FEBRUARY 15, 2001
Smoke Signals 9
FEBRUARY 15, 2001
Smoke Signals
msim Mm L .;
V V
1 fc
Continued from front page
famous former Dallas Cowboy
teammates playing golf and work
ing with charities, promoting and
managing his boxing team and
running his business of establish
ing musical acts and all the while
soaking up the laid back style of
life in the south.
Then, a new opportunity for
fame came calling and found a
willing, if unsuspecting, partici
pant in Jones. Life in the NFL had
been good to Jones at 6'10" he
loomed above the competition like
death at an accident scene and at
275 lbs. he carried enough weight
to back up his desire of rendering
quarterbacks of their helmets and
their courage.
So, when the folks at Sony
PlayStation came calling and
wanted Jones for a new commer
cial promoting their latest John
Madden NFL 2001 video game,
fame was nothing new to Jones.
He new what to expect he had
been through it before.
Sure, he had been out of the
spotlight since his retirement, but
those golf tournaments and auto
graph signings kept him in the
public's eye quite a bit, he thought.
Then, the Playstation commer
cials started airing across the coun
try. The ads featured Jones star
ing menacingly at a naive-looking
video game researcher who asks
Jones how he managed to intimi
date people during his playing
days. Jones stares him down hard,
thus providing the researcher with
his answer.
Jones had no idea what was
ahead for him, but he was ready.
And, he loves every minute of it.
Unlikeome superstar athletes, he
loves interacting with fans, loves
signing autographs and loves be
ing around people in general. He
said it is his way of giving back to
the people who cheered him on and
gave him the desire to keep play
ing the world's most violent game.
Fame has exploded again for Ed
"Too Tall" Jones well after his play
ing days have ended. Jones said
he is overwhelmed by his new
found fame but enjoying every
minute of this second opportunity
to reach a whole new generation
of youth with his message.
Jones took time out of his sched
ule to meet with Smoke Signals be
fore his gig hosting this year's Su
per Bowl party at the Tribe's Spirit ,
Mountain Casino on Sunday,
January 28.
The warm, animated, enthusias
tic and engaging big man talked
to us about his storied playing days
with the Dallas Cowboys, the state
of the game today, his feelings
about modern youth and the prob
lems they face, his first love in the
sporting world professional box
ing and his love of music, espe
cially the blues and B.B. rung.
The Interview...
By Brent Merrill
I grew up watching you play. After
you retired, you were out of the
spotlight for a while. Now, with this
new PlayStation 2 commercial, you
have a whole new following a
whole new generation of fans.
Yeah.
Are you enjoying it?
I enjoy it. I meant to disappear when I
retired. First of all, I played for 15 years.
That is a lot of wear and tear on you. I
tried to do as many things as I could dur
ing the season and off the season for dif
ferent charities that I represent and other
business interests that I had during the
time that I played football. I just really
stretched myself thin. I said when I re
tired my mom passed that year that I
retired (that is one of the reasons that I
went ahead and retired I could have
played another two years) I just said 'I
need a break.'
What year was that?
That was 1989-90. I said 'here it is
I played 15 years, 15 wonderful years,
never missed a game. So I went ahead
and hung 'em up. I just kind of took a
back seat. I stayed on top of my business
things, but at a very low key.
Then, I decided it was time to get back
out there. And so I really started working
very hard with my company to get it out
there and then the PlayStation thing came
along and like you said it is amazing
what being in front of a screen can do to
you. The phones started ringing off the
hook.
I'm a people person. Always have been.
I love getting out and getting involved in
activities like today hosting Super Bowl
parties and activities were I can interact
with the public because for so many years
the public supported me. They were there
for me and let me tell you they dont
hear it enough, but they dont know what
that means to an athlete to get that fan
support. It means the world. So, this is
my way of saying thank you getting out
and... You know a lot of people never
have the opportunity to meet a profes
sional athlete up close whether it be
football, baseball, basketball whatever.
They just don't have the opportunity. I
would have given anything to have had
that opportunity when I was growing up
as a kid in Tennessee. We didn't have
any you know, no local role models on
the professional level to look up to -to en
courage you, none of that. I didn't get to
experience any of that until I was an adult.
