San Francisco 49ers Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson passes away at 86

Former San Francisco 49ers defensive back Jimmy Johnson passed away at the age of 86, the team announced Thursday.

Johnson played his entire career with the 49ers from 1961-76 after being drafted No. 6 overall in the 1961 NFL Draft out of UCLA. A Pro Football Hall of Famer, Johnson grabbed 47 career interceptions before retiring.

Johnson was named First-Team All-Pro four times and Second-Team All-Pro five times. A five-time pro Bowler, Johnson was named to the NFL’s 1970s All-Decade team.

His No. 37 jersey is retired by the 49ers organization and he was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame.

In addition to his 47 interceptions, he logged 615 return yards and two defensive touchdowns. The Pro Football Hall of Fame regards Johnson as “one of the best man-to-man defenders in history.”

A Dallas native, Johnson moved to central California when he was just a boy and attended Kingsburg High School in Fresno County.

His older brother Rafer was also a star at the same high school and UCLA, winning the Gold Medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics in the decathlon.

Once Johnson attended UCLA after his brother, he played wingback and defensive back for the Bruins. In 1959 and ’60, he totaled 812 yards from scrimmage.

Like his older brother, Johnson was a multi-sport athlete, competing on the UCLA Track and Field Team. He won the NCAA 110-meter hurdles championship and was an All-American.

Following his selection in the draft, he had a prosperous professional career and was inducted into Canton in 1994.

In his Hall of Fame speech, Johnson thanked God for his abilities while simultaneously saying he never reached his apex.

“You have to be worked on, cornered in and cornered out to become as good as you can be,” Johnson said. “So actually feel standing here today that I never reached that level, I never reached as good a football player as I could be, but thanks to God and inner talent I was able to present a picture to those individuals who were voting for the Hall of Fame and my longevity and the level of game that I played from my rookie season to my last.

“That on this wondrous year of 1994 I’ve been given the opportunity, the glorious opportunity, to become a member of the most wonderful society: The National Football League Hall of Fame.”