Chiefs’ Clark Hunt aims to win back an ‘el cheapo’ trophy from Cowboys’ Jerry Jones
As owners of NFL franchises, it’s little surprise the Chiefs’ Clark Hunt and Jerry Jones of the Cowboys would cross paths from time to time.
Such was the case recently when Hunt delivered a message ahead of their teams’ game Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.
“I ran into Jerry about a month ago and I reminded him that he should bring the trophy,” Hunt said Thursday at a news conference. “We’ll see if he follows through but we plan on getting it back for sure.”
While not well-known to most fans, the trophy Hunt mentioned is given to the winner of any Chiefs-Cowboys game, whether its regular season or preseason.
It’s called the Preston Road Trophy, and because Dallas beat the Chiefs in 2017, it’s in Jones’ possession.
Most people know the winner of the AFC Championship Game receives the Lamar Hunt trophy, which was named after the late Chiefs founder. But few have heard of the trophy on the line Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium. It was constructed by Lamar Hunt, who was Clark Hunt’s father.
Jones talked about the trophy earlier this week on the “Shan & RJ Show” on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas.
“I live on Preston Road and Lamar lived about as long as a cat or dog would walk, probably 200 yards from me,” Jones said. “And he built this, it looks like a birdhouse, and he had it all fixed up real nice. and maybe 25, 26 years ago, he presented me with that Preston Road Trophy.”
‘Ugliest trophy in all of sports’
Lamar Hunt designed and constructed the Preston Road Trophy in 1998. Clark Hunt told the Star eight years ago that his dad’s plan was to spend less than $100.
“It’s kind of an ‘el cheapo’ trophy,” Lamar Hunt told The Star in 2005. “We kid each other about how coveted that trophy is. Obviously, it is. We always want to win every game.”
The inscription reads: “Created in friendship on Dec. 13, 1998 on the occasion of the game between the Kansas City Chiefs-Dallas Cowboys.”
Below that are theresults of the Chiefs-Cowboys games since the trophy was made. It appears to be on a block of wood, with a nameplate with the words Preston Rd. Above that are metal insignias of the team’s helmets.
“It’s the ugliest trophy in all of sports. And least expensive,” Clark Hunt said last year in a Facebook chat with 105.3 The Fan. “The two of them had more fun with that while our dad was alive. And we’ve kept that tradition up.”
While it may seem unsightly, the Preston Road Trophy was revered by owners of two of the world’s richest sports franchises.
Lamar Hunt won the trophy the first time when the Chiefs defeated the Cowboys 20-17 in 1998. It was a prized possession.
Jones recalled in his radio interview that one day he had told friends about the trophy.
“And they said ‘Well, we sure would like to see it.’ So I called him to come over and wanted to show them the Preston Road Trophy,” Jones said of Lamar Hunt. “And he said, ‘Well, Jerry, I’m not so sure about that. That’s really is not quite in the spirit of it.’ And he said, ‘I’ll tell you what, I’ll let you have it but you’ve got to have it back by midnight.’”
Another time, Jones again wanted to show friends, but Hunt refused to relinquish the trophy. He did, however, agree to put the Preston Road Trophy in the window of his house so Jones and his friends could see it.
“So later on I had it, and same thing, he wanted to show some people the Preston Road Trophy,” Jones said. “I wouldn’t let him have it. I made his wife come get it and sign a receipt for it to be sure and bring it back in a day.”
This story was originally published November 19, 2021 at 9:25 AM.