So I know what it would have meant to
me. So that is why I make myself visible
and available to the public.
The thing that I noticed the most
when I was in Nashville was that ev
erybody was so polite. That "South-
Ed "TOO Tall" JOneS was bom in Jackson, Tennessee in February
of 1951. Jones was drafted out of Tennessee State University in 1974 by
the Dallas Cowboys with the team's number one draft pick. He played de
fensive lineman for 15 years -sandwiching his NFL career around a year of
professional boxing. Jones had six fights in his professional career and won
all six. Jones was his team's most valuable defensive player and played in
three super bowls with the Cowboys. Jones made a jazz album and also
starred in a movie after the 1977 season.
ern Hospitality" is really true.
Oh yeah. It is. There is a lot of truth to
that. I went to college in Nashville. I'm
from Jackson, Tennessee, which is right
between Memphis and Nashville. I have
an office in Memphis now. That is one
thing that I dont think will ever change
that southern hospitality.
I loved it
I was there years ago with some of my
teammates who were from areas like New
York, Philly and places on the East Coast
and they freaked out on how people ac
tually spoke to them and how polite they
were. They couldnt understand it. And I
didn't even try and explain to them what
it is really like to grow up in an environ
ment like that.
Things have changed there isn't
that sense of respect anymore.
When I was a kid, I was raised in a
family where we didn't back talk.
Now,...
Excuse me. If you're from a big city
you have lost that. I grew up in a home
where we went to church every Sunday.
You respected your Elders. Everything was
es sir, yes ma'am.' The worst trouble I
got in was snagging jeans playing with
kids trying to jump fences I shouldnt have
been trying to jump. Which is nothing
today. But, one of the main reasons why
we have lost them is first of all because
of drugs that are in our communities.
Young kids have gotten a hold of them.
Number two single-family homes.
Either you have the father raising the kids
or you have the mom. That is tough. That
is tough when you have to work. Most
families can't afford to have someone
come in and watch them. So those kids
have too much idle time by his or herself.
It is a nightmare and that is why I go
places and do things where you have a
lot of sponsors there with community pro
grams. Man, if I thank them once, I thank
them a hundred times before I leave there
because I know the importance of it.
. You have to try and start on the com
munity level with people in their com
munities. Get things out of your commu
nities and drugs off the streets. Go to
church, study. Not just go to school, but
go to school and learn something. It is
going to have to start on a community
level. The communities are going to have
to try and turn their communities around
before it is going to effect statewide. It is
going to be tough. It is going to be tough.
It is only inevitable that it would
transcend itself into sports. The
money had to change things too.
Having gone through every level of
sports possible, I sit back now and ana
lyze how professional sports gets blamed
for everything when individuals do things.
What the public doesn't realize is, in the
professionals - the player has a prob
lem before we ever get them. Before he
ever reached that level, he has already
got a problem it started in high school,
he was coddled. It started in high school,
when he could do know wrong - and
didnt get punished for doing any wrong.
Then, on to college and it is the same
thing. And by the time he gets to the
pros, he is lost. But, the pros get blamed
for it.
You have got to be involved and you
have to start when they are young.
Thafs right. Mine did mine (par
ents) started when I was very young. All
the friends of mine I know (who) turned
out to be okay the same thing. But,
unfortunately, like I said, because you
have so many broken homes, others are
going to have to take an interest in other
people's kids. People say 'hey, it is not
my responsibility.' No it is not, but I want
a clean society for myself. I want a safe
society.
You got to play your whole career in
Dallas, right?
Yeah.
And again, that is a different thing
now days too.
Oh you wont see it again.
People just don't play 15 years in one
city anymore.
You will only see a handful of them (play
ers in the NFL) doing it anymore. And
that will probably be a quarterback or a
receiver with a history of staying healthy
and being productive.
Everybody else has to move on to
the bigger contract.
Thafs right. I'm so glad I didnt go
through that. I knew my teammates.
15 years.
