Story by DDNS Reporter Gracie Lunsford

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR. — Bill Clinton and Jerry Jones talk about Arkansas ties at the Little Rock Touchdown Club. 

This past Monday, Little Rock Touchdown Club guest speakers Bill Clinton, former U.S. president, and Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, spoke to an estimated 3,000 attendees in Simmons Bank Arena. 

Both men are Arkansas natives and returned to their home state to share favorite Razorback memories and discuss the current state of the football world, and Jones concluded by announcing a sizable donation to the Clinton Foundation. 

The Little Rock Touchdown Club, founded by media personality David Bazzel, is in its 22nd year celebrating football across Arkansas. With over 500 members, the club is one of the largest of its kind in the nation. 

With two prominent Arkansas figures at the club, Bazzel said, “Today, to me, I think it’s a historic day because we’re welcoming two of the world’s most recognizable, high-profile figures, successful people in this country, and more importantly, two Arkansans.”

Jones graduated from North Little Rock High School, then played offensive line at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, co-captaining the 1964 undefeated football team. In 1989, he bought the Dallas Cowboys, which became one of the world’s most recognizable and profitable sports franchises. 

Clinton was raised in Hot Springs and would go on to serve as Attorney General in 1977 and Governor of Arkansas in 1979, before ultimately becoming the 42nd president of the United States. 

Clinton and Jones shared the stage for an hour, with questions from Bazzel, reminiscing about their favorite memories of past football teams, starting with Jones discussing Clinton’s 1978 decision to support former Razorbacks coach Lou Holtz. 

Holtz had a “do right” policy that held players to a high standard, both on and off the field. When three star players violated this rule, Holtz suspended them from attending the Orange Bowl. The suspended players sued Holtz, who had gained the support of then-Attorney General Clinton. 

“It looked like a bad career move for Lou Holtz, and a worse career move for me.” Clinton comments. 

After winning the case, Holtz took the Razorbacks to Miami for the Orange Bowl. Jones credits the win with inspiring the team as they faced the Oklahoma Sooners, who were heavily favored over Arkansas. 

“And the Razorbacks kicked their ass,” stated Jones.

The Razorbacks beat the Sooners 31-6 in the Orange Bowl, what Clinton describes as “the largest upset in Arkansas football history.”

After graduating from Hot Springs High School, Clinton attended Georgetown University for undergrad, the University of Oxford for his graduate studies, and Yale Law School. But through it all, he remained loyal to the Razorbacks. 

“I didn’t have any conflicts about my football loyalty. I listened to every ball game, and they made fun of me because I could remember the stats. Then I would start describing the game, and they said nobody wants to hear that much detail.”

As the landscape of both college and professional sports changes, athletes are making more and more money through NIL, or “name, image, likeness.” In 2021, the NCAA officially allowed college athletes to monetize their personal brands and sponsorships. Before, players made no money from their likeness or the publicity they brought to their universities, but coaches’ salaries steadily increased.  

Bazzel says, “When you don’t have to pay players, and all you do is pay your coaches and facilities, you’re making millions of dollars…Looking back, do you think the NCAA was just a little too slow to realize what was coming down the pipe? That legislators around the country will look and say, ‘My gosh, the coaches are making $10 million a year, and the players are getting nothing.’” 

Jones states that he had always wanted to be a coach, especially after his own experience on the Arkansas football team, but ultimately wanted more money than coaches were making in the 60s. 

“Had I known that I was going to be paying them what I’m paying them today, I’d have been a damn coach,” says Jones.  

As for the current state of college athletic finances, Jones remarks that “the financial tide did rise for college football, and the climate around it gave incentive to go in and challenge the rules.”

As for Clinton, he says there are conflicting interests around the recent NIL changes. 

“It would be a good thing if people who are recruited to play in the system are able to have some compensation from the beginning…We want young people to have some mobility, especially if they get stuck at a school. It’s a terrible situation, but it’s a balance beam…You don’t want to screw up what NIL has decided to do, which is to make it attractive to people to take the risks of playing professional football.”

Towards the end of the program, Bazzel announces that Jones has something very special to share with President Clinton. Jones first discusses how much Arkansas means to him, describing his family lineage and ties to the state. 

“They have been indispensable in any kind of success that we might have had is really the culture of what we learn as we all spent our lives growing up here in Arkansas.”

Jones continues on to his special announcement. 

“We want to give money today to the Clinton Library, particularly aimed at, if you will, the Clinton School for Public Service. We want to give that money today to lead the way, and hopefully others will follow for something that we’re very, very proud of, certainly you and what it stands for.” 

Bazzel asks to disclose the donation amount, excitedly telling the crowd that the Jones family has donated $ 10 million to the Clinton Foundation.

Clinton graciously thanks the family for the donation and discusses future plans for the Clinton School of Public Service, such as creating a space for all of Secretary Clinton’s archives and expanding public access, and bringing more people to the school. He ends with a special thanks to Jones. 

 “I’m grateful that it is now my responsibility to hand along all these things we’re doing onto the next generation in good shape and make room for further growth”, stated Clinton. “But I couldn’t do it without help, and I am more grateful than you know. You’re a good man.” 

“Well, Mr. President,” Jones says, pausing dramatically. “I ain’t going to let the old man in.”

Clinton jerks his thumb toward Jones and laughs. “That’s a good line.”

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