Dan Campbell using Jimmy Johnson’s RoH induction to motivate Lions vs Cowboys
Halftime of this Saturday’s game between the Cowboys and the Lions will feature a moment that’s been 30 years in the making.
The Cowboys will induct former head coach Jimmy Johnson into the Ring of Honor at AT&T Stadium three decades after he delivered a pair of Lombardi Trophies to Dallas and subsequently parted ways with owner Jerry Jones.
The 2023 Cowboys, of course, will be intent on taking care of business- notching their 11th win of the season and ending a two-game skid against playoff-caliber teams- but the significance of the ceremony within the framework of the franchise’s history isn’t lost on current coach Mike McCarthy.
“Those are big-picture moments,” McCarthy said Tuesday. “The history and the tradition of the Dallas Cowboys is impeccable.”
“There’s always a tribute to the past. I think it’s important. I think those are the guys that laid the foundation of the success of the Cowboys. I think it’s great when Jerry acknowledges those guys, and you see them around here. It’s part of the spirit and the blessing of being a Dallas Cowboy.”
But perhaps surprisingly, he won’t be the only coach in the building who’s looking forward to watching Johnson’s name become the 24th to grace the stadium’s inner façade.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell grew up “a huge Jimmy Johnson fan” in Clifton, Tex. and called being the team’s opponent on such a momentous day “awesome.”
“I feel like that was for us,” he told Detroit media, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
“I’ve always been fascinated with him,” said Campbell, himself a former Cowboys tight end who came to Dallas ten years after Johnson’s 1993 exit. “His style, the way he coached, what he was about, the way he built that roster. The way they played. And I just, I think he’s special. I think he’s one of these rare special coaches.”
Campbell won’t be star-struck, though; he’ll be looking for his high-flying Detroit squad to spoil the Cowboys celebration. Just crowned divisional champs for the first time since Johnson’s final year in Dallas, the Lions are still in play to capture the NFC’s top seed, but they have to win out to mathematically have even a chance.
Being there the night the Cowboys honor Johnson will be a part of Campbell’s message to his players, he says, ”cause I respect the hell out of the man.”
“To me, it’s like an honor that we get to go out there, cause that’s what I think of,” he said. “Obviously, our team, man, a chance to get a win, but do something that he’d be proud of. He can watch us play and be like, ‘I like that style. I approve of that.’ So I think it’s pretty cool.”
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McCarthy is also looking forward to welcoming Johnson. The two spent some time together in Florida earlier this year, McCarthy said, and even went out on Johnson’s boat. While on the water, the Hall of Fame coach shared a couple beers (Troy Aikman’s EIGHT brand, naturally) and even a little advice on helming America’s Team.
“He sure did,” McCarthy smiled. “He sure did. It was all good.”
And it will be even better if Johnson’s auspicious night also brings a vintage Cowboys victory reminiscent of the coach’s dynasty years.
