Over the years, both Johnson and Jones have been abusive in the media, but there have also been moments of remorse and respect, such as when Jones was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017, hugging his former coach and repeating, There were several. How important he was to the team's success in the early '90s.
But while their relationship has had its ups and downs, Jones never decided to induct Johnson into Ring of Honor until now. And remember, Jones has long said he is a “one-man committee” in Ring of Honor's decision-making. There are no rules or guidelines for it. He never closed the door on bringing in players from the team's early days before buying the Cowboys, going several seasons without them. But this year, he decided to bring in two new members.
And what's also clear is that he's not worried about players or coaches getting into the Pro Football Hall of Fame before stepping into the ring. And frankly, why would he do that? Jones himself has a bust in Canton, and although he's not in the Ring of Honor, it's no wonder his name will be there someday.
But Jimmie Johnson has been waiting for this day for 30 years because of Jerry Jones. And that's also why he finally gets in.
And regardless of what the Ring of Honor process looks like, it makes sense for Jones to give Johnson the spot. That's because he was the one who hired him as the Cowboys' head coach in 1989 to replace Tom Landry, the Cowboys' first and only coach.
But Jones had a vision that Johnson was his opponent. After their time together at the University of Arkansas, where he won a national championship with the Razorbacks in 1964, Johnson continued to follow him for years as he went on to become a successful college coach at Oklahoma State and then the University of Miami. Ta. Jones has achieved great success in the oil and gas business and is now in a position to fulfill his lifelong dream of owning a professional sports franchise.
And when that happened, Johnson was the first and only call to become the Cowboys' new head coach.
“I don't even remember Jerry asking me to be the head coach of the Cowboys. It was kind of an assumption,” Johnson said. “When we finally showed up to the press conference, we never talked about contracts. We never talked about money. That was our back-and-forth relationship. Jerry and I We talked every day, and you know, Jerry could talk.”
In the early days, the two worked together to try to find their feet in the NFL world. That first season was a tough one as the Cowboys stayed the course, going just 1-15. The best thing that happened that season wasn't just one win against Washington, but the legendary blockbuster trade that sent Herschel Walker to Minnesota for a combination of players and draft picks, ultimately resulting in the franchise We were able to turn things around and secure a large number of players. Talented artists such as Emmitt Smith, Darren Woodson, Russell Maryland, and Alvin Harper.
The Cowboys finished 7-9 in 1990 and narrowly missed the playoffs, but improved to 11-5 in 1991 and eventually overcame the odds, finishing 13-3 in 1992. They finished with a loss and advanced to the playoffs by defeating San Francisco and Buffalo in the Super Bowl. . That's also how the 1993 season went, with Johnson's team again defeating the 49ers and Bills, the last two wins of his career in Dallas.
After leading the Cowboys from a 1-15 team to back-to-back Super Bowl titles in five years, Johnson and Jones ultimately parted ways, including a $2 million severance package. But whether Johnson quit or Jones fired him will always be up for debate. Insiders of the situation, from players to coaches to surrounding media, always say egos took the best of both worlds. Otherwise, the two could have continued to work together for many years and perhaps even won a few more Super Bowls.
On Saturday, when asked what else he could have done, Johnson reflected, “For me, the biggest thing was communication. When we were together, everything was great. .In the 4th or 5th year, we were a little apart, so we didn't talk every day, but we did great and we're both very proud of it. .”
Jones said that when the Cowboys started winning Super Bowls, they “lost some tolerance.” “I know I was there kicking a lot of ass and enjoying the success. I literally thought I could do more of this. I thought it was time. And then (Jimmy ) I felt like it was time to go, what are we going to do?''I could have moved on, but I really don't think about what you think.'' It was. ”
Whatever it was, the fence was never fully repaired for many years. Sure, they would be friendly when they were together, whether it was at Cowboys-Dolphins games when Johnson was head coach in Miami or at other NFL functions over the years.
For the most part, the feud between the two remained fairly quiet. The only reason to assume that beef continued to exist always comes down to one simple fact:
Jimmie Johnson was not in Ring of Honor.
But now it is. He is an official member of the Cowboys' Ring of Honor, becoming the second coach in the group to do so, following his successor, Tom Landry.
This is where Jimmy Johnson belongs, and no matter how long it took for both sides to get there, it's finally official.
