Rest in Peace Jim
First, let me pass on my condolences to Vicky Johnson and the rest of her family after the passing of her husband Jim. While he was a hell of a football coach, he was certainly much more than that. In sports, we are taught to move on quickly after a lost game or injured teammate, but this type of loss will hurt forever.
Many people might wonder what kind of impact a defensive coordinator might have on a quarterback. I can’t speak for all those relationships but I can speak about Jim and me. Afterall, in my entire 10 year career I’ve only had one defensive coordinator. That itself is rare. We have shared many ups and downs. From my rookie season where he blitzed me to death in practice. I said it then and will repeat it again, going against Jim’s defense in practice prepared me for ANYTHING I may ever see in a game. It was the best learning experience a young QB could ask for.
Although we haven’t experienced our dream of winning a Super Bowl, we won a lot of games together. There was never a game that we went into that I didn’t think we could win because I believed that Jim could shut down the opponent. I think back to my rookie year against the “Greatest Show on Turf,” the last game of the season when the Rams won the Super Bowl. I was a rookie coming back from an injury and they were clearly the best team in the NFL. We went in and beat them that day.
That was just the beginning. The following years provided many other terrific memories.
My lasting memory of Jim will be one of an older guy with a young spirit. He inspired many people both whom he came in contact with and just the ones who knew him from the product he put on the field. He will certainly be missed.
Many people might wonder what kind of impact a defensive coordinator might have on a quarterback. I can’t speak for all those relationships but I can speak about Jim and me. Afterall, in my entire 10 year career I’ve only had one defensive coordinator. That itself is rare. We have shared many ups and downs. From my rookie season where he blitzed me to death in practice. I said it then and will repeat it again, going against Jim’s defense in practice prepared me for ANYTHING I may ever see in a game. It was the best learning experience a young QB could ask for.
Although we haven’t experienced our dream of winning a Super Bowl, we won a lot of games together. There was never a game that we went into that I didn’t think we could win because I believed that Jim could shut down the opponent. I think back to my rookie year against the “Greatest Show on Turf,” the last game of the season when the Rams won the Super Bowl. I was a rookie coming back from an injury and they were clearly the best team in the NFL. We went in and beat them that day.
That was just the beginning. The following years provided many other terrific memories.
My lasting memory of Jim will be one of an older guy with a young spirit. He inspired many people both whom he came in contact with and just the ones who knew him from the product he put on the field. He will certainly be missed.
