Key Takeaways:
Jerry Jones has owned the Dallas Cowboys since 1989 when he bought the NFL team for $140 million.
His wife and their three children have all played a part in making the team a success. In particular, Stephen, Charlotte, and Jerry Jr. oversee critical aspects of the franchise.
The Jones family continues to own and run the team today.
In February 1989, Jerral Wayne Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys for $140 million—roughly two-thirds of it his own cash. Failure was not an option for the National Football League’s newest owner.
“There is no substitute for winning. I know that’s a cliche, but we must win. We will win. Win is the name of the game,” Jones said at his first news conference. He backed up the talk and then some. The Cowboys won three Super Bowls during the 1990s, and the team became the most valuable in pro sports—worth an estimated $10.32 billion by 2024, according to Sportico.
Meanwhile, Jerry Jones is as synonymous with the franchise as its iconic star logo. The outspoken owner’s role in transforming the Cowboys to a football juggernaut is highlighted in the new Netflix docuseries America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys. Debuting on the streaming service Tuesday, the 10-part series examines Jones’ tenure through archival footage and interviews with former team members such as Deion Sanders and Troy Aikman.
While Jones, 82, is the man in charge, the rise of the Cowboys has been a true family affair with his wife, Eugenia Jones, and their three children all playing pivotal roles in the team’s success. Here’s everything you need to know about the Jones family and their respective contributions to America’s Team.
Jerry’s wife, Eugenia Jones, is a former beauty queen
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Jerry Jones and his wife, Eugenia, in May 2025
The Cowboys family dynasty starts with Jerry and his wife, Eugenia, whom he met as an undergraduate student at the University of Arkansas. Their first date was at a local carnival, where Jerry gave Eugenia a stuffed teddy bear from one of the carnival games. “I later found out he had bought me that teddy bear, so this was the beginning of showing me Jerry’s determination for not accepting defeat,” she recalled. The couple married in 1963 and have been together ever since.
Eugenia, or “Gene,” is a former beauty queen who won the Miss Arkansas USA pageant in 1960. The 81-year-old keeps a much lower profile now compared to her husband but is a valuable part of the community in and around Dallas.
She serves as a partial namesake for the Gene and Jerry Jones Family Foundation, a charity organization “built upon an overall philosophy of helping those who don’t have the strength, the resources or the means to help themselves.” The foundation, which is connected to the Cowboys, has a long-standing partnership with The Salvation Army. According to the Texas Cultural Trust, Gene is also a member of the Southern Methodist University Board of Trustees.
Gene spoke about the closeness of their family in a presentation video for Jerry’s 2017 induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “The biggest reward Jerry has in life is working with our children,” she said. “He loves them, and I think that’s why the Dallas Cowboys have achieved some of the things they have, because this family lives and breathes the Dallas Cowboys each and every day.”
Stephen Jones is the Cowboys chief operating officer
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Stephen Jones is in charge of player personnel for the Dallas Cowboys. He oversees scouting and roster signings.
At the forefront of that commitment is Stephen Jones, Jerry and Gene’s eldest son who was born in June 1964.
Stephen was passionate about football from an early age. He played quarterback at the Catholic High School for Boys in Little Rock, Arkansas, and like his father, played collegiately at the University of Arkansas as a linebacker. He studied chemical engineering and graduated in 1988, before briefly working at Jerry’s oil and gas company. But as soon as Jerry bought the Cowboys, Stephen joined the new family business as a team vice president.
Now, Stephen is the Cowboys chief operating officer, overseeing the team’s scouting department and player personnel. He and Jerry were named co-NFL Executives of the Year in 2014.
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However, just because the pair work in tandem doesn’t mean they always see eye-to-eye. Stephen, 61, spoke about one of their most infamous spats, when he insisted the team select offensive lineman Zack Martin in the 2014 NFL draft over polarizing quarterback Johnny Manziel—Jerry’s first choice.
“Jerry looks over at me, slaps me on the leg, and he goes: ‘Son, I didn’t get to buy the Dallas Cowboys… we’re not sitting here ’cause you do down-the-middle-of-the-road things,’” Stephen told Sports Business Journal. “He goes, ‘What you just did is down the middle. You’ll never be great.’” Ouch.
To Stephen’s credit, he made the right choice: Martin earned nine Pro Bowl selections before retiring earlier this year, while Manziel was out of the league after two seasons.
