Former San Francisco 49ers great Jimmy Johnson, known as “the lonesome cornerback” because opponents rarely threw in his direction, died at age 86. The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced his death Thursday.
Johnson grew up in the Fresno County town of Kingsburg, Calif., was a football and track star at UCLA and was so beloved by the 49ers they retired his number, 37, a year after he played his last snap in 1976.
He played 16 NFL seasons, all of them with the 49ers. He missed only 12 games in that span, an amazing feat for someone with an every-down role on defense until he was 38… Read More