Not all head coaches are created equal.
Some win or contend for championships no matter where they go while others find little to moderate success.
Jimmy Johnson was squarely in the company of the former.
After leading Oklahoma State to two bowl appearances in the early 1980s, Johnson went to the University of Miami where he took the ‘Canes to two national title games, winning one.
Then, Johnson jumped to the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys and took a once-proud franchise to a pair of Super Bowl wins.
Coach Jimmy Johnson will be officially inducted into the Cowboys Ring Of Honor at this Saturday’s game against the Detroit Lions at AT&T Stadium. Long overdue!! pic.twitter.com/McPHziHWWD
— ✭ NICK ✭ (@NICKC8811) December 27, 2023
He then returned to Miami to coach the Dolphins and saw the team make three playoff appearances before retiring.
Since 2000, Johnson has been an analyst for Fox Sports and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.
Not bad for a guy from a small city in Southeast Texas.
This is the story of Jimmy Johnson.
Growing Up in Texas
James William Johnson was born on July 16, 1943, in Port Arthur, Texas.
For someone who would spend his life playing and coaching football, Texas was the perfect place for Johnson to grow up.
He played the sport for Thomas Jefferson High School (now known as Memorial High) in Port Arthur for the football-mad local denizens.
Johnson was a tough linebacker and defensive end for the Titans who had occasion to bully some of his less-than-athletic classmates.
Jimmy Johnson's B-Day. Jimmy won 2 Super Bowls (Dallas) & is an NFL TV analyst. Jimmy went to Port Arthur TX HS w/Janis Joplin! Janis graduated in 1960, Jimmy in 1961. They did NOT hang out in HS! Janis Joplin R&R HOF Inductee 1995, Jimmy Johnson, Pitt assist. head coach '77-'78. pic.twitter.com/5km5yqRAxA
— Sean Mcdowell (@dvesean) July 16, 2019
One of those less fortunate souls was Janis Joplin, who would become a well-known singer and songwriter.
Years later, Johnson admitted that he gave Joplin a difficult time because she “looked and acted weird” and “ran with the beatnik crowd.”
“Janis looked and acted so weird that when we were around her, mostly in the hallways at school, we would give her a hard time,” Johnson wrote.
Another fellow student, G.W. Bailey (who would become an actor best known as “Captain Harris” in the Police Academy movies), apparently was left alone by Johnson.
Jimmy and Jerry
While in high school, Johnson was given the nickname “Jimmy Jump-up” because he consistently leaped into the air to make a defensive play.
His frenetic style of play got Johnson noticed by several big-name programs including the University of Arkansas.
Johnson’s parents, who hailed originally from the state before moving to Texas, told their son that they would watch him play if he became a Razorback.
That cinched it for Johnson and he took the scholarship opportunity offered by legendary coach Frank Broyles.
When he arrived at the school in 1961, Johnson met fellow freshman Jerry Jones.
Just announced: Next ESPN Films SEC Storied on Jimmy Johnson, Jerry Jones & undefeated '64 Arkansas football team https://t.co/LWY0VjYmt6 pic.twitter.com/5mbABZuORz
— Jen Cingari Christie (@JCingari) December 1, 2016
Jones was an offensive lineman who went to high school in Little Rock and dreamed of playing for Broyles and the Razorbacks.
The two became friends, and because the first two letters of their last names were identical, they were paired together as roommates during road trips.
National Champions
As the years passed, both Johnson and Jones became fixtures of their respective units.
Johnson was a hard-nosed defensive end who was an All-Southwest Conference selection while Jones became a team captain as an offensive lineman for Arkansas.
After a miserable 1963 season that saw the Razorbacks go 5-5, the team turned things around drastically in 1964.
With a stacked roster that included running back Jim Lindsey, tackle Glen Ray Hines, and defensive back Ken Hatfield, Arkansas powered through the regular season undefeated.
Johnson’s defense was so good that the unit prevented their final five opponents from scoring a single point.
Then, facing sixth-ranked Nebraska for the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Day 1965, the Razorbacks finished undefeated with a thrilling, 10-7, win.
Arkansas was the only major college program to end the ‘64 season unbeaten and untied.
Great photos of Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson as players on 1964 Arkansas nat champ team. pic.twitter.com/lRfYKQElEg
— Deplorable GreenieⓂ️ (@TRobMacho) October 28, 2014
However, at the time, the decision to crown a national champion was voted on before the bowl games.
