'How 'bout them Cowboys?' The inside story of Jimmy Johnson's legendary line

They sat undisturbed at a picnic table at Jimmy Johnson's favorite Italian restaurant along Highway A1A in the Florida Keys one Saturday night in early April.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame coach was with his Hall of Fame quarterback, Troy Aikman, three of his former assistant coaches -- defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt, offensive coordinator Norv Turner and offensive line coach Tony Wise -- his agent, Nick Christin, and the public relations chief at the University of Miami and Dallas Cowboys, Rich Dalrymple. Some of their wives were on hand, too.

After a day spent on Johnson's boat, fishing and telling stories, there was one more story to tell.

It was about the 1992 NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers -- and what Dalrymple called the Cowboys' finest hour, borrowing the term from Winston Churchill.

Dalrymple presented those in attendance with a double-sided framed photo, and on one side, there's a picture of Johnson smiling, holding a towel with the words, "How 'bout them Cowboys?"

As Johnson readies for his induction into the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday, many will recall how he led the rebuild of America's Team with the help of the Herschel Walker trade -- drafting Aikman and running back Emmitt Smith and inheriting Michael Irvin as they formed the famed "Triplets" -- and led the Cowboys to back-to-back Super Bowls. Others will point to his calculating methods and bravado.




Link to the rest of the story: https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/31927679/how-bout-cowboys-story-jimmy-johnson-legendary-line

was over, of course, we're playing in the Super Bowl, and as soon as the Super Bowl is over, you're trying to get ready for the next season and getting ready for the draft because I was in charge of personnel. I had to rebuild the team and get ready for the next year. We were so driven to continually get better.

This is the most important difference between then, when we won three Super Bowls, versus now with Jerry in charge

https://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=31942235

Came across this on ESPN mobile...must watch video.

IT makes you truly miss those years when the Cowboys were winning SBs... Cowboys - the most preemenient American football franchise in the world

America's Team

DallasInDC said:

https://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=31942235

Came across this on ESPN mobile...must watch video.

IT makes you truly miss those years when the Cowboys were winning SBs... Cowboys - the most preemenient American football franchise in the world

America's Team

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T h e good Ole days!!!

Jake said:

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Unfortunately, for the past 25 years that's all we got Is memories.

Great days

Jake said:

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This has nothing to do with living in the past.

viman96 said:

This has nothing to do with living in the past.

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Bingo.
Jimmy Johnson is going to be enshrined in the HOF this weekend. Numerous snippets from his tenure as the Cowboys HC will be told and heard, starting with the preseason game Thursday night. The same will be done for the other inductees for the two classes (2020 & 2021).
(No doubt the origin of Peyton Manning's "Omaha - Omaha" audible will be told also.)

Hagman said:

was over, of course, we're playing in the Super Bowl, and as soon as the Super Bowl is over, you're trying to get ready for the next season and getting ready for the draft because I was in charge of personnel. I had to rebuild the team and get ready for the next year. We were so driven to continually get better.

This is the most important difference between then, when we won three Super Bowls, versus now with Jerry in charge

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So was he not so driven when he went to Miami and they did jack squat? Keep in mind, I love Jimmy.

I turned 23 years old on Jan1, 1993. My first Cowboys game came in week 15 in in the year before this at the old veterans stadium against that Gangreen defense. Kelvin Martin had a punt return that sealed the game and sent us to the playoffs under Jimmy.

My 2nd game came against the Raiders in LA Coliseum in front of almost 92 thousand people... half of which were Cowboys fans.
I lived 90 minutes from Candlestick Park. Back then there was no stubhub to buy tickets. As soon as the Cowboys won the divisional game I pulled out that weeks paper and looked up someone that was selling tickets to the niners playoff game for that week. I took a gamble and called to ask if they were selling tickets to the NFC title game. They were. I paid 150 dollars each and bought 4 tickets. It was and still is the greatest game I have ever been to. I took a nice camera with a zoom lense.... I didnt really know how to use it, but I got a picture of the famous E. Smith pose holding up his hand as he was crossing the goal line. I still have the pic in my man cave. Its slightly out of focus... but I ACTUALLY TOOK THE PICTURE. Ive wanted to get Emmitt to sign it, but I see you must be a non profit to get him to sign things.... oh well.

