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There’s no roadmap from a blackboard in the Arkansas football office where this all started for Jimmy Johnson six decades ago — no roadmap through six decades of games and teams and various jobs to the phone call he made a few days ago to Fox Sports executives.
But there he was having decided his second, or maybe third or fourth, football act was over. He was retiring from public life.
“I’m done,” he told Fox officials.
They asked him to take more time to decide, then suggested considering a smaller TV role. Maybe a half-dozen cross-country trips for their Sunday studio show next season. Less, if he wanted.
“No, I’m 100 percent sure, I’m done,” Jimmy said. “I’m retiring for good this time.”
Maybe it’s not a big deal. Jimmy was saying as much now from his Islamorada home. Someone will take his seat on TV next season and the games will look the same as always.
But that phone call ended one of the great football careers that South Florida especially enjoyed. Think of it: Three Hall of Fames, two Super Bowls in Dallas, a national championship at the University of Miami, a few Dolphins playoff appearances (even a couple wins) and then a few decades of translating football to American television sets for an award-winning show. He had as much fun as a public sports life can have, too.
“I never expected to be doing this until this point in my life,” he said.
He turns 82 this summer. He didn’t figure football would be part of his life after winning the national title at Arkansas as an All-America defensive tackle. He intended to go into industrial psychology after college when he drew up Arkansas’ defensive scheme for some visiting Louisiana Tech coaches.
When Louisiana Tech needed a coach a few months later, they called that senior at the blackboard.
“I planned to do it for a season, make some…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/dave-hyde-jimmy-johnson-embarks-175900100.html
Author : South Florida Sun Sentinel
Publish date : 2025-03-03 17:59:00
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