Jimmy Johnson, Hall of Fame defensive back, dies at 86

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco 49ers defensive back Jimmy Johnson has died at the age of 86.

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The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced that Johnson died Wednesday evening. His family said his health had been declining for a while. He died in the San Francisco area.

“Jimmy Johnson was extraordinarily athletically talented. The 49ers enjoyed the luxury of using him on offense and defense early in his career to fill team needs,” Pro Football Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said. “Once he settled in at left cornerback, he flourished. The notion that a ‘lockdown’ cornerback could cut the field in half for the opposition was true with Jimmy.”

“The 49ers are saddened to learn of the passing of Jimmy Johnson. Our organization sends its deepest condolences to his family and friends,” the 49ers said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Johnson played in the NFL for 16 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, playing in 213 games — which was more than any other 49ers player — when he retired. the Pro Football Hall of Fame said.

Johnson earned three First-Team All-Pro selections and five Pro Bowl selections, according to CBS Sports.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994, according to The Associated Press.

His jersey was retired in 1977 at “Jimmy Johnson Night at Candlestick Park,” according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Johnson was a charter member of the San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame which started in 2009, CBS Sports reported.

He was the sixth overall draft pick in 1961 from UCLA, according to the AP. At first, the Chargers took Johnson in the fourth round of the draft where he became a starter then a cornerback. In 1962, he was used by the Niners as an offense.

He became a defense back in 1964, according to CBS Sports.

“You have to be worked on, cornered in and cornered out to become as good as you can be,” Johnson said when he entered the Hall of Fame, according to the AP. “So actually I feel standing here today that I never reached that level, I never reached as good a football player as I could be. But thanks to God and inner talent I was able to present a picture to those individuals who were voting for the Hall of Fame, and my longevity and the level of game that I played from my rookie season to my last. That on this wondrous year of 1994 I’ve been given the opportunity, the glorious opportunity, to become a member of the most wonderful society: The National Football League Hall of Fame.”

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