The University of Alabama was voted as the top team in the country due to its unblemished record.
Then, while Arkansas was beating the ‘Huskers, the Crimson Tide lost to the Texas Longhorns in the Orange Bowl.
Controversy erupted as the Tide were no longer unbeaten and the Razorbacks had taken down the ‘Horns by a point on October 17.
1964 #Arkansas #Razorbacks. Historic cast who won NCAA championships or Super Bowls. Asst coaches (10) Johnny Majors–Pittsburgh, Barry Switzer-Oklahoma 3x & Dallas. Players (32) Jimmy Johnson-Miami (FL) & Dallas 2x, (13) Jerry Jones-Dallas 3x. @FilmHistoric @Gruelingtruth pic.twitter.com/X8Njm5x0WJ
— History of College Football (@HistColFootball) August 3, 2021
Backtracking a tad, several media members selected Arkansas as the national champs.
Voting for the national champions in college football was soon changed until after bowl games were completed.
Johnson Becomes a Coach
While playing for Arkansas, Johnson played well and was voted to the team’s All-Decade Team of the 1960s as well as the State of Arkansas and University of Arkansas Halls of Fame years later.
Despite his accolades, Johnson was not selected in the 1965 NFL Draft.
Instead of trying to play his way onto a pro team, Johnson pivoted into coaching.
Over the next decade, he coached at the high school and college levels.
Fun fact:
Jimmy Johnson got his coaching career started in the 60’s as an assistant at Louisiana Tech.
The starting QB was Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty
The backup was Terry Bradshaw.
— Cowboys Due Diligence (@StevieJPTX) January 13, 2020
This included stops as the defensive coordinator for Arkansas from 1973 through 1976 and assistant head coach and defensive coordinator for the University of Pittsburgh from 1977 through 1978.
Then, in 1979, just as he was turning 36 years of age, Johnson became the new head coach at Oklahoma State.
Leading the Cowboys, Part I
Before the 1978 football season, Oklahoma State was in the news for all the wrong reasons.
At the time, the program was on NCAA probation for recruiting violations.
Then, in July 1978, Sports Illustrated reported that several players were under investigation for getting paid by boosters.
By late 1978, the program was still under probation after a 3-8 season, and head coach Jim Stanley left for the NFL.
Johnson was hired in December and brought with him coaches Dave Wannstedt, Pat Jones, and Butch Davis.
Check out these beauties from Jimmy Johnson’s 1979 Oklahoma State football staff. pic.twitter.com/nOo9mUu2md
— Tommy Gates (@gateshoops2000) August 30, 2020
Getting the program back to winning was the top priority and Johnson and his staff whipped everyone into shape.
The result was a much improved 7-4 record in 1979 and Johnson received Big 8 Coach of the Year accolades.
“The common denominator is we didn’t really know what we were doing at that time, but everyone was pretty aggressive,” Jones said. “Jimmy tends to keep aggressive people around him.”
OSU won only three times in 1980 then rebounded in 1981 with seven victories and a loss to Texas A&M in the Independence Bowl.
Troy Aikman. A then 16-year-old Aikman is pictured below receiving a trophy from Oklahoma State head coach Jimmy Johnson in the summer of 1983. Aikman, who was then a star quarterback at Henryetta High School in Oklahoma was the MVP of a youth football camp held at OSU. Aikman… pic.twitter.com/WxQSMCnRjQ
— Shannon Novella (@tx_princess78) November 24, 2023
Then, four wins in 1982 was followed by eight in 1983 and the Cowboys defeated Baylor in the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, 24-14.
Johnson Jumps to Miami
Around the same time OSU was winning their bowl game, Miami Hurricanes head coach Howard Schnellenberger was preparing to leave for the USFL.
That left an opening and Johnson jumped at the chance.
June 6, 1984: On this day 37 years ago, coach Jimmy Johnson was officially introduced as the new head coach of the Miami Hurricanes.pic.twitter.com/eLEYFqBSfm
— GO ‘CANES! (@83_87_89_91_01) June 6, 2021
His hiring left many ‘Canes fans to ask, “Jimmy who?”
Now 41 years old, Johnson couldn’t have cared less about the fan backlash.
He was headstrong in his belief that he could help Miami repeat as national champions (the ‘Canes won their first title in 1983).
It would prove to be difficult during his first season.
Some of Johnson’s coaches were holdovers from Schnellenberger’s staff who were angry at not being named his successor.
