Never say Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones isn’t down to ride for his players — including letting them hop a ride on his private jet.
Jones let 1 of his players hitch a ride with him on the way home from Sunday’s thrilling 34-30 road win over the Houston Texans, and for a very good reason.
“Shemar James’ return flight from Houston after the Cowboys win was a little quicker than every other player,” ESPN’s Todd Archer wrote on his official X account on Monday. “He returned on Jerry Jones’ plane with his wife going into labor Sunday.”
James and his wife, Erica, informally announced they were expecting their 1st child this summer — with a picture of James signing his wife’s T-shirt, right on top of her baby bump, at a football camp he hosted in his hometown of Mobile, Alabama.
“I want to give a HUGE shoutout to my husband as he spent his birthday in his hometown giving back to the community,” Erica wrote on her Instagram account on July 16. “This man could’ve been anywhere in the world and chose to give back! His love for his city is truly heartwarming and just says so much about his character. He loved spending time with the kids and putting smiles on their faces. You truly are a blessing from God. May you continue to walk into your calling while leaving a legacy behind for the youth to remember. You are so special & God loves you so so much!”
Shemar James in 2nd Season With Cowboys
James, 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, is in his second season with the Cowboys after they selected him in the 5th round (No. 152 overall) out of the University of Florida in the 2025 NFL Draft — making it to the NFL when he was still just 20 years old.
He played in 14 games as a rookie, including 6 starts, and finished with 91 tackles after the Cowboys pressed him into service following a rash of injuries and poor play by their inside linebackers.
He’s become a primary special teams standout in his 2nd season with 5 tackles through 4 games while playing on 70 percent of his team’s special teams snaps.
James Only Played 3 Seasons of College Football
James only played 3 seasons of college football. He was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team in 2022 and started the first 8 games in 2023 before he needed surgery to repair a dislocated kneecap. In his one full season as a full-time starter in 2024, he had 64 tackles, 4 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, 3 pass deflections, one forced fumble, and one interception.
In an interesting study of the razor-thin margins draft picks are judged on, James ran the 40-yard dash in 4.69 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine. For his height and weight, that’s a tad behind what’s considered elite — if James had run it in 4.59 seconds, it likely would have propelled him into the third or fourth round.
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein had James projected as a sixth or seventh round pick in his pre-draft evaluation.
“James flashes speed but has never really developed the recognition and response talent to chalk up playmaking production,” Zierlein wrote “He has some twitch in his movement and does a nice job of working past blocks, but he might not be able to anticipate with enough consistency to play ahead of NFL blocking schemes. James is athletic in space and can play special teams, but he might never be more than an average backup.”
Cowboys LB Earns Surprise Flight Home With Owner Jerry Jones