Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was mid-sentence when the room suddenly stopped.

During Wednesday’s pre-draft press conference, Jones turned to look off-camera. There he found former President Bill Clinton walking into the room.

“Let me tell you something, this guy was recently named the second most American to have started with very little and have accomplished a lot. Look at it, it’s in Forbes. There’s a great story about him in Forbes,” Jones gushed in a clip shared on X/Twitter. “But he’s been a wonderful, not only president, but a friend over the years, and I’m really happy to have you here today.”

The two men first connected as “Arkansas buddies,” navigating the state’s business and political circles before either achieved national prominence.

Their relationship predates Jones’ 1989 purchase of the Cowboys and Clinton’s 1993 inauguration as president.

Clinton hosted the Cowboys at the White House three times following the team’s Super Bowl victories in the 1990s. He has since become a regular fixture in Jones’s luxury suite at AT&T Stadium, attending events ranging from Final Four games to major NFL matchups.

While Jones is known for maintaining relationships across the political spectrum to benefit the Cowboys brand, his bond with Clinton stands out as one of the more enduring cross-aisle friendships in professional sports.

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