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SANTA CLARA, CA – JANUARY 19: Former NFL football coach Jimmy Johnson sits in the on-field studio before their NFC Championship game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020 (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

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SANTA CLARA, CA – JANUARY 19: Former NFL football coach Jimmy Johnson sits in the on-field studio before their NFC Championship game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020 (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Jimmy Johnson supported and oversaw the rise of many famous NFL names, including QB Terry Bradshaw and the Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. He played a key role in recruiting Bradshaw at Louisiana Tech University. Later, he helped his friend at the Cowboys to win 2 Super Bowls. However, things took a south turn when he was fired over a difference of opinions. But his decades of experience helped him land an analyst career at NFL on Fox after retirement in 1999. Now, 81 years old, he is still not stopping in sharing his light with the world.
Around 2 years back, he published his memoirs of college in his book Swagger: Super Bowls, Brass Balls, and Footballs. The success has finally come as his book has been featured in Book Authority’s list of 100 best college books. On February 25, he even tweeted his monumental achievement as his book ranked 8th on the list.
Awesome work @JimmyJohnson! “Swagger” has been featured in the list of best College Football books of all time! https://t.co/loXmZ68uaK
— BookAuthority (@bookauthority) February 24, 2025
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The book featured tales from Jimmy Johnson when he coached players in Iowa State, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Pittsburgh. The book is a smash hit among football enthusiasts with a 4.2 rating on popular book reading website Goodreads from 811 people. That’s impressive!
The success can also be attributed to the co-writer Dave Hyde. The Sun Sentinel sports columnist since 1990 has penned various articles that have wowed readers. He teamed up with the first coach to win a college football championship and a Super Bowl, resulting in the no-holds-barred memoir with intimate details.
Jimmy Johnson is enjoying the time away from the FOX as the network is on a season break. But the excitement for the offseason is also building up. The ending episode was special, as the network paid massive tribute to his legendary career.
Jimmy Johnson gets massive respect from the NFL
AI has revolutionized sports with simulations that mimic real-life acts. By using the photos and videos from past years, the FOX network made a special video as a tribute to the legendary coach. On February 10, the episode aired on YouTube, showing his journey across all these years.
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From Super Bowls to bestsellers, does Jimmy Johnson's success prove he's the ultimate football icon?
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Narrated in his voice, the video starts with a massive opening that was, “Football has been a part of who I am for about as long as I can remember. It’s one of my life’s great passions.” It shows him getting emotional with flashbacks of football games running through his mind as he enters the AT&T Stadium.
Then it runs into his humble beginnings as a simulation. It starts in 1964, when Jimmy Johnson played the game as a defensive lineman at the University of Arkansas. He even revealed his nickname ‘Jimmy Jump’ for his trademark style of jumping back up after getting knocked down. That’s when he shared the locker room with Jerry Jones.
The videos then showed his journey as the college coach over the next 2 decades. It showed him coming to FOX after winning 2 Super Bowls. He also paid respect to his network peers by adding, “My Fox guys are more than my teammates. They are my family.” Looking back at his life, we can say that he is an overachiever.
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Even in his new avatar as a writer, he has earned massive success. That’s a life well lived. All and everyone respect him. That’s truly inspiring!
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From Super Bowls to bestsellers, does Jimmy Johnson's success prove he's the ultimate football icon?