Boys Will Be Boys: The Glory Days and Party Nights of the Dallas Cowboys Dynasty

New York Times bestseller

From celebrated sports writer Jeff Pearlman, author of The Bad Guys Won, a rollicking, completely unabashed account of the glory days of the legendary Dallas Cowboys 1990s dynasty.

They were called America's Team. Led by Emmitt Smith, the charismatic Deion "Prime Time" Sanders, Hall of Famers Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin—and lorded over by swashbuckling, power-hungry owner Jerry Jones and his two hard-living coaches, Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer—the Cowboys seemed indomitable on the football field throughout the 1990s. Off the field, this inside story reveals the 'Boys were a dysfunctional circus, fueled by ego, sex, drugs, and jaw-dropping excess. What they achieved on game day was astonishing; what they did the rest of the week was unbelievable.

Boys Will Be Boys is the story of the Dallas Cowboys in their prime—a team of wild-partying, out-of-control glory-hounds that won three Super Bowls in four years and earned their rightful place in sports lore as the most beloved and despised dynasty in NFL history.

This gripping work of sports journalism reveals the whole story:

• The Dynasty’s Rise and Fall: Go inside the locker room and front office, from the unceremonious firing of Tom Landry to the back-to-back Super Bowl victories and the bitter divorce between owner Jerry Jones and coach Jimmy Johnson.
• Unforgettable Hall of Fame Talent: Relive the on-field brilliance of Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin, and the off-the-field chaos that followed them, Deion Sanders, and the rest of America’s Team.
• Sex, Drugs, and Pro Football: An unflinching, behind-the-scenes look at the rampant partying, drug use, and jaw-dropping excess that defined the ’Boys when they weren’t on the gridiron.
• Definitive NFL History: Based on hundreds of interviews, this is the definitive account of how the most dominant—and notorious—team of the ’90s was built and how it all came crashing down.

They were called America's Team. Led by Emmitt Smith, the charismatic Deion "Prime Time" Sanders, Hall of Famers Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin—and lorded over by swashbuckling, power-hungry owner Jerry Jones and his two hard-living coaches, Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer—the Cowboys seemed indomitable on the football field throughout the 1990s. Off the field the 'Boys were a dysfunctional circus, fueled by ego, sex, drugs, and jaw-dropping excess. What they achieved on game day was astonishing; what they did the rest of the week was unbelievable.

Boys Will Be Boys is the rollicking story of the Dallas Cowboys in their prime—a team of wild-partying, out-of-control glory-hounds that won three Super Bowls in four years and earned their rightful place in sports lore as the most beloved and despised dynasty in NFL history.

“It’s tempting to call Boys Will Be Boys the real-life sequel to North Dallas Forty. But in fact, it’s more than that. With immaculate reporting, Jeff Pearlman has constructed a marvelous rise and fall narrative. Here’s the truth about America’s team delivered in a profane page-turner—entertaining, enlightening, and where you least expect it, inspiring. Put another way: This book rocks.” - Mark Kriegel, New York Times bestselling author of Pistol and Namath

“The Cowboys of the 1990s had everything: great players, great characters, great parties, great hair. Now, finally, they have the great writer to tell their story. Jeff Pearlman has written a rip-roaring book filled with terrific reporting and vibrant prose. To appreciate football’s modern era in all its crazy glory, you’ve got to read Boys Will Be Boys. It’s a flat-out winner.” - Jonathan Eig, New York Times bestselling author of Opening Day and Luckiest Man

“Jeff Pearlman is an insider’s insider. With vivid details that place you in the Dallas huddle – and in the team hotel rooms - Pearlman expertly peels the hedonistic layers off the unforgettable characters of the dynastic Cowboys, taking you on a raucous and reflective joyride behind the color, chaos and karma of America’s team in the ‘90s.” - Selena Roberts, columnist, Sports Illustrated

“Just when I thought I knew all the inside info from the glory days of the ‘90s, along comes Jeff Pearlman with this look back. A truly great read.” - Randy Galloway, columnist, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

“A gritty, no-holds barred portrait.” - Barry Horn, The Dallas Morning News

“Jeff Pearlman does a masterly job of exposing the ‘90s Cowboys as shameless frauds and adulterers, sex addicts, and drug fiends.” - John Gonzalez, The Philadelphia Inquirer