During the halftime show of the Seahawks vs Packers Divisional round playoff game, the Pro Football Hall of Fame told former Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson that he would be inducted into the hall of fame as part of the 2020 Centennial class.
Johnson receiving his bid comes on the heels of former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher being told Saturday night on the set of CBS’s “The NFL Today” pregame show that he would also be inducted.
There were eight coaches named Hall of Fame finalists as part of the Centennial class. Of them, only two were to be selected. Also a finalist was former Raiders 2-time Super Bowl winning head coach Tom Flores, which means once again, Flores has been denied induction into the Hall of Fame, now becoming the only ever 2-time Super Bowl winning head coach (1980-83) to not be in the Hall of Fame. Jimmy Johnson (1992-93) was the other.
It’s been 26 years since Flores coached his last NFL game and this was to be his best chance at finally getting in. He is once of many former Raiders who either waited far too long to get the call, or still have yet to get that call. Ken Stabler died before he was finally inducted via the Senior Committee. Cliff Branch is a finalist for the Centennial Class as a player, but he too passed last year, making yet another legendary Raider not to get his chance to take the stage in Canton. Flores is 82 years old, so he is nearing the real possibility it could happen to him as well.
Other head coach finalists to not make this year’s class were
Don Coryell – 1973-77 St. Louis Cardinals, 1978-1986 San Diego Chargers
Mike Holmgren – 1992-98 Green Bay Packers, 1999-2008 Seattle Seahawks
Buddy Parker – 1949 Chicago Cardinals, 1951-56 Detroit Lions, 1957-1964 Pittsburgh Steelers
Dan Reeves – 1981-1992 Denver Broncos, 1993-96 New York Giants, 1997-2003 Atlanta Falcons
Dick Vermeil – 1976-1982 Philadelphia Eagles, 1997-99 St. Louis Rams, 2001-05 Kansas City Chiefs