Jimmy Johnson was born on July 16, 1943, in Port Arthur, Texas. He grew up there and attended high school at Thomas Jefferson High School, now Memorial High School. In Port Arthur, he shared classrooms with future music star Janis Joplin. After high school, he played college football at the University of Arkansas as a defensive lineman.
Johnson started coaching football soon after college. He held assistant jobs at several universities before getting his first head coaching position at Oklahoma State in 1979. In 1984, he became head coach at the University of Miami. There, he led the Hurricanes to a national championship in 1987. In 1989, Johnson moved to the NFL as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. He rebuilt the team and won two Super Bowls in 1992 and 1993.
Johnson later coached the Miami Dolphins from 1996 to 1999. After retiring from coaching, he became a sports analyst for Fox Sports until 2024. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020, and the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor in 2023.
His connection to Port Arthur is rooted in his youth. It is the city where his football journey began, shaping the man who would win championships in college and the NFL.
In the 1961 NFL Draft, Jimmy Johnson was selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the 6th overall pick in the 1st round; he was also picked by the San Diego Chargers in the 4th round (32nd overall) of the AFL Draft that same year.
Johnson is renowned for his 47-yard interception return in the 1972 NFC Championship Game against the Dallas Cowboys.
