Chris Bahn: Yearly Dallas Game a Great Selling Point for Razorbacks to Texas Prospects

Like the master salesman he is, Jerry Jones knows how to hammer home a point. The fast-talking Dallas Cowboys owner has perfected that skill over the course of building a billion-dollar fortune, and he put his gift for gab on display for Northwest Arkansas reporters a few weeks ago.

Jones, no matter what he was asked, always found a way to bring the answer back to what he wanted to say. He did this time and again, filling 30-plus minutes of a press conference without ever really deviating from his message.

What the Arkansas native Jones wanted to make perfectly clear - besides his belief the Cowboys are the greatest sports franchise ever - is that the University of Arkansas will benefit from a 10-year series of games with Texas A&M in his monstrous new stadium. Jones stressed the importance of visibility with recruits in Texas, a state that produces plenty of top-flight college football talent.

Jones went so far as to tell media members that his Dallas Cowboys could win Super Bowls if they could lay claim to all the Texas-born NFL talent in the north Texas area. Who doesn't love a little hyperbole?

When Jones made that claim, it seemed absurd. It didn't feel quite as crazy as him telling us that the government wouldn't save the economy, new Dallas Cowboys Stadium would save the economy, but it was exaggeration at its finest.

Or was it?

Perhaps Jones isn't too far off. Or maybe he's done his research on the always-reliable (chortle) WikiAnswers, where we read earlier Thursday that Texas trails only California in active NFL player with 179. Jones might be overselling things a bit, but there's no question that Texas does produce college football talent.

Arkansas is reaping the benefits now and would like to expand its reach in the state. In fact, the Razorbacks must expand their reach in Texas if they want to succeed at the level Bobby Petrino and Arkansas fans and administrators expect.

Players from Texas high schools take up 20 spots on the Razorbacks' current roster. Many of those players are key components of the team, including starting quarterback Ryan Mallett and backup receiver Cobi Hamiton (both from Texarkana High), safeties Tramain Thomas and Matt Harris, defensive end Adrian Davis, middle linebacker Wendel Davis and offensive lineman DeMacrus Love. Injured cornerback Isaac Madison, also a Texan, was scheduled to start before blowing out his knee in fall camp.

Between them, Texas-tested athletes have accounted for eight of the team's 11 touchdowns. They've got all three of the team's interceptions on defense. Texans are holding down four spots among the team's top six tacklers, including Harris and Wendel Davis, who lead the team with 19 each.