Jimmy Johnson ROH Appreciation - What are your favorite memories?

john van brocklin

john van brocklin

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VaqueroTD said:
In appreciation for Jimmy‘s upcoming ROH induction this weekend, and hopefully breaking the curse - what are your best memories of Coach?

I recently read his autobiography Swagger and would encourage every fan to check it out. Hearing his story… what makes me appreciate him more than anything is how much Jimmy revolutionized football. So many things that did not exist in Dallas or the NFL when Jimmy took over:
  • Created the first draft value chart. Jimmy would purposefully find teams that always traded too much and take advantage of them.
  • Created the Dallas Cowboys TV Network and Production Team with his former University of Miami crew. Cowboys were making squat on that with Landry and Schramm.
  • Stopped using the Wonderlic to weigh a player’s intelligence. Psychology major and understood emotional and behavioral intelligence and used it in recruiting and drafting.
  • Created the monster offensive lines that we see everywhere in NFL now. Biggest decade weight gain for average O-Lineman was 80’s to 90’s: +30 lb. Increase and due to teams trying to copy ‘The Great Wall of Dallas’ concept that created a dynasty.
  • Miami 4-3 which he brought to Dallas. Revolutionized Landry and other’s old 4-3 concepts. Simplified the 4-3. Defensive lineman generate more pressure and don’t read first. LBs further back. Faster players at all levels. League started going back to 4-3 with his innovations which spawned the Tampa Cover 2, and one could say even the godfather of DQ’s defense.
Acording to all his ex-players, a master motivator. Knew how to push the right buttons, and get his team ready. Here is a great example. This is from 10 years ago at Fox sports. Just an off-the-cuff team speech he gave on TV to show how he would motivate the Jags, but shows you what it must have been like in those Cowboys locker rooms and meetings in the days before everything was on social media or reality TV.

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The 3 sb victories.
His mastermind walker trade.
 
BoysForLife

BoysForLife

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VaqueroTD said:
Yeah, Jimmy definitely didn’t have an issue leading the team to road wins. ~sigh~
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No argument there, whatsoever... I would add a caveat to the Giants in 1993... That was all Emmitt.

Honestly, the game he had with basically one arm. To this day probably the guttiest, toughest performance I've ever seen at any level of football at any time in my life

32 rush, 168 yards
10 catches for 61 yards and a TD

Guy had 42 touches for almost 230 yards and most of it with a severely separated shoulder popped back into place. I can't imagine the mental toughness that took. Freaking amazing. Still and always my favorite Cowboy of all time. Warrior.
 
Blackrain

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BoysForLife said:
1) Asthma field. Classic Jimmy
2) HOW BOUT THEM COWBOYS! Birth of a dynasty
3) Put it in 3" headlines. We will win the ball game. Like you said, he knew what button to push and when.
4) I would have asked Buddy about it but he ran his fat butt of the field before I could find him. Jimmy knew we were headed where we wanted to get to and it was a matter of time.

Honorable mention: the "fatigue makes cowards of us all speech". I know that was a U thing, but I find that kind of stuff riveting. The man had a consuming passion to not only win, but dominate. Deserving HOF Coach. Legend. Period.
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Wasn't the fatigue makes cowards out of all of us a quote from Vince Lombardi
 
Western

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His recognition of both talented players, and assistant coaches, as well as his natural awareness of the untapped potential and high ceiling of so-so undistinguished second-rate players.

One of this greatest trademarks was his innate and unique ability in instilling and motivating average talented players to outperform their mediocre talent level.
In a team game, just having a few super-star talent players will not elevate the entire team to the promised land.
Jimmy knew how to "push" buttons in propelling, and driving ordinary players to exceed beyond their inferior capacity and skill.
Accountability for the overall team in achieving winning championships injected fear of individual failure regardless of talent.
 
Plankton

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windward said:
Lol barely winning against an Elway-less Broncos?
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The game was actually a turning point of sorts. At halftime, Johnson took Charles Haley into a bathroom stall, and told him that his career was going down the toilet that they were looking at, and he needed to pick it up. Haley balled out the rest of the season.
 
rambo2

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My best will be the Cowboys winning next week and moving into the 2 spot.
 
Captain Late

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2 moments stand out:

1991 at 11-0 Washington,the approach he took into that football game.Aggressive and having faith in his Young Team.How he had that team ready to go after it sent a message that this team was on the way.

"When You go up against a Gorilla, You hit him with everything You've Got!"

The 1992 NFC Championship Game at SF-he had that team ready to take that step to become Champions that day with strong poised physical football.
Told Troy Aikman that punting isn't a bad thing as long as they didn't risk turnovers or field position.Made sure to tell his Defense that Tackling well was imperative.And with the momentum changing with 4:25 left told Norv Turner to call the "896 F Flat" pass that will forever be known by:

"Harper Off to the Races!"
 
VaqueroTD

VaqueroTD

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Blackrain said:
Wasn't the fatigue makes cowards out of all of us a quote from Vince Lombardi
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Yes it was. Seen that Jimmy Miami speech video too. Tried to show it to my wife and she said he was a bully. Can’t win everyone over I guess. LOL

Plankton said:
Yes, and Lombardi got the quote from Earl "Red" Blaik at Army.
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That I did not know. Alex, I’ll take Football speech trivia for $1000 please.
 
VaqueroTD

VaqueroTD

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plymkr said:
This. I think this is my favorite memory of Jimmy and possibly the Cowboys in general. Just a great moment.
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For sure the most memorable moment video of his Cowboys career. Thanks for posting it quickly @PAPPYDOG.

bigE79 said:
WE DID IT OUR WAY BABY... Barry Switzer to Jerry Jones...and hence,the curse began.
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And that would probably be the most memorable for the next coach. LOL. I was just thinking about that clip the other day. I wonder what Jimmy thought about that. I don’t think Barry was doing anything other than being Barry, but with it being directed at Jerry, makes me wonder if he was feeling proud of his ‘1 of 500 coaches could win a Super Bowl with this talent‘ quote. They could win it all right, but they certainly couldn’t build it or maintain it. Jerry had to go find himself another Hall of Fame coach, Bill Parcells, just to get the winning records back. We’re still working in that Super Bowl….
 
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