Jim Johnson, Eagles Defensive Coordinator (1941-2009)

Jim Johnson, the Eagles Defensive Coordinator for the last 10 years, has passed away from his bout with cancer at age 68.

This is a tough one for the Philadelphia community as Johnson has been arguably the most popular Coordinator in Eagles history. His blitzing schemes and aggressive mindset not only made the Eagles defense consistently one of the best in the league over his tenure, it also made them one of the most exciting units.

He fit the Philly mold perfectly. His defenses were anything but passive. He took risks and rewarded toughness. His units would bend, but rarely break in the red zone. Many of his defenses were downright frightening, and opposing quarterbacks hit the turf against him more than almost any other Coordinator. The fans connected with these defenses because they always showed the passion on the field that the fans had off of it.

He was innovative, coming up with unique blitz packages, knowing that those who copy others will find themselves behind the pack soon enough. Today, more and more teams are valuing shut down corners and pass-rushing defensive ends over linebackers, something Johnson was way ahead of the curve on. He was humble, always looking to improve, and never leaving the Eagles for a head coaching position somewhere else.

And man, were his defenses GOOD – Sal Palantonio of ESPN wrote this in recent article…

Under Johnson, the Eagles have ranked near the top in almost every important defensive category in the last decade. Since 2000, the Eagles have been second in sacks (390), tied for second in tackles for a loss (457), second in forced fumbles (159), second in red zone efficiency (43.9 percent), and second in third down efficiency (34 percent). During the Johnson era, the Eagles have finished fourth in the NFL in points allowed — just 17.7 per game.

Johnson was a rock for Eagles’ fans. No matter what, for the last 10 years, we could always count on his defenses keeping us in games, making plays and playing hard. I’ll always remember a conversation I had with a Giants fan in college. He hated the Eagles with all his being. Everything about us – our players, our fans, our city. But after a couple beers one Fall Sunday, while then Giant Kurt Warner was picking himself up off the ground, he admitted “I would do anything to get Jim Johnson as the DC for my team. As much as I hate the Eagles, I love watching this defense play.”

So did we.

Thanks, Jim. You’ll be missed.