CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It's official, ladies and gentlemen. Jimmy Johnson, the legendary former Dallas Cowboys' head coach that helped lead the team to a dynasty in the early to mid-1990s, will be inducted into the team's coveted Ring of Honor — a decision announced by owner and general manager Jerry Jones.
As the Cowboys prepared to take the field against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium, Jones and Johnson were seen (for the second time this season) walking together and conversing, and we all now know why.
"You were inspirational," Jones told Johnson on Sunday. "… I can't have felt then, I can't believe now that we were able to experience such a time in our lives."
The official induction ceremony will take place at halftime of the Cowboys-Lions game at AT&T Stadium on Dec. 30.
News of Johnson's looming induction lands shortly after the team inserted DeMarcus Ware into the Ring of Honor in October.
Johnson, 80, took the reins as Cowboys' head coach in 1989, the first year of the Jerry Jones era, and the tandem led the organization to three Super Bowl championships through their illustrious run together. During that span, a slew of Hall of Fame talent was brought in and coached up, headlined by Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin — affectionately known as The Triplets.
"A lot of people have talked about the tension between us … but we never disagreed on anything," Johnson replied to Jones.
After a rebuild that spanned only two seasons, Johnson coached the Cowboys to a playoff berth in 1991, followed by Super Bowl victories in 1992 and then again in 1993, his final year as Cowboys' head coach.
That version of the Cowboys has been cemented as one of the best teams in the history of the NFL, and there is no one who could rightfully argue their impact to the game and Johnson's impact to the team.
And, for his efforts, he will be immortalized in Dallas, a place where he helped make winning the standard.
