“Do you want to be safe and be good, or do you want to take a chance and be great? The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.” Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame Head Coach Jimmy Johnson will be immortalized in the Ring of Honor on January 30th, 2023, as Dallas hosts the Detroit Lions. Thirty years later, one of the greatest coaches in franchise history…FINALLY!!!!
In what felt like it would never happen, Owner/GM Jerry Jones announced on FOX that Jimmy would be enshrined into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor. A dark cloud was lifted off the franchise and long overdue. As the whole Cowboys nation cried tears of joy, it was a surreal moment for all of us. Jerry had finally put his ego aside to give Jimmy his flowers. Thirty years felt like eternity and bad omens for Dallas since Jimmy was fired after winning back to back Super Bowls.
In a perfect world, fame and success comes with a price in any profession. During that time, Dallas had arrived earlier than expected in the 90s. Jimmy was the architect in building Dallas into a dynasty. He was the star among stars and embraced being the center of success. Jimmy had the extra umph about his persona and it was contagious. The team was very well coached and disciplined; even with all the players' egos, Jimmy kept them in check. Win together and lose as a team. It was Hollywood Texas Style, and everyone knew who we were.
But with success came internal turmoil between Jerry and Jimmy; this was very well known with subliminal shots at each other. The clashing of two dominant personalities reared its ugly head. Despite all of this, Dallas got back to the Super Bowl in 1993 and won over Buffalo. During a celebratory dinner at the team hotel, a toast was made and both men were at wits end. Jerry called the Dallas media and told them he was going to have a press conference. Jimmy Johnson was fired, and the team was shocked to say the least.
It was so bad, players questioned as to why it came to this. The coach who’d got them to the mountain top had been relieved of his duties. There had to be a lot of concerns and Jerry could care less because his ego got in the way of a budding dynasty. Players loved and adored Jimmy to the fullest. He was a father like figure to them and got the most out of their potential. Even Jerry’s wife Eugenia Jones said: “Just when things are good, you fire Jimmy.” Not that Jerry cared, but to the fans; dark days were on the horizons.
Jimmy Johnson returned to his old stomping grounds in Miami; coaching the Dolphins and it was very little to be desired. He returned for the wrong reasons and couldn’t recapture what made him successful in Dallas. Inheriting a team who was coached by Hall of Fame head coach Don Shula, it was too much for Jimmy. Even with subpar talent and an aging Dan Marino, Miami wasn’t Dallas in any regard. Having complete control of personnel, Jimmy drafted some great talent such as Sam Madison, Patrick Surtain Sr, Zach Thomas, and Jason Taylor. But it wasn’t enough to generate success.
Miami even tried to trade their entire draft board in 1998 for Peyton Manning. Now, that would’ve been something to see with Jimmy and Peyton Manning being the faces of Miami Dolphins football. It proved to be a strikeout as Indianapolis drafted Manning number one overall. Once the strained relationship with Dan Marino occurred, Jimmy knew it was time to walk away. His tenure with Miami isn’t talked about often due to his success with Dallas.
In the twilight days of his Hall of Fame career, he’s been with the NFL on FOX for several years. To hear him speak and break down football, I still want to run through a wall for my favorite coach of all-time. Former players he coached in Dallas speak very highly of him. He’s finally getting his place and moment in the Ring of Honor. It took thirty years for this monumental announcement. Happy days are back and I believe it’ll be a party on December 30th, 2023, in Jerry’s World.
Last home game of the season, looking to celebrate like it's 1993. Former players will be on hand to see their head coach be enshrined into the Ring of Honor. As a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan, I’ll likely shed a tear or two. I may be a grown man, but I’ll be just fine. Hopefully, this will lead to a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada for the Super Bowl. It would be the perfect storm to end this twenty-eight year drought. One can only hope and count our lucky stars in the sky.
Coach Jimmy Johnson, thank you for all you accomplished with Dallas. Your tenure wasn’t in vain nor disappointment. Tonight is the moment you’ve been waiting for. Immortalized in the Cowboys Ring of Honor with all the great players and coaches who’ve impacted the franchise. This will be emotional for you; along with the fans who grew up in the 90s. Enjoy the game and see all your former players stand with you as your name is revealed. To put a bow on this: “How bout them Cowboys!”
Stai tuned…
