One of my favorite and most underrated stories when it comes to NFL history is the claim from Jerry Jones that back in 1996 he literally begged the Big Guy upstairs for help in winning a third Super Bowl, his first without former coach Jimmy Johnson.
With Barry Switzer running things and Jerry wanting to win without Jimmy, he turned to a higher power in order to secure a title. Or so he claims.
"The third Super Bowl that I had a chance to be involved in, I made a deal with the man upstairs and said 'If you'll just do it for me, I'll never ask again. This will be it, if you let me win this third Super Bowl, I won't ask again,'" Jones recalled recently. "I've been trying to re-trade that deal for the last 20 years. And I've put a lot on the line. I'm going to shove almost every bit of it out there this time if he'll make this deal with me and let me go one more time."
Think about that for a second: Jerry Jones, already with two Super Bowl victories, was willing to sacrifice any future Super Bowls in order to secure a third one in a five-year span.
With that in mind, it's interesting to note that Jones, as part of a Pro Football Hall of Fame tour to see the Pope, met up with a guy who has a pretty strong connection to the Guy who many believe is pulling the strings.
Maglietta e casco per @Pontifex dalla @ProFootballHOF — Mi piace il football, ma da noi si gioca in modo molto diverso! #VaticanHuddle pic.twitter.com/y760DSF7a2
— Ambasciata U.S.A. (@AmbasciataUSA) June 21, 2017
Jones, who became part of the first-ever American sports group to get an audience with the Pope, was pretty thrilled about it.
"What a magnificent thing for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and to have him recognize pro football," Jones said in a statement released by the HOF. "When I think of the millions who know our Spiritual leader, it is very special to think that we had his audience on behalf of the game."
As he should be -- Jones got PERSONALLY BLESSED by the Pope (along with everyone else).
Exclusive reaction from @dallascowboys Jerry Jones and his wife Gene on meeting @Pontifex #VaticanHuddle pic.twitter.com/rGXtyEnuD3
— Pro Football HOF (@ProFootballHOF) June 21, 2017
It should be pretty obvious that Jones was already blessed. He made a fortune as an oil magnate, bought the Cowboys and made a second fortune, has three Super Bowl rings and just took a tightly-closed window for the Cowboys and pried it open by drafting Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott.
Hopefully he used this opportunity as a "Get Out of Jail Free" card for his 1995 promise so the Cowboys can make another run at a Super Bowl.