I knew them. And, that made a differ
ence man. When you are lining up next
to a person that you have worked, bled
and sweat together for years instead of
looking around at someone that doesn't
know you and you dont know them it
means something. This is a team sport
you know you gotto have 11 acting as
one.
On the same page.
On the same page.
Do you still keep in touch with some
of your old teammates?
Very close. We have always been
close.
Who were some of your favorite
players to play with?
I won't use the word favorite. Like I
said, we were all close and we do a lot of
to this day we still do things together.
We golf together, we do charities together
and the key is because Dallas is a good
place to play sports and live and to do
things off the field. So, the majority of
players make their home in Dallas. Un-
like some places were you have guys who
play there, but they dont live there. As
soon as the season is over they are
gone. So, you might not run into them
until 10 years later.
Who were some of your favorite
players to play against?
Not necessarily the players to play
against, it was teams. And, most of them
were rivalries like the (Washington)
Redskins for years. Then we went through
a phase were it was the (New York) Gi
ants. Then, at one point it was the (Phila
delphia) Eagles and that lasted so long.
It was usually whoever was hot in your
division. But the Redskins were the long
est rivalry. Then we went through a point
were the (San Francisco) 49ers and the
Cowboys couldn't stand each other. Well,
I went through all those. That is what
longevity will do for you. It wasn't the
individual that brought the best out in me,
it was the team. 'Man, you couldnt wait
for those games.'
I remember you did some boxing dur
ing your football career.
I fought one year early in my career. I
played five years, retired, boxed one year,
and then came back. It was something I
had to do. Boxing was my favorite sport
still is. I'm involved in boxing now. I
have a boxing team. I manage fighters.
I love that sport and I had to do it I wasnt
one of those who was going to be 50 years
old and look back and say 'man I wish I
tried that.' I had to try. I gave a year
notice and I took off chasing a dream.
Fought one year six fights. Won all
six. Came back (to football) for ten more
years. If I had not fought for that year,
there is no way that I would have played
football for 15 years. I mentally wasn't
into it. Football man - if you had the tal
ent to play on a professional level it is
85 percent mental.
Preparation?
All of that stuff. Yeah. But again now,
dont misunderstand you have to have
the talent to play at that level. So forget
talent or you wouldnt be there. Now what
separates you? That is what I'm saying.
Now it becomes mental. So, if I'm out
there on that football field, it is a lot of
work, it is not easy during the week. See
when the fans see us; they see us on
Sunday when you are polished and
ready to play. They don't have any idea
what you go through during the week in
practice. It is a hard job. It is a hard job.
You are in meetings for five hours. And
you are practicing for two hours. Then
you are lifting weights and running.
(Signs an autograph for a young man
that works in the restaurant)
(Signs another autograph)
What is the state of the game to
day? Will there be a look back for
the older values of the game? Oris
it a whole New World now?
I have never seen anything go back. If
something is getting out of control you
make an adjustment then. Football is
healthy right now. Other sports are forc
ing people's concerns for down the road.
Basketball and baseball they think it is
getting out of control mainly salaries.
We have a salary cap in football. The
game is healthy today. But some of the
other sports have issues that they are
going to have to address.
What was it like to play for Tom
Landry?
Coach Landry I would consider him
a football genius. The reason why I say
that is because he controlled every as
pect of the game. He controlled both
sides of the ball offense and defense
and kicking game. He programmed his
coaches to program you. He was every
thing. If you didn't accept that, you
couldn't coach for him. To me, that is a
genius if you can do that and be success
ful. He was successful.
What did you think when Jerry Jones
came in and bought the team?
(Talks to a middle-aged man who says
he watched him play for years and didnt
realize how big he was in person.)
I felt the way he handled the transition
was wrong. But, he has since apologized
and before coach Landry passed he
accepted his apology. Coach Landry put
it as well as anybody I ever heard when
he said that 'hey they were young and
they were excited to get the team.' So,
they didnt think before they decided how
to let him go. You have got to watch how
you let a legend go. He was a living leg
end. They just didnt think.
