Jimmy Johnson fought back the emotion as long as he could.
As was the case with Bill Cowher the day before on CBS, it was announced on live television Sunday that Johnson would be joining the former Steelers coach in the 2020 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
Johnson, who won two Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys, was fighting back tears as Hall of Fame president David Baker told him of his selection during halftime of the Packers-Seahawks divisional round game.
“The only think I can think of is all the assistant coaches that have worked for me, all the great players that have played for me, they’re the reason I’m here. And they’re the reason I can’t talk,” a choked up Johnson said on-air. “This is so special to me because when you put in the work that we put in, it’s nice to know people appreciate it.”
The news led to a huge reaction from Hall of Famer and longtime television partner Terry Bradshaw, who hugged Johnson and yelled, “Oh my God that is awesome!”
Fox then cut to an emotional Troy Aikman, the coach’s Hall of Fame quarterback in Dallas, who was on the call in Green Bay.
Johnson went 80-64 in nine NFL seasons, including four with the Dolphins – having only one losing campaign. He is 9-4 overall in six trips to the playoffs, including back-to-back Super Bowl wins in 1992-93 in Dallas.
