Cowboys' great Jimmy Johnson clarifies mix-up about HOF DB's death with same name
As news broke of Jimmy Johnson's demise, one assumes the Cowboys Super Bowl-winning coach was flooded with messages. The problem, though, is that he is doing very well.
Jimmy Johnson, a defensive back who played for the San Francisco 49ers, passed away at the age of 86. He was also a Pro Football Hall of Fame player just like his Cowboys namesake and hence the confusion was understandable.
To clarify that he was indeed alive, the Cowboys' Jimmy Johnson posted on X, formerly known as Twitter,
"Jimmy Johnson HOF DB from 49ers passed away at age of 86…RIP..Jimmy Johnson HOF from Dallas Cowboys & FOX still kicking…"
Two Jimmy Johnsons. two Hall-of-Fame careers
Cornerback Jimmy Johnson was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers as the sixth overall pick in the first round of the 1961 NFL Draft. He played for them until 1976, spending his entire career in the Bay Area. He made it to the Pro Bowl five times and was First Team All-Pro four times and a Second Team All-Pro four times.
He is part of the San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame and has had his No. 37 jersey retired. He was inducted in Canton in 1994. Pro Football Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said in a statement,
"Jimmy Johnson was extraordinarily athletically talented. The 49ers enjoyed the luxury of using him on offense and defense early in his career to fill team needs. Once he settled in at left cornerback, he flourished. The notion that a ‘lockdown' cornerback could cut the field in half for the opposition was true with Jimmy."
He continued,
"Only rarely would other teams' quarterbacks even look his direction, and more often than not regretted the decision if they challenged him."
Coach Jimmy Johnson, meanwhile, took a different path. He won the National Championship with Miami during his college coaching career before coming to the Dallas Cowboys. He would help establish the dynasty of the 1990s for the franchise, winning two consecutive Super Bowls with them in 1992 and 1993.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020. Many speculate that the delay in his being accepted into Canton came about because of his falling out with Jerry Jones. The Cowboys owner dismissed him after his second straight Super Bowl win and they were reportedly not on good terms for a while. However, having now reconciled, he finds himself in the company of other legends of the game, one of whom sadly departed today.