"My dad and everybody was into the Cowboys," Kersh says. "So I just grew up with it."
His devotion to his favorite football team doesn't stop with the untold number of cups, glasses, rings, programs, magazines, electric football games, jerseys, helmets, game balls, lunchboxes, starting lineup figurines, towels, toy cars and trucks, stadium models, model trains, books, signs, cards, pictures (and whatever else we don't have the space to print) that have taken over the Arlington home where he and his wife, Diana, live.
The Kershes' home is painted in blue and silver, and the front and back lawns have been replaced with artificial turf like that used at AT&T Stadium. The backyard has been rebuilt into a mini Cowboys clubhouse with three buildings that hold even more posters, advertising stands, pet toys, magazines, seat covers, toys, mini-helmets, bobbleheads, lunchboxes, flags, bicycles, telephones, jackets and who knows what else. Every inch of the place screams Cowboys. Even the water in the toilet is blue.
Diana says the only other thing that goes up on their walls is Stoney's collection of Lynyrd Skynyrd albums and memorabilia.
The Kershes have even more memorabilia in the attic and storage buildings so they can rotate the exhibits. One of the rarest pieces is this model of AT&T Stadium used by the city of Arlington to show the new home of the Dallas Cowboys before its opening in 2009.
Danny Gallagher
Kersh's Dallas Cowboys Museum in Arlington, exactly 1.6 miles from AT&T Stadium, is the closest thing "America's Team" has to an actual museum. So the city of Arlington arranges tours to the Kershes' home on its website.
Thousands of people tour the couple's home every year, especially fans of visiting teams who come into town during Cowboys' home games. The visits are free, but visitors are encouraged to make donations to help with the upkeep, which Stoney and Diana Kersh say can be a huge challenge.
The team and even the National Football League are very aware and supportive of Stoney and Diana's devotion. Michael Irvin showed up in his Football Hall of Fame jacket to surprise Stoney with his nomination for entry into the NFL Hall of Fans in 2019. The same year, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stopped by for a visit.
"We were getting ready to watch the Seattle game," Stoney Kersh says. "My friends and stuff were coming over and one of them said, 'You know there's a bunch of limos and police out front' and I said, 'No.' So I start walking towards the gate and this lady, she says, 'Stoney? Meet Roger Goodell,' and he steps around the gate with two great big bodyguards. He says, 'Stoney, I just got off the plane from DFW. Do you mind if I take a look at your museum?'"
The same day, Goodell invited the couple to join him in his private suite at AT&T Stadium for the game, where he says he was surrounded by Cowboys royalty.
"I'm in there with all my idols: Gil Brandt, Charles Haley, Tony Dorsett, Darren Woodson," Stoney says. "They're all in there, all in the suite."
Goodell offered them his reclined seats with a perfect view of the field, and Kersh says Goodell sat on the concrete step next to him and just "talks to me all the way up until halftime.
"I couldn't hardly watch the game because he just wanted to talk to me and I'll never know why because there's all these dignitaries and people who are waiting to speak with this man and he's talking to me," Stoney says. "I couldn't believe that I could feel all the people behind us trying to listen and see what we're talking about."
So far, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones hasn't popped in for a visit, but Stoney Kersh says Jones knows he's in his backyard.
"I asked the Commish, 'Would you tell Jerry about the museum because I'd love for him to come see it some day,'" Stoney says. "He looked me right in the eye and said, 'Stoney, he already knows.'"
