For the first time in decades, Hall of Fame coach and longtime broadcaster Jimmy Johnson isn’t rushing to be anywhere. “I’ve always been obsessed with being on time and being early,” Johnson said. “My wife, you know, really gives me hell for saying, ‘Hey, you said we were going to lea ve at 2:00. Why are you ready at 1:30?’ You know. I had a ball doing the show. I love doing it, but it was time for me to retire.” Now 81, Johnson is spending his retirement at home in Key Largo, relaxing at the restaurant that bears his name. “You know, I had a couple of football guys come down day before yesterday. I still have coaches come down, so I’m still busy talking football. So football is still a big part of my life,” he said. The winner of two Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys and a college national championship with the University of Miami says he’s fulfilled both personally and professionally. “You know, happiness for me is seeing other people be successful because I knew I had a part to do in that,” Johnson said. South Florida fans remember his dominant run with the Miami Hurricanes in the 1980s. “Go back and look at the schedule. The teams that we played every other week. It was Oklahoma, Florida, Florida State, Notre Dame. We had such a difficult schedule. Plus we beat all those teams. And so it was so much fun,” he said. Johnson’s time coaching the Dallas Cowboys is well documented, leading to Super Bowl titles with stars Michael Irvin, Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith. His return to South Florida with the Miami Dolphins, however, didn’t go as planned. “Don Shula is one of the greatest coaches ever, ever. And you know, I’ve got great respect for what he accomplished,” Johnson said. “But I wanted people to say, hey, you know, give me a chance to do what I can do. And we had such a great owner, and then we had a great Hall of Fame quarterback. I wanted to win a Super Bowl for them and that didn’t happen. So that’s a disappointment for me.” Though there were setbacks, Johnson’s career saw far more victories than defeats. Now, there are no more play clocks or coaches’ meetings — just relaxation, reflection, and the signature hair that’s become part of his legend. “Looking back on me when I first started, I would say, ‘Jimmy, strap it on. Because here we come,’” he said. ...read more read less