National Football League

Jimmy Johnson on Cowboys Ring of Honor induction: 'Couldn't possibly be happier'

Updated Dec. 31, 2023 2:01 p.m. ET

Legendary head coach Jimmy Johnson ignited the Dallas Cowboys faithful with a fiery speech that ended with him leading the AT&T Stadium crowd in his trademark "How 'bout them Cowboys!" It capped off a long-awaited induction into the team's ring of honor at halftime of Saturday night's Cowboys-Lions game.

But on "FOX NFL Sunday" the next morning, Johnson was overcome with tears of joy as he recounted what the moment meant to him.

"What made it so special, the whole journey and last night, I had my family there, I had my best friends there, and my players, and my coaches," Johnson said, his voice breaking with emotion.

Jimmy Johnson gets emotional reflecting on Cowboys' 'Ring of Honor' induction

Johnson's "FOX NFL Sunday" co-hosts, the best friends he was alluding to, wrapped him in a group hug.

Johnson called the long-awaited induction by team owner Jerry Jones — his former University of Arkansas teammate who hired the then-college football national champion head coach from the University of Miami in 1989 — a "final chapter" in his accolades. Johnson is also a member of the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame and the Miami Hurricanes Ring of Honor.

"I don't think I could possibly be happier than I am right now," Johnson said through tears.

Johnson had another touching moment on the "FOX NFL Sunday" set Sunday morning thanks to former WWE superstar and actor Dwayne Johnson, who was on hand to announce the new United Football League. After speaking about how the coach helped inspire the future celebrity during the latter's days growing up in South Florida watching Jimmy Johnson's Miami teams, Dwayne Jonson presented the Hall of Fame coach with a special gift — his letter of intent to play for him at Miami, which he never got to deliver personally because Jimmy Johnson had left for the Cowboys by the time Dwayne Johnson started his career as a Miami defensive lineman.

Not only were Curt Menefee, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Michael Strahan, Jay Glazer and FOX Sports CEO Eric Shanks on hand in Dallas to watch Johnson's induction Saturday night, but the Hall of Fame coach was also joined on the field by some of his fellow Cowboys ring of honor inductees, including Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Charles Haley and Darren Woodson, who all played for him during his five-year Cowboys tenure that saw the team win two Super Bowls.

Watch Johnson's full speech from Saturday below:

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