Watch: Mafah Gets Draft Call from Jerry Jones, Cowboys

Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys are happy to have Phil Mafah.

Mafah had to wait a long time before coming off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft, but the Cowboys eventually scooped up the former Clemson running back on Saturday when they took him in the seventh and final round of the draft (No. 239 overall pick).

After Mafah was selected, he got his long-awaited draft call from members of the Cowboys organization, including Jones, the longtime owner of the franchise.

The Cowboys released a cool video with exclusive audio of the call to Mafah during the 2025 NFL Draft.  

“Phil, we just drafted you,” Jones said to Mafah. “Well, we’re excited. You can hear the room – we’re excited about it, and you’ve earned it. You’ve got something that can really stick, and we have a big need for your style and you as a player. So, I just gotta tell you, I’m proud for you, but I’m proud for us, too. Welcome to the Cowboys.”

Jones then handed the phone over to head coach BrianSchottenheimer, who let Mafah know that the Cowboys “think the world” of him.

“Know it’s been a crazy weekend for you, but it’s about getting to the right spot,” Schottenheimer told Mafah. “We’ve got a great vision for you and we’re just fired up to get you in here and put you to work.”

A punishing workhorse running back, Mafah earned third-team All-ACC honors as a graduate senior in 2024, when he rushed 216 times for 1,115 yards with eight touchdowns and caught 21 passes for 103 yards over 14 games (all starts). He finished his Clemson career with 561 carries for 2,887 yards and 28 touchdowns, as well as 58 receptions for 309 yards over 50 games (21 starts) from 2021-24.

Check out the moment Mafah found out he’s going to be a Cowboy and his draft call from Jones and Schottenheimer, as well as Cowboys offensive coordinator Klayton Adams and running backs coach Derrick Foster: