Jim Johnson Embodied Philadelphia

There are few athletes, coaches, or owners who spend time in Philadelphia and leave an everlasting mark with some of the most critical fans in America.

Philadelphia fans are a rare bread. You are not always judged by wins and losses. You are judged by character, determination, fight, and resiliency. Some of the names that come to mind are Tug McGraw, Reggie White, and John Vukovich.

Now you can add Jim Johnson's name to that list. He lost his battle with cancer on Tuesday night at the age of 68.

Similar to some, he did not win a championship in Philadelphia. But in all honesty, the fans of Philadelphia could care less if Jim Johnson was a part of the parade down Broad Street.

He did not need to validate his career or prove anything to anybody. The fans knew he was tough. They knew if he lost he would get right back up, look the opponent in the eye, and say, "Okay, let me see you do it again."

He was famous for implementing the bend-don't-break defense. Sure, you could move the ball between the 20s every now and then against one of Johnson's units, but you were not going to get into the end zone.

In 2001 the Eagles became the fourth team in NFL history to allow 21 points or less for the entire season.

Some of the stats are incredible, but the fans will remember more how the Eagles did it. There will be stories shared among friends, dads and sons, and fellow Eagles fans about the greatest defensive performances during Jim Johnson's tenure.

Two stick out in my mind.

I will never forget the defensive effort from the Eagles defense against Michael Vick and the Atlanta Falcons in the 2004 NFC Championship Game.

Everyone feared that Vick would get to the perimeter and burn the Eagles with his athletic ability. Johnson was too smart for that.

He allowed Vick to dance around in the pocket. He instilled discipline in an aggressive defense and it worked the entire game. Vick had nowhere to run and nowhere to pass. Johnson made it look easy.

Occasionally, Johnson sprinkled in a blitz to remind Vick he did not go soft.

I will also never forget the performance the Eagles had against the Cowboys in the 2008 season finale which clinched a playoff berth for the Eagles. The Eagles defense forced four turnovers (special teams forced one as well).

Two of the turnovers were returned for touchdowns, which meant the Eagles outscored the entire Cowboys team 14-6.

It was nothing short of spectacular and it came against the city's most hated rival.

The fans will also remember Johnson's ability to get the most out of his players week to week and year to year.

Johnson arrived in South Philly in 1999 and he helped to produce 27 of the 49 Eagles' Pro Bowlers during his tenure here.

Not only did he help develop players, but head coaches as well. Stave Spagnuolo and John Harbaugh learned under the tutelage of Johnson and are now head coaches in the NFL.

To the fans, Johnson was humble. He kept to himself and never wanted to be in the spotlight. He turned down coaching vacancies because he was intent on helping produce those great players and coaches.

The fans appreciated what he did here because they saw him as a man of character who was filled with determination, fight, and resiliency.