Jimmy Johnson, San Francisco 49ers Hall of Famer, dies at age 86

Jimmy Johnson, who played 16 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers and was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, died age 86.

The 49ers and the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced his death in posts on the X social media platform Thursday. There was no immediate word on the cause of death but Johnson had been in declining health for some time, his family told the Hall of Fame.

The 49ers drafted Johnson with the sixth overall pick in the 1961 NFL Draft out of UCLA, where he excelled both as a wingback/receiver and a defensive back. Johnson was also a track star at UCLA; his older brother was former Olympic decathlon champion Rafer Johnson. 

The 49ers had originally intended to play Johnson on offense as a rookie, but a broken wrist in training camp forced a move to defensive back where he flourished with five interceptions his rookie season. He moved back to wide receive in 1962, but several weeks into the 1963 season, a banged-up defensive backfield forced a return to the defense to play safety.

In 1964, Johnson moved to left cornerback, a position he anchored for the rest of his career. Johnson retired in 1976 after playing in 213 regular-season games, more than any other 49er at the time.

Johnson was selected five times to the Pro Bowl, is a member of the NFL's 1970s All-Decade Team, and also a member of the 49ers Hall of Fame. He is also a four-time First-team All-Pro, a four-time Second-team All-Pro, and his number 37 was retired by the team in 1977.

Johnson also was twice honored with the team's most prestigious award, the Len Eshmont Award, chosen by the players and given to a teammate who demonstrated inspirational play.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame said Johnson is regarded as "one of the best man-to-man defenders in history" and helped create the notion of a lockdown cornerback that opposing quarterbacks would avoid throwing to his side of the field.

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