Remembering The Great Defensive Back, Jimmy Johnson

There is mucho I can type and same regarding literal and figurative tears, however, let’s keep it about great players dying, tops or near so at their positions, as is the case with SF #37, defensive back Jimmy Johnson, who died days back, at age 86.

Johnson was a first team NFL All Pro selection for 4 straight seasons (’69-’72) and had many other honors. The real often unseen and unheralded greatness of Johnson at his position was he was so respected, teams rarely threw at him or in his direction.

Maybe, right now Jimmy and his great brother Rafer Johnson, who died 4 years ago along with Rafer’s competitor and more important, friend C.K. Yang, Jim Brown, O.J. Simpson and Marty Glickman are discussing that when (my) so called internet “homepage” opened, it did so with a picture of the let’s face it, far more famous football coach, Jimmy Johnson in regard to a Hall of Famer dying.

The Niners Jimmy Johnson played 16 seasons, two on offense, and as stated above but worth repeating regarding this wonderful defender, was so great, that teams did not throw vs him very often, if at all. In the words of SF quarterback, John Brodie ask the top ones of the day, Bart Starr and John Unitas about that.

In later years he had a cast on his arm making him even more intimidating great!

Within a year, the two best running backs in my opinion, but if you count college barely arguably, Jim and O.J. and now another with J, two J’s, Jimmy Johnson, who was as great as any defensive back, have died.

C.K. Yang and Rafer showed great sportsmanship, the friends embracing after Rafer won the decathalon, with Yang second, at the 1960 Summer Olympics.

In my 1986 interview with the great broadcaster, Marty Glickman, himself denied an Olympics opportunity by complicity to the host country and its leader’s horrible actions and feelings regarding Jewish people (talk about understating it!!), lamented the 1980 and 1984 Olympic boycotts, by the U.S. and Soviet Union respectively.

The comradery and sportsmanship of Yang and Rafer were cited by me. Marty liked that.

Few know it and the greatness of Jimmy Johnson # 37, (in those days I and many like me, knew the #’s and adored a far less exposed football) is incredibly understated.

Two more greats, the aforementioned Bart Starr and John Unitas might be saying– Jimmy Johnson can play in our game up here, but we are still not going to throw at him or even in his direction very often, if at all!

Left to right, above Jimmy Johnson #37 defending vs the fine receiver, #18 Ben Hawkins of the Philadelphia Eagles and alone.

Sadly Ben Hawkins, (I think you can see he played without snapping in his chin strap, another wonderful memory/trivia note), died far too young at age 73. He might be in that game up there as well.