NFL Hall Of Famer Jimmy Johnson Passes Away

Jimmy Johnson, the hard-nosed cornerback of the San Francisco 49ers for 16 seasons, died on Wednesday at 86, according to the Daily Caller.

News of Johnson’s passing was shared by the team along with a highlight reel of his playing days from 1961 to 1976. As “the most underrated man in football,” he retired without a Super Bowl ring and had to wait until 1994 before he was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. While playing, Johnson had four first-team All-Pro selections and played in five Pro Bowls. His #37 jersey was retired by the team in 1977.

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A versatile athlete, Johnson largely grew up in central California where he was the captain of his football, baseball, and basketball teams, and later ran track at the University of California Los Angeles. Speed was a hallmark of his brother Rafer Johnson, who won the decathlon gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics. “I’ve got another brother who dropped out of sports because he got tired of having people tell him to follow in Rafer’s footsteps,” he related to a sportswriter. “They gave me the same jazz. I didn’t like it either, but instead of letting it bug me, I decided to accept it as a challenge to see if I could make it on my own in sports.”

Johnson himself stood out on the gridiron at UCLA playing wingback and defensive back and earned a fourth-round draft pick with the 49ers where he shifted to his career cornerback position. His rookie year was marked by five successful interceptions over 12 games. He proved so exceptional that the Niners ultimately used Johnson on offense as well, earning 34 receptions for 627 yards and scoring four touchdowns in the 1962 season, according to the Washington Post.

Remembering the all-time great Jimmy Johnson ❤️ pic.twitter.com/fRoAAKrtl1

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) May 10, 2024

By the end of his career, Johnson was named to the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team. According to his biography at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Johnson is regarded as “one of the best man-to-man defenders in history.” He was known as a remarkable sportsman who demonstrated respect for his opponents. “If opposing receivers respected Johnson, so too did he respect the opponents he faced each week,” the Hall of Fame noted.

“I don’t look at someone and think that he can’t beat me,” Johnson told the organization. “If you play long enough, you’re going to get beat. The question and the key to your effectiveness is how often.”

Johnson had been in failing health for some time, though he never left the city that gave him everything.

“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,” Pro Football Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said. “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. Only rarely would other teams’ quarterbacks even look his direction, and more often than not regretted the decision if they challenged him.”