BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Jim Johnson was a football lifer who made a dozen stops along the coaching thoroughfare.
He started in college, leaving an indelible imprint, and eventually moved on to the United States Football League. But it was in the NFL where he made his mark - and affected lives.
Johnson succumbed to cancer at the age of 68 yesterday, but for many of the players who toiled under him and the coaches that taught beside him, his legacy will live.
Long before he made his last and lasting stop as the Eagles' defensive coordinator, Johnson got his NFL start with the Cardinals in 1986. He was the defensive line coach for four seasons before moving to the secondary. It was in that role that Johnson developed his first superstar.
Before there was Brian Dawkins there was Aeneas Williams.
"He meant a lot to me," said Williams, an eight-time pro bowl cornerback. "Coach Johnson was in Phoenix when the Cardinals drafted me in the third round. He was the guy after I held out two weeks that let me know I'd be the starting cornerback my rookie year."
Under Johnson's supervision, Williams, who had played only one season of college football at Southern, went on to become the first rookie cornerback to lead the league in interceptions since 1981. Johnson left Arizona for Indianapolis three years later, but Williams never forgot the lessons he learned from his first position coach.
"Every time I think of Coach Johnson, I keep thinking of a guy who held you accountable," said Williams, who retired from football in 2005.
Williams said he didn't really keep in touch with Johnson after their separation, but he did see him a few times when the Eagles' staff coached at the Pro Bowl. On one occasion, he had a conversation with then-Eagles cornerback Troy Vincent and then-Eagles assistant Steve Spagnuolo.
They "would tell me that he used to use me as a model when communicating about what he wanted done," Williams said. "Sometimes you get compliments and say thank you. But when a coach references you like that, it's the highest compliment."
After three seasons with the Colts, and then a year in Seattle, Johnson was hired by the Eagles when a little- known Green Bay offensive assistant brought an even lesser-known defensive assistant to Philadelphia to be his defensive coordinator. It was a near ideal match. Andy Reid liked to pass and Johnson loved to blitz.
