It’s been over 30 years since Jimmy Johnson left the Cowboys, and Jerry Jones still hasn’t found anyone who could fill his shoes. Winning a Super Bowl is one thing, but what Jimmy pulled off? That was magic. He took a team that went 3-13 and turned them into a powerhouse. Back-to-back Super Bowl champs. He didn’t just have stars like Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, and Larry Brown – he built that culture. He built men and pushed them, challenged them, and made them believe they were unstoppable. And even now, decades later, you can still feel the ripple of what he created.
However, there was a moment when Michael Irvin had a clash with Jimmy Johnson over the team’s roster and future. During an episode of Fanatics View, the ex-NFLer revealed that he was fed up. Of course, sitting in that facility after a miserable 3-13 season, watching teammates joke about picking up checks like losing didn’t even matter. That drove him crazy. Because he came to win. He wasn’t built for all that mediocrity. At that very right moment, Irvin heard the news – head coach Jimmy Johnson was taking over.
Revealing his thought process during Johnson’s era, Irvin said, “We were over at practice, working out, and they said, “Hey, everybody, we’re going to come up, (we) have a meeting and we’re going to do this this this.” I was like “I’m not doing anything (in) this regime. I was so pissed at how careless, we had gotten with winning around here.” Irvin further explained that the first year with Jimmy was still rough. He was working, trying to push guys.” But still, “that whole process, I was done with. I had to put a whole year in that (season).”
Irvin even called the “jokers” the players who just acted out and played for money. So when Johnson officially came in, Irvin didn’t waste time. He had a list ready. He said, “I was so hot, man. I said I ain’t doing nothing. I went home right two days after, as Jimmy was in that office.…waiting for Jimmy to open the door for him. We walked right in that room and sat down Dude, I slid a list. He said, “What’s this?” I said “All the assets got to go…..”
So, Irvin told the HC flat out – every dude who acted like this was just a paycheck needed to go. And yeah, people said he snitched. But to Irvin, it was pruning. Getting rid of what wasn’t built for championships. Because Johnson had a message that if they were all chasing different goals, nobody was getting anything. But if they all chased winning, everyone could walk away with money, fame, and the rest. That stuck with Irvin.
He said, “I just wanted to speed the process because Jimmy would always tell us – Listen guys, we have to be on one cord and one machine. And we can get everything everybody claim in here for a different reason. But if we on one cord, and after one thing, everybody can get what they came for. So if you came to be famous, if you came to get rich, if you came for women…..we ain’t going to get nothing. (But) If we aim for winning, y’all can get that stuff. That’s true.”
He’d seen what happened when talent got comfortable. He’d seen what happened when no one cared. In football, it’s not just skill – it’s will. You’re going up against grown men trying to feed their families. This isn’t punching a computer, per Michael Irvin. This is about heart, hunger, and the collective drive to win. That’s what changed things in Dallas. As a result, Johnson posted a 44-36 record in his five seasons, with two of the franchise’s five Super Bowl wins. And now, decades later, the HC is still remembered as one of the best members of the franchise.
Michael Irvin loves Jimmy Johnson from the bottom of his heart!
This April, Michael Irvin got emotional talking about Jimmy Johnson. During a talk show, Irvin paid tribute to the legendary head coach and said, “A lot of guys coming from a lot of broken areas—we had nothing, man, and we all knew it… Then Jimmy came in that next year, and what Jimmy did, he even took it to another level.” This tribute was felt by the old coach, too, who is now 81, went on X and wrote, “Michael has always been one of my SPECIAL GUYS! Love him!” Indeed, that kind of connection doesn’t fade.
Irvin opened up about how most of them came from broken places, with nothing in their pockets but hope. Then Jimmy Johnson walked in the door and raised the standard even higher. He didn’t just coach them – he built them. And it wasn’t just Irvin. Johnson had greats all around him, players who became legends. But after that second Super Bowl, things fell apart.
Then-HC and Jerry Jones couldn’t see eye to eye, and reportedly, they started clashing for control of the franchise. Not long after, Johnson was out. But it still makes us wonder if they had stayed together, how many more titles would’ve been waiting in Dallas?
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