The other staff members were Johnson loyalists who had their coach’s back.
Miami struggled in ‘84 to an 8-5 record and a loss in the Fiesta Bowl to UCLA.
Two of the losses were instant classics against Frank Reich and Maryland and Doug Flutie and Boston College.
OTD Nov. 23, 1984. Hail Flutie. Jimmy Johnson's Miami Hurricanes are defending national champs when #10 Boston College & Doug Flutie stun 'Canes 47-45 w/epic Hail Mary at Orange Bowl. Flutie passes for 472 yards in game. Miami's Bernie Kosar tosses for record 477 yards. pic.twitter.com/tGKFXMpNir
— John Salzman (@HighPrairieFarm) November 23, 2022
That just made the fans complain louder.
In 1985 the coaching staff made amends and Miami won 10 games on the strength of players like Vinny Testaverde, Bennie and Brian Blades, Michael Irvin, Melvin Bratton, and Jerome Brown.
“I tell people all the time, when Jimmy Johnson came to Miami, he changed my whole world,” Bennie Blades said. “It wasn’t only as a football player, but as an adult, a young African-American male. He believed in my abilities before I could accept my abilities. … My career took off because he showed me that confidence that I could be the player he needed me to be. I owe it all to him.”
The Hurricanes Dominate
Beginning in 1986, the Hurricanes undoubtedly became one of the best teams in the country.
That season, Miami won 10 games and lost in the national championship game (the Fiesta Bowl) to Penn State, 14-10.
“In some ways, it was a little bit easy the first few years and I probably got a little bit overconfident that third year when we went through and had a chance to win the national championship and didn’t do it,” Johnson said. “We came up short in the Fiesta Bowl and it was probably the most devastating loss I’d ever had in my career, college or pro.”
Then, in 1987, quarterback Steve Walsh, Bratton, Irvin, and company went undefeated, winning several games by a large margin.
“After he really got the program rolling, it just felt like he gave everybody around the University of Miami such confidence, that we could beat anybody at any time,” said Hurricanes coach Manny Diaz, who grew up in Miami as Johnson’s teams dominated college football.
On January 1, 1988, Miami met Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl for the national title.
Jimmy Johnson was such a great coach; his Hurricanes won it all in 1987. He would get to coach the guy on his left a few years later. pic.twitter.com/eTspvk0hPn
— Miles Commodore (@miles_commodore) August 26, 2022
The head coach of the Sooners was Barry Switzer, who had coached at Arkansas when Johnson played for the Razorbacks.
This time, the Hurricanes came out on top as Bratton and Irvin both scored touchdowns on passes from Walsh and won the title, 20-14.
Catholics v. Convicts
In 1988, Miami continued to roll over opponents and won their first four games of the season.
That gave the program 16 straight wins, dating from the 1987 season, and 27 wins in 28 chances, dating from the 1986 season.
On October 15, the ‘Canes traveled to South Bend, Indiana, to face coach Lou Holtz and fourth-ranked Notre Dame.
Miami was number one in the nation at the time with a fierce reputation as rebels and renegades.
#FunFact Notre Dame is 17-7-1 all-time against Miami ☘🏈🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/dhvHSqFxtQ
— Here Come The Irish (@GoldenDomers1) July 27, 2016
On the other hand, the Irish viewed themselves as clean-cut kids who did things right.
The contrast in personalities led to the slogan “Catholics versus Convicts” which sold well as t-shirts before and after the contest.
As expected, the game was a battle all day long.
“We knew that defensively Notre Dame was going to be talented,” Walsh said years later. “They had a much better pass rush than I was expecting. They put a lot of pressure on me. So that was something that we certainly weren’t expecting.”
With the ‘Canes running game bottled up, Walsh passed early and often.
In the fourth quarter, Miami running back Cleveland Gary made a huge play and then coughed up the ball on a controversial call by the referees.
Still, the Hurricanes got the ball back and Walsh connected with receiver Andre Brown to bring the score to 31-30 in favor of Notre Dame.
Johnson then elected to go for two points and the win.
One of my all-time favorite Notre Dame pictures. Much more simple times back then. Those uniforms, that grass, and down went Jimmy Johnson and those #1 Hurricanes.
