Johnson and Jones have known each other for most of their lives / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

NFL coverage will look a lot different going forward as Fox Sports mainstay Jimmy Johnson announced his retirement on Monday. The well-wishes poured in for the former head coach and longtime analyst over the course of the day, and on Tuesday morning Jerry Jones joined the chorus.

Jones and Johnson have known each other for a very long time. They were teammates at Arkansas in college and Jones hired Johnson away from the University of Miami to replace Tom Landry after purchasing the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990s. Johnson, of course, led Dallas on a dynastic run and was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor in 2023.

It should therefore come as no surprise that Jones’s statement was classy, as he wished Johnson the best in his retirement.

“From the time we were in college until the time we were holding up those Super Bowl trophies, I knew Jimmy Johnson could be anything he wanted to be, and he has. Some of the most exciting times in my life I shared with Jimmy, and I cherish them,” Jones wrote. “As one of the most gifted people I’ve ever been around, Jimmy has blazed a remarkable, unique trail that is now deeply embedded into football and broadcasting history. Congratulations on your incredible career Jimmy, and I wish you well in your fourth quarter my friend. You will always be a winner!”

Johnson went 44-36 in five seasons as head coach of the Cowboys, winning back-to-back Super Bowls in 1992 and 1993. It’s a large part of the reason he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020. Jones clearly appreciates his contributions to the organization.