What a memory that game was. When Harper caught the slant late in the 4th quarter, that stadium went silent.... except for us Cowboys fans. At that moment, we knew we were headed to the Super Bowl.

Reid1boys said:

I turned 23 years old on Jan1, 1993. My first Cowboys game came in week 15 in in the year before this at the old veterans stadium against that Gangreen defense. Kelvin Martin had a punt return that sealed the game and sent us to the playoffs under Jimmy.

My 2nd game came against the Raiders in LA Coliseum in front of almost 92 thousand people... half of which were Cowboys fans.
I lived 90 minutes from Candlestick Park. Back then there was no stubhub to buy tickets. As soon as the Cowboys won the divisional game I pulled out that weeks paper and looked up someone that was selling tickets to the niners playoff game for that week. I took a gamble and called to ask if they were selling tickets to the NFC title game. They were. I paid 150 dollars each and bought 4 tickets. It was and still is the greatest game I have ever been to. I took a nice camera with a zoom lense.... I didnt really know how to use it, but I got a picture of the famous E. Smith pose holding up his hand as he was crossing the goal line. I still have the pic in my man cave. Its slightly out of focus... but I ACTUALLY TOOK THE PICTURE. Ive wanted to get Emmitt to sign it, but I see you must be a non profit to get him to sign things.... oh well.

What a memory that game was. When Harper caught the slant late in the 4th quarter, that stadium went silent.... except for us Cowboys fans. At that moment, we knew we were headed to the Super Bowl.

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What an awesome experience!

Another classic beat down of the 49ers -- January 21, 1994 -- Jimmy declares victory over the 49ers two days before the NFC Championship game:


The true, & one and only architect, creator, & builder of the world championship teams of the Dallas Cowboys.

I rarely if ever listen to interviews or these type of things so it was literally years later (maybe even a decade later) before I found out why everyone kept saying this phrase.

Reid1boys said:

So was he not so driven when he went to Miami and they did jack squat? Keep in mind, I love Jimmy.

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Didn't they win a national championship??

HoplessCowboysFan36 said:

Didn't they win a national championship??

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you jest.......surely you jest. National Championships are for that kids game..... I dont pay attention to or care about the kids game.

Western said:

Another classic beat down of the 49ers -- January 21, 1994 -- Jimmy declares victory over the 49ers two days before the NFC Championship game:

The true, & one and only architect, creator, & builder of the world championship teams of the Dallas Cowboys.

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Back in those days I used to listen to a ton of sports talk radio. I live in norcal, so I used to listen DAILY to KNBR 68 out of SF. I vividly remember that being played over and over on KNBR 68. Jimmy just flat out said, we will win the ball game. George Seifert, who was pretty quiet and not much for sound bites responded with something like... well, he either hass brass balls or balls made from paper machet (spelling>) and we are about to find out.

I still remember the old guy, Pete something... he would do his predictions on Friday, and he wasnt an SF homer. He went into his best mocking Texas accent and was saying.... we about to get our ***** kicked... yeee haw. Oh boy sports used to be great back then.

Then, Jerry F'ed it up.

viman96 said:

This has nothing to do with living in the past.

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It did when I posted it in the other thread about the video.

Since then that thread was merged with the Jimmy story, which is relevant to his HOF induction this week.

Hagman said:

was over, of course, we're playing in the Super Bowl, and as soon as the Super Bowl is over, you're trying to get ready for the next season and getting ready for the draft because I was in charge of personnel. I had to rebuild the team and get ready for the next year. We were so driven to continually get better.

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Stephen is Director of Player Personnel these days. Doesn't seem to have the expertise of a guy who built championship teams in college and the NFL. Go figure.