VaqueroTD
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No Aikman Show recap this week, so here's something just as good. Joe Buck has a podcast called Undeniable and he brought in his buddy Aikman for a recent episode. If you're a big fan of the 90's Team, there are a lot of good stories, including some Jimmy stuff that is relevant with his ROH induction news. Click here if you want to watch the entire one-hour episode. Worth it to watch the whole thing, but if you're a soundbites person, some good clips and recaps are below.
Troy on the Jimmy/Jerry Split:
Troy on Jimmy Johnson as a Head Coach:
Troy on the One Coach Most Responsible for Cowboys Turnaround:
Troy on Retirement:
Troy on Concussions:
Troy on Why He Didn't Play Baseball:
Troy on the Jimmy/Jerry Split:
- Both of them never realized how special it is what they had. You can spend a lifetime as a coach or player and not capture that. But they didn't know that, and it's a shame.
- There was never any jealousy between me, Michael, Emmitt... any of the guys. We all gave up something. But the two guys leading the organization couldn't, and they were the ones telling us we needed to do it. That's what really bothers me and should never have happened.
- If Jimmy had stayed, I don't know how many SBs we would have won, maybe a lot more. But I do know we would have been good for a very long time because Jimmy had such a good eye for talent and could prepare a team. We would have been knocking on the door every year just like New England did with Brady and Belichick.
- People talk about Belichick and Brady. No question Belichick benefited from having Brady. But Brady also benefits having a coach for so long who just wanted to coach. Belichick doesn't want to do anything other than coach. Jimmy wanted to go fishing. If Jimmy didn't want to do anything other than coach... Me, Emmitt, Irvin would have been regarded a lot higher. We are respected and that's all we need, but if Jimmy had stayed, those numbers talks would have been different. 5 SBs instead of 3. 7 NFC Championships, instead of 4. I just know we would have won more consistently.
Troy on Jimmy Johnson as a Head Coach:
- Jimmy was tough. He had his way and that's the way it was going to be. He would cut guys quickly.
- Jimmy was a psychology major and believed he was a puppeteer. He has a great way to motivate people. That was his strength. There was a safety for example who was a good player, but not great player. In the team meeting, Jimmy would single him out and say: "You're the best safety I've ever seen, you're better than anyone I've ever coached. This week you're going to be lined up against so and so and whip his butt!" And I would watch this guy go from someone who just went through the motions, to having his chest out, feeling good about himself. Jimmy's philosophy was coach the player to what you want him to be, not what he is. Good philosophy in life. Treat people what you want them to be instead of keeping them where they are.
Troy on the One Coach Most Responsible for Cowboys Turnaround:
- When I was trying to decide on an agent, I got the news that some oil tycoon in Arkansas was buying the Cowboys and bringing in Jimmy Johnson. This made me want to come to Dallas. I just hoped Jimmy didn't have bad feelings about me since I turned him down twice in college.
- First game of season was New Orleans and we're throttled 28-0. Next week we're playing against Atlanta, and Jimmy calls the team together and says "This losing %*#$# is over! Tomorrow we're going out and going to whip their %#$*#!" Little did he know we would lose 14 more times.
- Second season was harder than my rookie year because there was more urgency. I was tough on my teammates. I didn't want to be friends. My job as I saw it was to win. If I had receivers that didn't know what to do or learn their routes, I was incensed, and I would be confrontational. I wasn't worried if I was a great leader, I just wanted everyone to be responsible and accountable for doing their job.
- Jimmy and I weren't speaking year two, I wanted to be traded. Had meetings with my agent. Then we went out to LA and played the Rams, a really good team. Out of nowhere we win the game, and have a 4-game win streak, finish 7-9, and we feel good about ourselves.
- 1991, we get Norv Turner from the Rams. It sounds simple, but he took what everyone does best and has them do it. I didn't throw this particular corner route well, Jim Everett did and threw it a lot, but I didn't get comfortable with it, so Norv said forget it and took it out. I threw dig routes well, 20 yard in routes, comebacks... and that's what Irvin did well too. He wasn't going to blow by people so we didn't ask him to do it. Emmitt wasn't a guy who was going to catch a lot of balls out of the backfield. He was going to catch swing passes. It sounds simple, but for some reason most offensive coordinators don't go about it that way. Credit Norv for the Triplets success. Norv was the right guy, the right place, the right time.
Troy on Retirement:
- (After Joe Buck describes the years after Jimmy with Switzer, White House, talent diminished, etc) The reason I retired was I spent too much time trying to build up credibility and respect for my career and I'm pissing it away and I have no say in it. I'm not going to be a part of it. That's what I told Jerry. When I left the Cowboys, I thought I might go elsewhere but it didn't happen, but I was never going to play for the Cowboys again.
Troy on Concussions:
- I felt like I had two really severe head injuries. First against Arizona Cardinals my rookie year. Knocked out cold ten minutes. Don't remember the pass or what took place. Blood poured out of my ears for a week after. Most severe was the NFC Championship game in 93. I still have no recollection of that game. Spent night in hospital. Knowing how severe they were, you do wonder what the collateral damage was, but so far no issues.
Troy on Why He Didn't Play Baseball:
- I had already signed with OU, and the Mets really wanted me and kept asking me what it would take to not sign with a school and go straight to them. The NY Mets called me the night before the MLB draft. They wanted to know how much it would take to sign me. I had no representation yet and didn't know much about money. I just picked a number - $200,000. The guy on the other line flipped out and said, "$200,000!? Not even Darryl Strawberry makes that!" So I just told him, "Well, if you want me, you're going to have to pay that." He said have a great career and hung up.
