Defenseman Jimmy Johnson has died at the age of 86
Defensive end Jimmy Johnson, a three-time World Series champion and member of the 1970s all-decade team, has died. He was 86 years old.
Johnson's family informed the Football Hall of Fame that he died Wednesday night at his home in the San Francisco area after a lengthy illness.
Johnson, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994, spent his entire 16-year career with San Francisco. He participated in 213 games - more than any other 49ers player at the time he left the team.
"Jimmie Johnson was an extraordinary athletic talent", Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said. Early in his career, the 49ers used him on offense and defense to fill the team's needs. Once he settled in at the left cornerback position, he blossomed. The notion that a "shut down" cornerback can cut the field in half for an opponent was true in Jimmy's case. Only rarely did quarterbacks on other teams even look in his direction and more often than not they regretted their decision if they challenged him".
The 49ers drafted Johnson sixth overall out of UCLA in 1961 - the Chargers of the fledgling AFL took him in the fourth round of that league's draft - and he became the primary quarterback almost immediately. As a rookie, he threw five interceptions.
But he was so versatile that the Niners used Johnson on offense in 1962, when he had 34 receptions for 627 yards and scored four touchdowns.
Not allowing opponents to make those statistics was his forte, however, and by 1964 Johnson was a full-time fullback. He remained in that position through the 1976 season, throwing 47 interceptions, two of which were for scores, and earning a reputation for his ability to fumble the ball.
"Jimmy embodied the essence of what it means to be a 49er", the team said in a statement. "He was a true gentleman and will be remembered for his humility, kindness and loving demeanor".
In 1971, in the midst of a three-year career as a player, Johnson received the George Halas Award for courageous play.
"To become as good as you can be, you have to be worked on, pushed into a corner and pushed out of it", Johnson said as he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. "In fact, standing here today, I feel like I never reached that level, never became as good a soccer player as I could have been. But thanks to God and inner talent, I was able to present to those people who voted to induct me into the Hall of Fame a picture of my longevity and the level of play I led from my rookie season to my last. In this wonderful year of 1994, I was given the opportunity, a great opportunity, to become a member of the most wonderful society: the National Football League Hall of Fame".
When Johnson was at the height of his popularity, opponents rarely threw in his direction. He was Deion Sanders long before "Primetime" entered the NFL.
"Jim doesn't get a lot of publicity because the opposition avoids him as much as possible", San Francisco quarterback John Brodie once said. "Talk to veteran quarterbacks like John Unitas and Bart Starr, and they'll tell you they only get a few passes in Jimmy's zone. The only reason Johnson doesn't lead the league in interceptions is because he doesn't have that opportunity".
Former 49ers coach Dick Nolan once said Johnson was a better cornerback than his other two players, Mel Renfroe and Cornell Green of the Cowboys.
The brother of Olympic decathlon champion Rafer Johnson, Jimmy Johnson played two roles at UCLA. He was a defensive back and forward, and also competed in track and field as a hurdler and broad jumper.
His brother was Johnson's representative for induction into the hall of Canton, Ohio.
"Rafer Johnson is my hero, and that in itself is amazing", Jimmie Johnson said that day. "Most young people growing up usually have a hero in another city, another country, and they write to him, get an autographed photo, and then hang that photo on the wall and worship him and play for him and draw inspiration from him. For me, I don't have that problem.
"I had a brother who lived with me every day, who I could talk to, ask the right questions, get the right answer and correct me if needed. I have to say I have to give my brother Rafer credit for everything I've accomplished in the sport and I just wish we could split this trophy, this bust of mine, right in half because he certainly deserves half".