(Orders two scoops of ice cream and
an eclair)
They could have bumped him up
stairs to the general manager's job
or something.
I'm not sure Tom would have accepted
that. Tom was a coach. Think about it
you dont see that happening a lot with
head coaches in football. You see that
happening in baseball and basketball.
What was it like playing with a guy
like Roger Staubach?
Great. Man I played with a lot of great
guys. When I say that, I'm not just talk
ing about football players. I'm talking
about guys who were just good people.
Coaches, players, Staubach, Craig
Morton, Calvin Hill, Tony Dorsett, LeRoy
Jordan... The list goes on just good
people. Mike Ditka, Dan Reeves, Gene
Stallings and the list goes on and on and
on.
Mel Renfro (Professional football
player who went to college at the
University of Oregon)?
Yeah. Renfro.
He is an Oregon guy.
Yeah, I saw Renfro yesterday (in Tampa
at the Super Bowl festivities) and I asked
him about where I was going. He told
me, man you might get some snow. Does
it snow here a lot?
Not a lot in Grand Ronde, but it does
snow and it is cold enough.
What kind of message do you have
for youth that are rediscovering you
because of this commercial for
PlayStation?
The only thing I can say man is there is
no such thing as waiting until you are a
certain age to decide what you want to
do. Start today. Be preparing yourself.
If you are undecided, one safe bet is to
study as hard as you can in school (and)
put yourself in a position for whatever you
decide to do in life you have a head start
on everybody because you have educated
yourself.
Accept it nothing can take the place
of education. 'So I say hey, the first thing
you should be concerned with is better
ing (yourself) in the classroom.' All that
other stuff will come in time. You don't
develop talent overnight, but you can de
velop learning skills. If you study hard
and work hard and realize that nothing
comes easy there is a price you pay
for everything. I dont care who you are,
I don't care how talented you are You
know I didnt get where I am today be
cause of my size sure I'm 6'10." I weigh
275. That still didn't make me a 15-year
veteran in the NFL. I worked at it.
Worked very hard heart out. And I
played hard too. But, you can enjoy your
friends and family and everybody else and
still do your schoolwork and be a player
and have fun. You can do all those things
combine all those things.
You have to have a system and be dedi
cated enough to do it. And stay clean.
Stay clean. I saw a lot of guys with more
talent than I had that didnt make it be
cause of decisions they made that cost
them their careers. Bad choices. Bad
choices...
People they hung with... Things they
did...
Ran with the wrong people. Tried the
wrong things that werent good for them
selves or anybody else. So stay clean. I
haven't seen one person that I can hon
estly say that drugs helped them in any
thing. Those are pretty good statistics
there when you haven't seen one. Why
chance it? Why risk it? Stay clean and
develop a good work ethic because that
will carry through everything you do in
life. I dont care what it is, whether it is
sports whatever profession you choose
in life.
My dad passed when I was growing up
and there were eight of us. I had five
sisters and two brothers. Being one of
the boys I said my dad wouldnt want
my mom doing things that I could do. He
would want her doing things for the girls.
So to take some of the pressure off of
her I'm going to get a job. My mom didnt
have to do nothing for me. That was be
cause of the foundation that was built
under me by my parents. You know
what my dad meant to me, what my mom
meant to me. My dad wouldnt want me
to be dependent on my mom. I started
delivering groceries, cutting yards, every
thing I could do.
What is it like living your life in the
public eye all the time having
people come up to you while you are
eating and ask you for you auto
graph? I don't have a problem with it.
Some people do though don't they?
That doesn't surprise me. You have got
to have all kinds of people. Some of the
guys I played with over the years don't
care what they are doing when you come
up or what is going on they are cool
with it. And you have that group that cant
stand it.
What is in your CD player right now?
You are talking to a person here that
promotes concerts. I have over 500 hun
dred CDs. Usually it is one of my groups
depending on what my favorite is right
then.
B.B. King will be here.
I saw that. I have known B.B. forever.
Tell him Ed Jones from Dallas said 'hi.'
We have had some good laughs together
B.B. and I. Blues is my favorite it
has been forever.