Super Bowl champion Michael Strahan honors Jimmy Johnson’s legendary career with heartfelt tribute
One of the top defensive players in New York Giants history is paying homage to his longtime colleague on NFL on FOX.
Jimmy Johnson has been a panelist of the Sunday program for 31 years, originally joining the show in 1994. Michael Strahan came to the show in 2008, working hand-in-hand with the former two-time Super Bowl-winning coach. Johnson announced his retirement from the show on Monday.
Strahan, also a former Super Bowl winner with the Giants in 2007, honored Johnson on X.
"Congratulations on your retirement! It has been 17 seasons of fun and laughs sitting next to you. You’re truly one of a kind and thanks for being you and gifting me with one of the best friendships anyone could ever ask for. Hope you enjoy fishing and drinking beers on the boat. You deserve it, love you Coach!" Strahan tweeted.
Johnson briefly left FOX to coach in the NFL again as he was hired to replace Don Shula with the Miami Dolphins ahead of the 1996 season. During his tenure with the Dolphins, they made the playoffs in three of his four seasons on the sidelines.
He resigned after Miami was embarrassed by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the divisional round of the 1999 season, losing 62-7. That was also the last game for Dan Marino as an NFL quarterback.
Johnson returned to FOX in 2002 and remained there until his retirement announcement.
Jimmy Johnson’s legacy
Johnson has had an illustrious career as a football coach and analyst, achieving some unique accomplishments. He’s one of just three men to win a national championship and a Super Bowl as a head coach, along with Pete Carroll and Barry Switzer. He’s one of the few coaches to successfully make the transition from college football directly to the NFL without any prior experience in the pros as a coordinator or assistant.
Johnson led the Miami Hurricanes to the college football national championship in 1987, while the Cowboys were Super Bowl champions during his tenure in 1992 and 1993.
In 2020, Johnson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was named to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012. Johnson has been a mainstay on FOX for the last 20 years, working alongside legends like Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long and Strahan.
Last season, FOX had the rights to broadcast the Super Bowl with the network estimating they reached an average audience of 126 million US viewers across television and streaming platforms.
Johnson was also inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor in 2023.