FRISCO, Texas — An unexpected visitor brightened the Dallas Cowboys’ final NFL draft preparations Wednesday when former President Bill Clinton made a surprise appearance at the team’s headquarters.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was conducting his annual pre-draft media session when he spotted Clinton walking into the facility through the glass walls of the interview room.
The reunion between the two Arkansas natives created a memorable interruption as Jones nearly stumbled while rushing off the stage to greet his longtime friend. Clinton entered through a side entrance, drawing all attention to the impromptu meeting.
“He’s been a wonderful, not only president, but a friend over the years,” Jones told the gathered media. “And I’m really happy to have you here today.” Jones, who was born in Los Angeles but worked as an oil and gas entrepreneur in Arkansas before purchasing the Cowboys in 1989, has maintained his friendship with Clinton over the decades.
Clinton, flashing his signature smile, responded by saying, “Have a good draft day,” which led to both men sharing Arkansas football memories.
The media room features a photograph of Clinton welcoming the Cowboys to the White House after one of their 1990s Super Bowl championships, when Jones had recently departed Arkansas for Texas.
Jones recalled Clinton’s impressive memory from their first personal meeting: “And when I said hello to him on a personal basis, he listed, three-deep, every player … on the Arkansas Razorback national championship team. He was a young guy that was following the Hogs feverishly, mainly over the radio. So he’s a good man to have as a fan.”
The former president, who hails from Hope, Arkansas, and at 79 is four years Clinton’s junior, then demonstrated that sharp recall by quizzing Jones about his playing days.
“Tell ’em again the position you played,” Clinton prompted.
“Well, I was a guard. I was a pulling guard,” Jones replied.
“And how much did you weigh?” Clinton continued.
“About 185 pounds,” Jones answered.
Clinton then provided historical context: “And a couple of years before him we had a guard named Wayne Harris who weighed the same thing Jerry did, and he made first-team All-America. They were great guards, and it’s a different world now.”
When Jones mentioned he wouldn’t want to play pulling guard in today’s NFL, where offensive linemen typically exceed 300 pounds, Clinton quipped, “Yeah, you’d be the late Jerry Jones.”
Following their reunion, both Clinton and Jones departed, leaving executive vice president Stephen Jones, head coach Brian Schottenheimer, and scouting director Will McClay to continue the media session for another 25 minutes without the team’s typically omnipresent owner.
