Hall of Fame defenseman Jimmy Johnson has died at the age of 86

Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman Jimmy Johnson, a three-time All-Pro and member of the 1970s All-Decade Team, has died. He was 86.

Johnson’s family told the Pro Football Hall of Fame that he died Wednesday night.

Johnson, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994, played his entire 16-year professional career with San Francisco. He appeared in 213 games, more than any other 49ers player at the time of his retirement.

“Jimmy Johnson was exceptionally athletically talented,” said Hall of Fame President Jim Porter. “The 49ers had the luxury of using him on offense and defense early in his career to meet the needs of the team. Once he established himself as a left cornerback, he thrived. The idea that a “lockdown” cornerback could cut the field in half for the opponent resonated with Jimmy. Other teams’ quarterbacks rarely looked his way and usually regretted the decision when they challenged him.”

The 49ers selected Johnson sixth overall out of UCLA in 1961 – the Chargers of the upstart AFL took him in the fourth round of that league’s draft – and he almost immediately became a starter at cornerback. He had five interceptions as a rookie.

But he was so versatile that the Niners used Johnson on offense in 1962, when he made 34 receptions for 627 yards and scored four touchdowns.

However, his strength was preventing opponents from putting up such statistics, and by 1964 Johnson was a fixture in the corner. He remained there until retiring after the 1976 season, where he totaled 47 interceptions, returning two of them for scores, and earned a reputation as a stingy cover man with a feel for the ball. In 1971, in the midst of his three-year All-Pro career, Johnson won the George Halas Award for courageous play.

“You have to work on him, push him and corner him to get as good as he can be,” Johnson said as he entered the Hall of Fame. “Standing here today, I actually feel like I never reached that level, that I never became the best player I could be. But thanks to God and my inner talent, I was able to present to the people who voted for the Hall of Fame a picture of my longevity and the level of play I played from my rookie season to my last. That in this wonderful year of 1994 I was given the opportunity, the glorious opportunity, to become a member of the most wonderful society: the Hall of Fame.”

When Johnson was at his peak, it got to the point where his opponents rarely stood in his way. He was Deion Sanders long before Prime Time hit the NFL.

“Jim doesn’t get much attention because opponents avoid him as much as possible,” San Francisco quarterback John Brodie once said. “Talk to experienced quarterbacks like John Unitas and Bart Starr and they will tell you that they don’t mention many passing patterns in Jimmy’s area. The only reason Johnson isn’t leading the league in interceptions is because he doesn’t get a chance.”

Former 49ers coach Dick Nolan once said Johnson was a better cornerback than two of his other players, (Hall of Famer) Mel Renfro and (two-time All-Pro) Cornell Green with the Cowboys.

Jimmy Johnson, the brother of Olympic decathlon champion Rafer Johnson, played two styles at UCLA. He served as an offensive fullback and defensive back, but also competed in track and field as a hurdler and long jumper.

His brother was Johnson’s emcee for the worship at the Canton, Ohio, hall.

“Rafer Johnson is actually my hero and that in itself is an amazing thing,” Jimmy Johnson said that day. “Most young men coming of age usually have a hero in another town, another city, another country, and they write to that person, get a signed photo, and then pin that photo on the wall and worship that photo, play for this photo and get inspiration from this photo. For me there is no such problem.

“I had a brother who lived with me on a daily basis, with whom I could talk, ask the relevant questions, get the relevant feedback and receive corrections in my direction when necessary. I must say that I must give credit to Brother Rafer for everything I have achieved in the field of athletics. And I just wish we could split this trophy, this bust of me, right down the middle, because he certainly deserves half of it.”

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Barry Wilner is a retired professional football writer for The Associated Press. Wilner covered the NFL for the AP for more than 30 years.

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