Rich Hofmann: Jim Johnson: A man who made a difference

BETHLEHEM - A glowing red sun set behind the clouds here on the day that Jim Johnson died. The football fields at Lehigh University, green and pristine, stretched out for acres in the valley. The Eagles players, most of them unscarred rookies, the youngest of the young, were probably eating or napping or getting ready for a meeting when they announced the news.

Two-a-days. Playbooks. Dorms. Video work. Cafeterias. Scheming. Worrying. Hoping. Summer. Jim Johnson must have spent a couple of years of his life in places like this.

He died at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, only months after the recurrence of melanoma, a disease he beat once back in 2001. The organization had known the prognosis and had kept people apprised internally and steeled itself for this day as best it could. But how can you? Really, how can you?

Johnson was so many things for this franchise in his decade as defensive coordinator, the rock upon which everything was built, the most important hire Andy Reid ever made. Known for two things that he did incessantly - blitz and tell the truth - Johnson left the kind of mark, both personal and professional, that will not soon be forgotten. In a competitive, sometimes cut-throat business, Reid said, "I've never heard a person say a negative thing about him.''

Husband. Father. Grandfather. Teacher. Mentor. Scold. Protector. Innovator. Coach. Was there anyone who had ever been more born to the role than Jim Johnson? And was there ever a defensive style that fit a time and a place better than Johnson's attacking defense fit Philadelphia?

"It's a city that really appreciates aggressive defense not played too conservatively, and be physical and dominate and allow your offense to win the game by dominating on defense," Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said. "That was his approach and you got it right away, just a hard-knuckled but a soft person who had that wonderful combination of real strength of teaching and, at the same time, strength of heart. You can only admire it when you see people like that."