Fun fact: The Notre Dame Miami game is considered the greatest win in Notre Dame football history. pic.twitter.com/GY2lN9LZm1
— Randy Joseph (@RandyJoseph28) December 30, 2020
Unfortunately, Irish defensive back Pat Terrell knocked down Walsh’s pass and Notre Dame escaped with the victory.
“The toughest loss I’ve ever experienced in my life,” said Gary. “If I could change that one play [his fumble], maybe I would. Maybe I wouldn’t.”
Johnson Bolts for Dallas
When Johnson and Jerry Jones left the University of Arkansas, Johnson went into coaching while Jones went into business.
He slowly but surely developed a lucrative business empire in oil and gas and became a wealthy man.
In 1989, Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys from former owner H.R. Bright for $140 million.
His next order of business was to fire Tom Landry, the only head coach in the entire history of the organization.
With Landry out the door, Jones believed that the only coach who could turn around the sad state of America’s Team was his former Arkansas teammate.
Today in 1989, Jimmy Johnson on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The long climb would pay off 3 years later, winning Super Bowl XXVII. #TodayInSports pic.twitter.com/Iwh9WaklHR
— TodayInSports (@TodayInSportsCo) March 20, 2018
Jones met with Johnson about the idea and Johnson agreed.
“This was heart surgery for me,” Jones said of buying the foundering pro team, “and I wanted to find the best heart surgeon.”
Johnson stepped down from Miami after five years on the job, a 52-9 overall record (including 44-4 in his final four years), five bowl games, and a national championship.
Every year under Jimmy Johnson, the Hurricanes played in a New Years Day Bowl… #JimmyJohnsonDay #canes pic.twitter.com/H3d0OBzr5R
— Caneville (@caneville305) May 1, 2023
Johnson also received two National Coach of the Year awards and was later inducted into the University of Miami and State of Florida Sports Halls of Fame.
Leading the Cowboys, Part II
Johnson was a “Cowboy” once again, after leading the Oklahoma State Cowboys previously, and then becoming just the second coach in Dallas Cowboys history.
In 1988, Dallas had gone 3-13 under Landry.
Johnson had a steep hill to climb.
In 1989, a Cowboys kicker stopped halfway through a series of 16 wind sprints and told Jimmy Johnson he had asthma. “The asthma field is over there,” said Johnson, as he pointed to the goddamn parking lot. pic.twitter.com/hhh9AVWTtp
— Super 70s Sports (@Super70sSports) January 6, 2022
The roster in 1989 had Irvin, Johnson’s receiver at Miami, running back Herschel Walker, and a bunch of rookies.
Before his first season as a pro coach, Johnson was candid about what to expect.
“We’ll know more after we’ve gotten through one season,” said Johnson.”It would be premature of me to sit here and say it will take such and such amount of time. Obviously, the key thing is personnel. This draft will probably be the most important one I’ll ever have in the NFL. We pick first. I want to be in a position where, three years from now, I can say we had a great draft.”
Sure enough, the Cowboys did well in the 1989 NFL Draft.
Quarterback Troy Aikman, fullback Daryl Johnston, center Mark Stepnoski, and defensive end Tony Tolbert were all new to the team.
Even their collective talent couldn’t prevent the Cowboys from a 1-15 record.
The Herschel Walker Trade
Part of the reason for the poor record was due to the loss of a key player.
During the season, Johnson was working out with his staff when he had an epiphany.
There had to be a faster way to rebuild Dallas.
“Jimmy was talking about what we could do to get this thing turned quicker,” said Wannstedt. “What did we have of value on the club?”
That’s when Johnson decided to trade Walker.
“Jimmy said, ‘I’m concerned about whether Herschel’s heart is in it for the long run,’” said offensive line coach Tony Wise.
So it was that Walker was traded to the Minnesota Vikings on October 12, 1989.
Today in 1989, the Dallas Cowboys trade Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings. Cowboys HC Jimmy Johnson said at the time: “fleecing these motherf***ers just secured my spot in the Ring of Honor.” pic.twitter.com/TiTmsIH4V1
— DFW Sports (@DFW_SportsBlitz) October 12, 2023
In return, the Vikings sent Dallas five players and six draft picks.
With those picks, the Cowboys netted Florida running back Emmitt Smith (1990), defensive tackle Russell Maryland (1991), corner Kevin Smith (1992), and safety Darren Woodson (1992).
Dallas started winning games including seven in 1990, which brought Johnson NFL Coach of the Year honors.
In 1991, the team went 11-5 and advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 1985.
