DeMarcus Ware’ choice of Jerry Jones as his 2023 HOF presenter has roots in 2005 NFL draft

DeMarcus Ware played the final three seasons of his career with the Denver Broncos.

And he enjoyed his greatest on field memory there as member of the Super Bowl 50 title team following the 2015 season.

But has always considered himself a Dallas Cowboys player first and foremost.

And while he will be honored a member of both teams when he is officially enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as member of the Class of 2023 in August, his choice of presenters speaks volumes about where his home and heart is.

Earlier this week, Ware asked Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to present him at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony

“You were the voice that welcomed me to the Hall of Fame,” Ware said, via the team website. “I want for you, that voice, to keep going and you be my presenter this year.”

Said Jones: “I just can’t tell you what an honor it is. I mean, it’s really because it’s you, but it means more to me than me being in the Hall of Fame, because I know what you’re a part of and that’s how I got into the Hall of Fame — just standing and rubbing up with you.”

This will mark Jones’ fourth time as a Hall of Fame presenter. He previously presented Michael Irvin, Emmitt Smith and Larry Allen at their inductions.

But it actually goes deeper than that for Jones and Ware.

Not only did Jones deliver the news to Ware in January that the had been voted into the Hall of Fame, but it was Jones who stood up to Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells in order to take him with 11th overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.

Parcells, who coached the Cowboys from 2003-2006, wanted to take LSU defensive end Marcus Spears at 11. Jones, however, had the final say and made it clear the Cowboys were taking Ware out of Troy State.

As Jones was filling out the draft card to take Ware, Parcells made a demand on a legal pad.

“We’re sitting there and I see him take this legal pad and, man, is he carefully writing out a contract-looking document,” Jones later recalled. “As a matter of fact, he even put signature lines down.”

“And he put on there: ‘Should player not average 10 sacks a year in his first five years in the NFL, Mr. Jones agrees that Mr. Parcells and his significant other will get five trips a year on his G5.’ And he put signature lines down there.”

“And, so, I didn’t even look at him. I read it right there. It was right beside me, six inches over, and he slid it over.”

Through Ware’s first five seasons with the Cowboys, he recorded 64.5 sacks, an average of 12.9 sacks per years. He led the league with 20.0 in 2008 en route to finishing as the Cowboys all-time leader in sacks with 117 and making the All-Decade Team of the 2000s.

Ware recorded racked up 138.5 sacks in his career with the Cowboys and Broncos.