DALLAS — Perhaps we will remember 2023 as the year catharsis reached the DFW sports landscape. The Texas Rangers are World Series champions after 52 years in Arlington and Jerry Jones is ready to see an end to his long feud with Jimmy Johnson.
The owner, president, and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys announced on Sunday that a definitive date for the hatchet to be buried is on the calendar as Dallas’ two-time Super Bowl winning coach will be inducted into the Ring of Honor at AT&T Stadium.
Speaking about the decision during his weekly visit on the Shan & RJ show on Audacy's 105.3 The Fan, Jones was ready to admit how unique Johnson’s tenure with Dallas was and how much of an impact his short stint made.
“Jimmy [Johnson], for me, he was always there for the Ring of Honor,” said Jones. “Now, he only coached here five years – which makes it that much more exceptional. Tom Landry was here 29 years, he’s the only other coach in the Ring of Honor, and I think it’s particularly special.”
Of course, this comes after years of feuding between the legendary coach and the mercurial owner. Johnson, a former college teammate of Jones at Arkansas, was hired by Jones ahead of the 1989 season to be his head coach after a successful stint as a college coach at Oklahoma State and Miami (FL). Johnson had the arduous task of being the man that replaced Landry, but quickly endeared himself with a large personality that seemed to mirror that of the owner.
Eventually, the marriage produced two Super Bowl victories as Johnson operated the Hall of Fame trio of quarterback Troy Aikman, wide receiver Michael Irvin, and NFL all-time rushing leader Emmitt Smith to a rebirth of success that set Dallas up to become a global sensation during the 1990s.
But with all of the success came pride and ego as the two men at the top couldn’t decide on who was most deserving of the credit for the Cowboys’ revival. To call them stubborn about this point would be an understatement. Ultimately, following a second consecutive Lombardi Trophy after a win in Super Bowl XXVIII, Johnson and Jones agreed to part ways in March of 1994, ending one of the most profitable and successful unions between a coach and owner in league history despite its short shelf life.
From there, there was a war of words in the media that often derailed attempts at closure between the two architects of Dallas’ ‘90s dynasty. The Cowboys won one more championship with Barry Switzer following the 1995 season which provided Jones a feather in his cap but Johnson had essentially put the pieces in place that won that Super Bowl with the forming of the triplets, something Jones has been unable to do as general manager of the team after nearly 30 years.
With the egos bruised, years went by as the wounds were left to fester. Eventually there was a rallying cry to see Johnson join the Ring of Honor, but that was always rebuffed by Jones or at least deftly danced around. When Johnson was inducted into the National Football Hall of Fame in 2021, Jones proclaimed that Johnson would eventually see his name among the Cowboys greats but in the ensuing years, a date was not set.
DeMarcus Ware got the deserved honor earlier this year but a lot of the focus became on who wasn’t honored instead of Ware which opened Jones’ eyes.
“I saw a little of the edge that was there by not putting [Johnson] in when we put DeMarcus Ware in,” Jones said. “I thought, ‘Well, I didn’t intend for this.’ So that, No. 1, motivated me.” Ready to put the bad blood behind him for good, Jones decided to hold a second Ring of Honor ceremony during a season for the first time to induct Johnson.
That ceremony will take place during halftime of the Cowboys’ game against the Detroit Lions on Dec. 30. As an added bonus, Aikman will be calling the game that night for ESPN.
“There's nothing magic about the timing with the Ring of Honor," Jones said. "This just felt right with Troy being here also."
It might not be magic, but it is a chapter of an old book being closed on a positive note for Cowboys fans who have been waiting to see Johnson and Jones let bygones be bygones.
With the Jimmy vs. Jerry saga complete, who should be next for the Ring of Honor? Share your thoughts with us on Twitter @WFAASports.
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