The Cowboys defeated Chicago in the Wild Card round before losing to Detroit in the divisional round.
Back-to-Back Champs
By 1992 Dallas had a loaded roster.
Not only did the franchise keep stocking up in the draft, but some of the best players in the NFL wanted in.
Before the ‘92 season, former San Francisco terror Charles Haley signed with the team.
Johnson whipped and spurred his band of all-stars to 13 wins, the most in team history.
“Jimmy is a very shrewd man,” said Irvin. “He’ll make you do some things you don’t want to do, and you know you don’t want to do them, but for some reason you’ll do them and enjoy it.”
In the divisional round, Dallas beat Green Bay and then faced Haley’s former team, the 49ers.
Not many people gave the Cowboys a chance, but they surprised the doubters with a resounding 30-20 victory.
✭ January 17th 1993
Head Coach Jimmy Johnson post game speech after winning 1992 NFC Championship game in San Francisco.“How Bout Them Cowboys”#90sCowboys #CowboysNation #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/TheKUHOM1N
— 90’s Dallas Cowboys (@90s_cowboys) January 18, 2023
After the game, Johnson was euphoric and announced a question Dallas fans repeat to this day.
“And only thing else I got to say is, ‘How ’bout them Cowboys?'” Johnson yelled as television cameras whirled.
“Man, when he let out that, we roared and you thought we had 100,000 people in that room,” said former guard Nate Newton.
A few weeks later, Dallas became America’s Team once again after dispatching the Buffalo Bills 52-17 in Super Bowl XXVII.
“At that moment after that win, it legitimized the Dallas Cowboys again,” Wannstedt said. “And that was everyone that was associated with the organization, whether it was the players, coaches, owners, whoever if you were under the umbrella of the Cowboys. They took it and ran with it.”
Run with it they did.
Johnson became the first head coach to win a college national championship and a Super Bowl, but he wasn’t done yet.
It's finally happening: #Cowboys owner Jerry Jones announced live on FOX that former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson will be going in the Cowboys Ring of Honor on December 30th. pic.twitter.com/isT4WAR7H8
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 19, 2023
One season later, the Cowboys went 12-4 and repeated as world champs with a 30-13 win over the Bills in Super Bowl XXVIII.
It was Buffalo’s fourth straight Super Bowl loss.
Johnson, meanwhile, became one of six coaches to win back-to-back titles.
There was no reason to believe he wouldn’t win a third.
Johnson Leaves Dallas
With two consecutive Super Bowl wins, the egos of both Johnson and Jones grew to Texas-sized proportions.
Jones wanted more control over personnel decisions and Johnson didn’t feel that was a good idea.
Eventually, the two butted heads to the point where it was impossible to coexist.
In March of 1994, Jones made a comment to the media that the Cowboys were so talented that any coach could have won two Super Bowls.
That was the last straw.
By the end of the month, Johnson and Jones agreed to part ways.
March 29th: On this day in 1994, Despite winning back to back Super Bowls, Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones mutually agreed to part ways. Neither called it a resignation or firing, but they agreed that Johnson would no longer serve as Head Coach of the Dallas Cowboys. #90sCowboys pic.twitter.com/HYXiaIF8YQ
— 90’s Dallas Cowboys (@90s_cowboys) March 30, 2023
Their former college coach, Barry Switzer, was hired to replace Johnson, although Switzer was not pleased with either of his former charges.
“Where’s Jimmy? … I want to sit you two knotheads down and ask how you two could screw this up,” said Switzer after arriving in Dallas.
Switzer would win Super Bowl XXX with the Cowboys after the 1995 season.
Johnson Returns to Miami
After leaving Dallas, Johnson spent a few years as an analyst for Fox Sports.
Then, before the 1996 season, he was offered coaching opportunities with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Miami Dolphins.
The coach looked at the rosters and salary cap numbers for both teams and saw that the Bucs were in a better position to build.
However, there was one primary reason preventing Johnson from heading to Tampa Bay.
“But I just can’t get past one thing,” Johnson said. “Dilfer and Marino.”
Trent Dilfer was the quarterback in Tampa and was viewed as a disappointment as a former first-rounder.
Dan Marino had been to the Super Bowl in 1984 and had not returned since.
He was by far the better quarterback between the two and Marino told Johnson he was ready to do whatever it took.
“Coach, I’ve broken all the records,” Johnson remembered Marino telling him. “I don’t care if I throw 10 passes a game. I just want to win.”
