Former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson receives Hall of Fame induction news on live TV

Joe Rivera

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Former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson receives Hall of Fame induction news on live TV image

Jimmy Johnson's long-overdue arrival at the Pro Football Hall of Fame happened in front of millions of viewers Sunday night during the Packers-Seahawks divisional playoff game.

In place of the typical Sunday night dramas, Fox's halftime show — which features the former Cowboys and University of Miami head coach as an analyis — broke the news that Johnson would be enshrined in Canton, Ohio, the home of the Hall of Fame.

But Johnson wasn't the only one with tears streaming down his face: Troy Aikman, his former QB and current color analyst for Fox, learned the news at the same time as everyone else. Aikman was in the Fox booth in Green Bay when cameras cut to him.

Johnson spent five years with the Cowboys from 1989-93, winning two Super Bowls with Big D in 1992 and 1993. Dallas hasn't won a Super Bowl since. Johnson replaced legendary Cowboys coach Tom Landry and confusingly still hasn't been honored as part of Dallas' Ring of Honor. 

After two years away from head coaching, Johnson returned to the sidelines with the Dolphins in 1996 and helped the Fins make it to the playoffs in three of the next four years before his retirement.

Johnson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012. He is best known for his stint as the head ball coach with the Miami Hurricanes, winning a National Championship in 1987 and putting the U on the map as a powerhouse football program.

The remainder of the 15-person Centennial Slate for the Class of 2020, which in total will consist of 20 members, will be revealed Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 7 a.m. ET live during "Good Morning Football" on NFL Network.

On Saturday, CBS Sports studio analyst and former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher got the same treatment.

Joe Rivera

Joe Rivera Photo

Joe Rivera is in his seventh year with The Sporting News, handling NFL, MLB and some things pro wrestling. A proud-ish Rutgers University graduate, Rivera combines a new-school flair with an old-school soul. He loves dingers, wrestling, comic books, movies, music and really bad puns. He is also a card-carrying BBWAA member and teaches Multimedia Sports Reporting at his alma mater.

You can find him and tweet him @JoeRiveraSN, if you're into that sort of thing.