- Jimmy Johnson played his entire 15-year NFL career for the San Francisco 49ers.
- His family told the Pro Football Hall of Fame that he died Wednesday night.
- DailyMail.com provides the latest international sports news.
San Francisco 49ers legend and NFL Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson has passed away at the age of 86.
Johnson was a first-round pick in the 1961 NFL Draft out of UCLA, and played his entire 16-year professional career with San Francisco before retiring in 1976.
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994.
In a statement on X, the 49ers posted: ‘The 49ers are saddened to learn of the passing of Jimmy Johnson. Our organization sends its deepest condolences to his family and friends.’
Johnson played wide receiver during his early years in the NFL, before moving to cornerback in 1964, where he really earned his reputation.
San Francisco 49ers icon Jimmy Johnson (left) has died at the age of 86, it was announced
Johnson played his entire 16-year career for the 49ers after being drafted in 1961.
He was a first-team All-Pro selection four times in his career, a second-team selection four times and was also chosen to the league’s All-Decade team for the 1970s.
Johnson wore number 37 for the 49ers, a number that has since been retired by the team in honor of its former player.
His family informed the Pro Football Hall of Fame that he had died Wednesday night. The cause of death has not yet been announced.
In a statement, American Football Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said, “Jimmy Johnson was an extraordinarily gifted athletic talent.” The 49ers had the luxury of using him on offense and defense early in his career to meet the team’s needs.
Johnson returns an interception against the St. Louis Cardinals at Candlestick Park in 1974
Johnson’s brother, Rafer (left), won gold for Team USA at the 1960 Olympics in Rome.
‘Once he settled in at left cornerback, he flourished. The idea that a “blocked” cornerback could cut the field in half for the opponent was true with Jimmy.
“Other teams’ quarterbacks rarely looked his way, and more often than not they regretted the decision if they challenged him.”
Johnson was also the brother of former Olympic decathlon champion Rafer Johnson, who competed for the US team at the 1960 Rome Games and the 1956 Melbourne Games. Rafer passed away in December 2020, also at the age of 86 years old.
“Being Rafer’s brother has benefited me more than I can begin to say,” Johnson told The Fresno Bee in 1994, according to The Athletic. ‘He has been my shining light, the person I have looked up to. Most people, if they want an autograph from their sports hero, have to send it somewhere. I had my hero living with me.