One thing Stephen doesn’t play down the middle is fatherhood. He has four children—Jessica, Jordan, Caroline, and John Stephen Jr.—with his wife, Karen.
Charlotte Jones is the team’s brand officer
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Charlotte Jones serves as president of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleading team.
Like her older brother, Charlotte began working for the Cowboys at Jerry’s request.
The studious Charlotte, who was born in July 1966, was valedictorian of her high school class and graduated from Stanford University in 1988 with a degree in human biology. According to People, she began her career in politics as an administrative assistant to then-U.S. Representative Tommy Robinson in Washington D.C.
However, Jerry asked for her help with an issue regarding Cowboys cheerleader uniforms and decided she would be a valuable full-time employee, so he hired Charlotte sometime around 1990. “I was like, ‘Well, dad, I don’t know anything about running a professional football team.’ And he said, ‘That’s OK. Neither do I, but we’ll find out together,’” Charlotte recalled to CBS Texas.
It turns out she was more than prepared. Charlotte, now 59, is a co-owner and the team’s brand officer, lending her expertise to “brand marketing, fan engagement, stadium design, entertainment, licensed apparel, cause marketing and community relations.” She is also the president and a judge for the Cowboys cheerleading squad, featured in the CMT reality series Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team and the Netflix docuseries America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
Blazing a trail for women in the NFL, Charlotte became the first chairwoman of the NFL Foundation—overseeing the league’s role in youth football participation, health and safety, and community outreach—in 2014. “Never lose your authenticity... my father was a key driver in that, and he said, ‘You are here in this room because you bring a different voice,’” she said.
Charolotte is married to Amir Rozwadowski, an executive for AT&T, and has three children—a daughter, Haley, and two sons, Shy and Paxton—from a previous marriage. Haley is a special project manager for the Cowboys cheerleaders, while Shy is a team player scout.
Jerry Jones Jr. oversees Cowboys sales and marketing
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Jerry Jones Jr. attends a Dallas Cowboys game against the Philadelphia Eagles in November 2023.
Jerry and Gene’s youngest son, Jerry Jr., is responsible for making sure Cowboys fans can watch the team’s games in style—whether in person or on their couch.
Born in September 1969, Jerry Jr. earned a political science degree from Georgetown University in 1992 and then a law degree from Southern Methodist University. He originally worked as a lawyer before joining the Cowboys in 1996.
Hist first role was as vice president and general counsel, before taking over in his current capacity as chief marketing officer in 2001. Under Jerry Jr.’s leadership, Dallas’ own manufacturing and distribution company for team merchandise remains the only such operation in pro sports. He is also in charge of the team’s in-house broadcasting network and digital media properties.
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Jerry Jr. played a crucial role in the design and construction of AT&T Stadium, the team’s state-of-the-art playing facility that opened in May 2009. The venue, commonly known as “Jerry World” because of his father’s role, has hosted non-football events such as WWE WrestleMania, the 2024 Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match, and the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
The exec and father of three—to daughters Juliette and Mary and son James—has said much of his parenting philosophy stems from Jerry Sr. “I am convinced there are three types of fathers,” he said. “The see-no-evil fathers who are neglectful of their children and are permissive in their relationships with them. Then on the other end of the spectrum are the helicopter fathers that hover over their kids mapping out every move and planning every step. And then, in the middle, is the good father.
“I am fortunate enough to have the good father. And not only is he a good father, he is the most important influence in my life.”
Watch America’s Team on Netflix starting August 19
The entire Jones family attended the premiere of America’s Team earlier this month in Hollywood, though it’s unclear how much they participated in the project.
Jerry recently reflected on his time as owner and his goal to return Dallas to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys haven’t played in the Big Game since their win in Super Bowl XXX in 1996. “I do always look and see if you’re taking that risk, actual risk,” he said. “There’s a chance that when you really get accomplished in something, that you may have shortened your risk toleration. And so if I’ve ever learned anything over the last few years, it’s are we taking enough risks?”
We’ll find out, at least for this year, when the NFL regular season kicks off on September 4. In the meantime, watch America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys on Netflix starting August 19.
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Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor and is now the News and Culture Editor. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor for a daily newspaper recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In his current role, he shares the true stories behind your favorite movies and TV shows and profiles rising musicians, actors, and athletes. When he's not working, you can find him at the nearest amusement park or movie theater and cheering on his favorite teams.