23 Years Before Buying the Cowboys for $140,000,000, Jerry Jones Had Asked ‘Notorious’ Jimmy Hoffa for a Loan to Buy the Chargers

Jerry Jones, a renowned business mogul with a net worth of $13.4 billion, made headlines when he bought the Dallas Cowboys in 1989 for a staggering $140 million. However, what many might not know is that more than two decades before acquiring the Cowboys, Jones had a close encounter with another NFL team – the San Diego Chargers.

Jerry Jones’ path to owning the Dallas Cowboys was a journey filled with ambitious dreams and bold decisions. Jerry, who used to play for the Arkansas Razorbacks in his early days, had actually turned to notorious Jimmy Hoffa’s teamsters in 1966, around 23 years before the Cowboys purchase, to get a loan for acquiring the Chargers.

Jerry Jones’ Unconventional Quest for Football Ownership: From Hoffa to Cowboys

In a fascinating revelation during an interview on HBO’s Real Sports, Jerry Jones, the business mogul and future owner of the Dallas Cowboys, shared the audacious steps he took in his early days to enter the world of football ownership. As a 23-year-old aspiring entrepreneur in 1966, Jones set his sights on purchasing an NFL team, but the challenge lay in securing the necessary funds.

Jones recalled meeting with representatives from the Teamsters, the powerful labor union led by the infamous Jimmy Hoffa, to explore the possibility of obtaining a loan to buy the San Diego Chargers. During the interview, Jones candidly stated:

“I was sitting with them, going over my dreams, when I said, ‘Where I really wanna be is in football.’ And they said, ‘Well, you know, our union might want to be involved in sports.'”

The ambitious deal to buy the Chargers seemed plausible, but it ultimately fell through due to financial uncertainties surrounding the American Football League (AFL) at the time. Even Jerry’s dad suggested him against buying the Chargers who were on sale at a price of $5.8 million by owner Barron Hilton. Jones explained:

“Of course those things come to our minds all the time. But back at that particular time, I was trying to figure out how to get it done. With no money.”

Yet, the AFL ended up merging with NFL later that year at a sale price of $10 million and Jerry might have missed a good business opportunity. Undeterred, Jerry Jones’ perseverance in the sports business world eventually led him to the Dallas Cowboys. In 1989, he acquired the iconic franchise for $140 million, solidifying his place as one of the most influential figures in NFL history.

From Black Gold to America’s Team: Jerry Jones’ Journey to Owning the Cowboys

After the setback of not acquiring the Chargers, Jerry Jones turned his focus to the oil business, where he found remarkable success. With an uncanny stroke of luck, 12 out of his first 13 oil wells struck black gold, bringing substantial wealth. This newfound financial prosperity paved the way for Jones to fulfill his long-cherished dream of football ownership.

As the Cowboys’ owner, Jones harnessed the power of strategic TV deals, propelling football to new heights and overshadowing other sports. Leveraging his business acumen, he built a diverse portfolio around merchandise, hospitality, and food, transforming the Cowboys into “America’s Team.”

With ample personal funds at his disposal, Jerry Jones seized the opportunity in 1989 and purchased the Dallas Cowboys for $140 million. As the Cowboys’ owner, Jones harnessed the power of strategic TV deals, propelling football to new heights and overshadowing other sports. Leveraging his business acumen, he built a diverse portfolio around merchandise, hospitality, and food, transforming the Cowboys into “America’s Team.”

But what if Jones had succeeded in acquiring the Chargers instead? The course of football history would have taken an entirely different trajectory. While the Chargers’ future under Jones’ ownership remains speculative, it is undeniable that the Cowboys’ storied success and influence in the NFL landscape would not have materialized.