Jerry Jones' touching gesture for grieving family of Cowboys fan
The public perception of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones often paints a very specific picture. The glistening stadium. The high-level business dealings and sponsorships. The top-dollar real estate sprawl surrounding the team’s headquarters. Helicoptering in for games. Vacationing on the mega-yacht. Rolling up to the combine in his own luxury tour bus. The nonstop merchandising juggernaut behind the most valuable franchise in sports and one of the most recognized brands on the planet.
But every once in a while, a story comes to light that shows just how much the team- and its legions of faithful fans- really mean to the 81-year-old billionaire.
Veteran Cowboys insider Ed Werder brings us one such story this weekend, sharing via social media what Jones did for the family of a lifelong Cowboys fan who tragically never made it to his very first Cowboys game.
Timothy Washington was a hardcore Cowboys fan who, at 64, had never seen an NFL contest in person. His son, Timothy Jr., sought to change that earlier this month, taking his father to the Cowboys’ regular-season finale, their Week 18 road game versus the Commanders at FedEx Field.
Sadly, the elder Washington collapsed about 100 yards from the stadium on Jan. 7 and passed away.
Back at home in New Jersey after handling his father’s arrangements, the younger Washington received a care package from the Cowboys and a letter from Jones himself. Timothy Jr. shared the letter on his own Facebook page.
Sharing this Facebook post from #Cowboys fan Timothy Washington, who took his father to see the Cowboys vs. Commanders, their first game.
Unfortunately the father collapsed and died 100 yards from the stadium. Jerry Jones sent flowers and a handwritten note to a man he never met. pic.twitter.com/AKQ5pByseR— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) January 21, 2024
“Timothy’s support humbles me, and he is an inspiration,” Jones’s letter read, in part.
“We are grateful to have played a small part in Timothy’s life and appreciate his enthusiasm and love of the Dallas Cowboys!”
It is perhaps a small gesture in the grand scheme of things, but one that deeply touched the grieving family and perhaps puts the game and the big-business team we all love into a different perspective, if only for a moment.
“Special thanks to Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys for reaching out to our family and recognizing my Dad,” Tim Washington Jr. wrote on Facebook. “He would be so proud.”
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