Troy Aikman is a member of the Dallas Cowboys’ Ring of Honor. Now he wants his coach to join him.
“If I’m in it, if Michael Irvin is in it, if Emmitt Smith is in it, Jimmy should be there,” he said. “You can’t tell my story or the others’ stories without Jimmy.”
Aikman said he’s not trying to pressure Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, whose strained relationship with Johnson led to Johnson’s abrupt departure after his second Super Bowl with the Cowboys. But the effect of Aikman’s comments is clearly to put the onus on Jones to recognize Johnson. It’s Jerry’s team, and adding Jimmy to the Ring of Honor is ultimately Jerry’s decision.
If Jones wanted to make an issue of this, which he surely doesn’t, it would be fair to point out that unlike Tom Landry, the one coach who’s in the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor (and unlike Aikman, Irvin and Smith), Johnson is not a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. So it may just be that Jones doesn’t think Johnson accomplished quite enough in his five years with the Cowboys to merit Ring of Honor status.
But it’s probably more about the personal animosity between Jones and Johnson. And Aikman thinks that eventually, Jones will have to set that aside and recognize Johnson.
“I know Jimmy’s day will come,” Aikman said.