Johnson also liked the idea of succeeding Don Shula, who had just retired after the 1995 season.
#FinsUp #OTD 1996, Miami Dolphins announced Jimmy Johnson as new coach.
I have to admit I was expecting a Super Bowl with @JimmyJohnson as our HC pic.twitter.com/cO5UuhKpPA— J-Ziela (@JZiela1) January 10, 2023
After agreeing to lead the Dolphins, Johnson announced that he had a three-year plan to get the franchise back to the Super Bowl.
Johnson Retires from Coaching
In his first year on the job, Johnson and the ‘Fins went 8-8 and missed the postseason.
Today in 1996, the @MiamiDolphins hire hall of famer Jimmy Johnson as their head coach. Would go 36-28 in four seasons. 🏈#TodayInSports #FinsUp #NFL100 pic.twitter.com/Xmxtxcv7xE
— TodayInSports (@TodayInSportsCo) January 10, 2020
During the 1997 season, Miami won nine games but lost to New England in the Wild Card round.
Then, in 1998, the Dolphins went 10-6 and beat Buffalo in the Wild Card round before losing to Denver by 35 points in the divisional round.
Just as he did in Dallas, Johnson tried rebuilding Miami through the draft and hit on players such as Karim Abdul-Jabbar, Zach Thomas and Larry Izzo (1996), Sam Madison and Jason Taylor (1997), and Patrick Surtain (1998).
However, Marino was worn down and beaten up and couldn’t lift the team to Super Bowl glory.
In 1999, Miami won nine games then beat Seattle in the Wild Card round.
One week later, the ‘Fins were thrashed by the Jacksonville Jaguars, 62-7.
January 15, 2000: @FredTaylorMade breaks off a 90-yard TD run in a 62-7 Jaguars rout over the Dolphins in the AFC Divisional Round.
This was Dan Marino’s and Jimmy Johnson’s last NFL game. pic.twitter.com/UQu3Zullry
— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) January 15, 2022
Shortly after the loss to Jacksonville, Johnson announced his retirement and Wannstedt was named his successor.
Marino retired as well months later.
In his coaching career, Johnson was 81-34-3 at Oklahoma State and Miami and 80-64 in the NFL with the Cowboys and Dolphins.
He won a national championship with the Hurricanes and two Super Bowls with Dallas.
Johnson’s Draft Trade Value Chart, developed while he was with the Cowboys, was used by every NFL team until the 2011 collective bargaining agreement.
Since then, teams have used an updated model.
In 2020, Johnson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Jimmy Johnson Says He’s Back in Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones’s Good Graces https://t.co/UxJqNGKn5H
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) February 20, 2024
Then, in 2023, Jones and Johnson buried their animosity as the Cowboys placed Johnson in their Ring of Honor.
“You can say whatever you want to about my human reaction or frailties,” Jones said. “I say this today, he’s there because it’s the right thing. He was always going in the ring of honor, whether I put him in or my kids put him in.”
Second Career
Johnson wasn’t retired long.
He was quickly employed by Fox Sports again and has become a fixture of Fox NFL Sunday with Curt Menefee, Howie Long, Terry Bradshaw, and Michael Strahan for the past two decades.
I hate the Cowboys, but this moment right here is just absolutely magical. Jimmy Johnson’s reaction. Troy Aikman’s reaction. The rest of the guys at FOX Sports’ reaction. Just wow. That was truly a special moment. https://t.co/aHaCm7fr8P
— Lauren (@CalmYourMitts) January 13, 2020
Although he turns 81 in 2024, Johnson shows no signs of slowing down.
Whenever he’s not on television or doing commercials, Johnson can be found at home on the beach in Florida with his second wife, Rhonda, or on his boat, Three Rings, named for his three titles as a coach.
References
https://arktimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/2016/12/22/when-jerry-met-jimmy
https://footballfoundation.org/honors/hall-of-fame/jimmy-johnson/2319
https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/coaches/jimmy-johnson-2.html
https://miamihurricanes.com/news/2020/06/30/from-coral-gables-to-canton-jimmy-johnsons-journey/
https://www.umsportshalloffame.com/jimmy-johnson.html
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/31927679/how-bout-cowboys-story-jimmy-johnson-legendary-line
https://www.foxsports.com/personalities/jimmy-johnson/bio
https://www.profootballhof.com/players/jimmy-johnson-coach/
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