'How 'Bout Them Cowboys!' Jimmy Johnson Celebrated By Super Bowl Greats During Ring of Honor Speech: PHOTOS
ARLINGTON - Jimmy Johnson just capped a football life - featuring two Super Bowls titles, membership of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and now an induction into the Dallas Cowboys' Ring of Honor with a halftime speech for the ages here at AT&T Stadium ... all the while surrounded by some of his greatest players - Ring of Honor members themselves.
And how did he quite naturally punctuate that speech?
“How ‘bout them Cowboys!'' Jimmy barked, at which point he was mobbed by the likes of Michael Irvin, Emmitt Smith and Charles Haley.
“At times,'' Jimmy said to his guys, "you thought I was a tyrant. An a-hole!''
And the players smiled knowingly.
At the same time, they all understood exactly what he meant when he'd said earlier in the day, "I don't think anybody could ever imagine what this means to me. This was a special time in my life. This was something that paid dividends for me the rest of my life, and it's something I'm extremely proud of. ...''
"We took over the worst football team in the NFL – the worst,'' he continued. "And not only did we win Super Bowls, but we were able to put together the team of the '90s. So, obviously, I'm very proud of it. I'm proud to have my name up in the stadium."
Team owner Jerry Jones, who literally bowed to Johnson during the ceremony in front of about 100,000 Jimmy admirers here at AT&T Stadium, said earlier, "This happened because it's the right thing to do. ... He was always going in the Ring of Honor."
And once the ceremony was underway, Jones to Johnson: "For now and forever … welcome to the Ring of Honor.”
It's been 30 years since Johnson last coached the Cowboys. But the "frienemy'' relationship with Jones is a now a warm one. Some fans believe "The Jimmy Curse'' (as it's also been 30 years since Dallas won a Super Bowl) has been lifted ... and Jimmy made sure to thank Cowboys Nation for its support.
"How 'bout them Cowboys!'' ... indeed.
