Kick Off Sports Luncheon

Ed Jones, affectionately given the nickname “Too Tall” in college due to his 6’9” height, played defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys from 1974-1978 and 1980-1989. A dominating defensive player, Jones was a three-time All-Pro selection and three-time Pro Bowler. He was a member of the Cowboys squad that won Super Bowl XII against the Denver Broncos, 27-10. Jones left football in 1978 and tried his hand at boxing, a sport he first took up in high school. Jones went 6-0 in the heavyweight division before returning to the Cowboys in 1980.

Jones was born in Jackson, Tennessee and went to college at Jackson Central Merry High School, where he played football, baseball and basketball. He played basketball collegiately at Tennessee State for two seasons before concentrating on football, where he was twice named All-American and helped the Tigers to back-to-back black college national titles. Jones was drafted by the Cowboys with the first overall pick in 1974, the first player from a HBCU to be drafted that high.