[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 85 (Thursday, May 16, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H3285]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING THE LIFE OF JIMMY JOHNSON

  (Mr. COSTA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great pride to honor the 
life of Jimmy Johnson, one of the greatest cornerbacks in NFL history.
  A product of Kingsburg High School in my California district, Jimmy 
was a gifted athlete and rose quickly through the ranks. He was also a 
good student and graduated from UCLA. He played 16 seasons with the San 
Francisco 49ers and was a member of the NFL's All-Decade Team in the 
1970s.
  He was known as the ``Lonesome Cornerback'' because his opponents 
rarely threw to his side of the field. Ask Bart Starr or Johnny Unitas. 
He was clearly a class act, a leader, and always respected by his 
teammates, yet he still intercepted those 47 passes and returned them 
for 615 yards.
  In 1994, he was enshrined in the National Pro Football Hall of Fame 
with his brother as his presenter, the decathlon champion Rafer 
Johnson.
  What a class act. What a team. For the 49er family and its fans, we 
mourn the loss of Jimmy Johnson, but his legacy will continue for the 
next generation of athletes and fans.
  Jimmy Johnson was a class act.

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