Former Port Arthur Native Jimmy Johnson to be Inducted in Dallas Cowboys’ Ring of Honor
Three decades after Jimmy Johnson led the Dallas Cowboys to arguably their most successful era, Arkansas teammate and owner Jerry Jones announced the former head coach would be inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor. Jones hosted a surprise news conference during Sunday’s NFL pregame show on Fox confirming the honor.
The recognition has been a long-time coming; Jones infamously sacked Johnson after his second Super Bowl victory. Johnson will become the 24th member of the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor and only the second coach.
Johnson is originally from Port Arthur, where he competed on the gridiron with Memorial High School. With the team, he earned All-State honors as a two-way lineman. After playing in Arkansas with Jones, Johnson was an assistant at Louisiana Tech and Picayune Memorial, before taking on five coaching gigs with five different DI schools.
In 1979, he got his first head coach opportunity with Oklahoma State. It wasn’t until he was hired by the University of Miami that Johnson received national buzz. Taking over for The U after their very first national championship, Johnson ushered in the football program’s “Decade of Dominance”. In his five years with the team, Johnson compiled a 52-9 record, appearing in five bowl games, won a national championship, and lost another.
At the professional level, he won two Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys, including AP NFL Coach of the Year honors.
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