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Dallas Cowboys: Jerry Jones now open to putting Jimmy Johnson in Ring of Honor

By Steven Mullenax

SEATTLE, WA - OCTOBER 12: Owner Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys gives the 'thumbs up' to some Cowboys fans before the game aagainst the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on October 12, 2014 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - OCTOBER 12: Owner Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys gives the 'thumbs up' to some Cowboys fans before the game aagainst the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on October 12, 2014 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /
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After decades of strife, Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones admits that he is now open to putting former head coach Jimmy Johnson into the Ring of Honor.

One of the more tragic dates in Dallas Cowboys‘ history is March 28, 1994. That’s the day Jimmy Johnson resigned as the head coach of America’s Team less than two months after the Cowboys had won their second-straight Super Bowl championship. The bitter split between Johnson and owner/general manager Jerry Jones came to a head on that day and has lasted for decades.

In fact, when Jones was asked about the possibility of putting Johnson into the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor in 2014, Jerry essentially called his former Arkansas teammate disloyal, lacking the honor required to get into the Ring. And that was twenty years after the two parted ways!

Now, the 74-year old Jones seems to be softening his stance on Johnson’s possible enshrinement into the Cowboys Ring of Honor. On the eve of entering the NFL’s Hall of Fame early next month, Dallas’ longtime owner opened up to ESPN in a rare all-access feature for the Sunday, July 30, SC Featured segment on SportsCenter.

"“My impression of Jerry did not change. Although he has his critics, the soon-to-be 75-year-old is a business savant. He’s fearless, relentless and energetic. But he’s also caring and, dare, I say, softening in his golden years,” ESPN NFL reporter Jim Trotter told Front Row. “He won’t like that comment, but the fact that he admits in the show (how’s that for a tease?) that he’s now open to honoring former coach Jimmy Johnson in the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor — two years after all but publicly slamming the door on it — is an indication that he’s not as inflexible as some believe.”"

The origin of this rekindled admiration between Jones and Johnson could have started when the two reconnected during the Cowboys 25th anniversary celebration of their 1992 Super Bowl championship back in February.  Both reportedly appeared to be unusually friendly despite their years of exchanging curt comments through the media.

Outside of another Lombardi Trophy, nothing would likely delight fans more than to see Johnson’s name among the Cowboys’ legends in the Ring of Honor. As the head coach of the Cowboys for five seasons, Jimmy Johnson posted a regular season record of 44-36. More importantly, he won seven of his eight playoff games and two Super Bowls.

Next: The top 30 moments in Dallas Cowboys history

If you’d like to see this in-depth Jerry Jones interview, “Jerry’s World” will debut in the 10 a.m. ET edition of SportsCenter and Trotter will join the program for additional insight. The feature also will re-air in other editions of the program throughout the day and will be expanded into a half-hour special airing on Friday, August 4, at 9 p.m. on ESPN2.

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