, the situation that

293
00:15:21,760 --> 00:15:23,640
Speaker 1: we're in and where our prayers go out to all

294
00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:26,240
Speaker 1: the families that are you know, have their struggles with

295
00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:28,640
Speaker 1: the virus and the things that have come with us.

296
00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:32,600
Speaker 1: But we certainly count our blessings and certainly fortunate to

297
00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:36,040
Speaker 1: have our employees, our players, our staff, our fans, and

298
00:15:36,120 --> 00:15:39,760
Speaker 1: I certainly wish them the best great stuff. Thanks for

299
00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:42,640
Speaker 1: sharing your thoughts. Marry Christmas to you and the Jones family.

300
00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:46,600
Speaker 1: Merry Christmas. Do you guys always treat being on with