RIP Jimmy Johnson -- 49ers Legend

 By John Turney 

Not everyone knows how good former San Francisco 49ers' cornerback Jimmy Johnson was ... and that includes the NFL media. Yet he was one of the NFL's first shutdown corners, a Pro Football Hall of Famer so accomplished that he was once called "the greatest defensive back who ever lived."

Sadly, Johnson died Wednesday night after what his family said was a long illness. He was 86.

The brother of Olympic gold medalist Rafer Johnson, Jimmy Johnson was an all-decade choice (1970s) and the most decorated 49er ever before Hall-of-Famer Ronnie Lott. He also played in more games for San Francisco (213) than everyone but Hall-of-Famer Jerry Rice (238).

He played 16 years with San Francisco, more than any 49er outside of quarterback John Brodie, and was named first-team All-Pro by the AP, PFWA and NEA from 1970-72 and second-team in 1965 and 1966. However, when you include the NEA All-Pro teams -- those chosen by NFL players -- he was also first-team All-Pro in 1969 and second-team All-Pro in 1964, 1965, and 1968. 

It seems his peers respected Johnson more than the NFL media.

He was also a five-time Pro Bowler and was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame's Class of 1994 along with Bud Grant, Tony Dorsett, Jackie Smith, Randy White and senior finalist Leroy Kelly. 

“Jimmy Johnson," said Hall-of-Fame president Jim Porter in a prepared statement, "was extraordinarily athletically talented. The 49ers enjoyed the luxury of using him on offense and defense early in his career to fill team needs. Once he settled in at left cornerback, he flourished.

"The notion that a 'lockdown' cornerback could cut the field in half was true for Jimmy. Only rarely would other teams' quarterbacks even look in his direction and, more often than not, regretted the decision if they challenged him."

A track star and two-way player at UCLA, Johnson was the 49ers' first-round draft pick (sixth overall) in 1961 and immediately became a starter at right cornerback. But, as he did in college, he played on both sides of the ball the next two seasons -- both as a defensive back and receiver -- before settling in at left corner where he didn't move until the age of 38 in 1976.

Johnson ended his NFL career with 47 interceptions, returning two for touchdowns, but that doesn't tell his story. An outstanding man-to-man defender, he was respected so much by opponents that they rarely tested him, keeping him from posting big interception numbers -- figures that define cornerbacks.

However, the 49ers' media guides of the early 1970s tell how invaluable he was to the team. That's because they included stats beyond interceptions -- with completions allowed, yards allowed and pass attempts in Johnson's area among them -- and they reveal what made Johnson so extraordinary.

In 1969, for instance, he allowed 25 completions on 74 pass attempts for 250 yards, with five interceptions. In 1970, the figures were similar -- 32 of 85 for 362 yards with two picks. Anecdotally, former Hall-of-Fame voter and legendary Sports Illustrated writer Paul Zimmerman reported that Johnson wasn't beaten for a touchdown in either year.

If that's true, then Johnson's individual defensive passer rating for those combined years would be ... 29.7. Twenty-nine point seven. Think about that. Anything under 60 would be considered excellent. Under 50 would be great. But under 30? That's another universe.

Maybe that's why Zimmerman picked Johnson for his personal All-Time NFL team and praised him as someone who, "without reservation, is the greatest defensive back who ever lived."

OK, so that's one man's opinion. Except Zimmerman wasn't alone. There's Dick Nolan, one of Johnson's coaches with San Francisco, and he joined the chorus, too.

"I coached three defensive backs I felt were great," he said. "Mel Renfro and Cornell Green with the Dallas Cowboys and Johnson. Jimmy is the best I've ever seen."

But Johnson was more than an extraordinarily talented athlete. He was tough, too, an individual could ... and would ... play through pain. In 1971, for example, he played almost half the season with a cast protecting a shattered wrist and never missed a game -- including the playoffs and Pro Bowl.

Yet he still was named All-Pro. 

"Even with one arm," said former 49ers' cornerback Bruce Taylor, one of Johnson's teammates, "Jimmy Johnson is better than 90 percent of the defensive backs in this league. He's knocking down passes with one hand. I can't get over it."

That offseason, Johnson was voted the PFWA's George Halas Most Courageous Player Award. He was also a recipient of the 49ers' most prestigious honor, the Len Eshmont Award, given annually to the player who best symbolizes courageous and inspirational play.

Johnson won it twice, in 1969 and again in 1975.

"I don't look at someone and think that he can't beat me," Johnson once said. "If you play long enough you're going to get beat. The question and the key to your effectiveness is how often."

In addition to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Johnson is a member of the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame, the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame and the San Francisco 49ers team Hall of Fame. His number 37 was retired by the 49ers in 1977.

"Jimmy embodied the essence of what it meant to be a 49er," the team said in a statement. "He was the ultimate gentleman and will be remembered for his humility, kindness and lovable demeanor." 

Maybe fans today don't remember Jimmy Johnson. At least, not this Jimmy Johnson. But they should. He wasn't just a great player; he was consistently great, with his last career interception a defining statement. It happened vs. Seattle when Johnson was 38 years and 179 days old -- making him the oldest player at any position at the time to produce an interception.