Swagger: Super Bowls, Brass Balls, and Footballs--A Memoir

Easy to read

In depth autobiography of a coaching legend in our time that worked and made many personal sacrifices to win at all costs. This is a great read and is very insightful in the life of football coaches at the highest levels. Not all ends well because the personal costs are high, I highly recommend.

Jimmy explains how he built some of the greatest college and NFL teams. The '90s Cowboys were the greatest team of the '90s by far and possibly the greatest of all time. They could have won 5 Super Bowl games if Jimmy had remained their coach. Finally Jimmy is getting his place in the Ring of Honor.

Swagger: Super Bowls, Brass Balls, and Footballs—A Memoir by Jimmy Johnson and Dave Hyde“Swagger” perfectly describes the football persona of Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Johnson. The well-known Fox NFL Sunday analyst provides readers with a memoir inside the life of a football coach, life lessons learned and taught. This football-loving 287-page book includes twenty-two chapters covering into the life of Jimmy Johnson.Positives:1. A well-written book. Clearly, this was Johnson’s story and Hyde’s pen. The teamwork resulted in an enjoyable memoir to read.2. Excellent topic, a legendary football coach’s memoir.3. The book flows very well. It goes from topic to topic smoothly and maintains your interest throughout. Football fans will eat this up but laypersons will enjoy as well.4. Provides the three main qualities for hiring coaches. “I mentioned my three qualities for hiring coaches: intelligence, passion for the game, and a willingness to work beyond good reason at times.”5. Reveals his personality as a coach. “I wanted them to play to their personalities.” “That fake punt surprise gets back to my blackjack philosophy: You don’t play with scared money.”6. Reveals lowlights and highlights of his career. “That 1987 Fiesta Bowl loss to Penn State made me a more intense coach, a more detailed-oriented coach—a better coach in many regards. And a more obsessed one.”7. Describes the philosophy of the Pygmalion Effect. “Establish high expectations. Never forecast failure. Don’t permit complaining. Those are some of the fundamental steps of Pygmalion-ing ’em.”8. Reveals his skill for finding talent. Find out the five characteristics that broadened the chances of draft success.9. Describes his complicated relationship with Jerry Jones. “My football success received far more acclaim than his business success. That didn’t sit well with him.”10. The Herschel Walker trade dissected. “We used Minnesota’s draft picks over the next couple of years to stock our roster with: Emmitt Smith, a Hall of Fame running back; safety Darren Woodson, a Hall of Fame finalist who should be voted in soon; All-Pro cornerback Kevin Smith; Pro Bowl defensive tackle Russell Maryland; and cornerback Clayton Holmes, a starter on our Super Bowl teams.”11. The creation of the Draft Value Chart. “The bigger the net, the bigger the chance to get good fish in with the bad. That’s my idea.”12. Describes the coach-quarterback dynamic in Dallas that resulted in championships.13. The challenges of success. “Success? It’s a tightrope walk for a coach who wants players to gain confidence from success without being spoiled by it.”14. Describes his life without football. “I also signed a three-year deal with a no-escape clause that was announced that day. The conclusion was I was done coaching. Television was my new world.”15. Back to coaching and rebuilding a team. “I was never afraid of admitting mistakes, of taking some accompanying criticism. The important part was not to compound the mistake by doubling down on it. You’re going to swing and miss in the draft. That’s the nature of it. Hopefully, you’re going to hit on some Zach Thomases and find some Larry Izzos, too.”16. Provocative philosophy. “The enemy of great is good.”17. The “retirement” life and describes his relationships with the Fox crew. “Terry and my lawyer, Nick Christin, are my best friends. No one is more genuine and generous than Terry.”18. The importance of entering the Hall of Fame. “Looking back—I went and counted—I coached, recruited, or drafted thirteen players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”19. Describes the differences between college and NFL football. “College sports now becomes a game of who has the richest and most generous alumni. If you don’t have the alumni, you’re going to be a second-tier program.”20. His NFL philosophy. “Success in the NFL is determined not by who makes the most great plays, but by who makes the fewest bad plays. I wanted the running back who gained 3 or 4 yards and never fumbled, as opposed to the one with breathtaking runs who often fumbled. I wanted the quarterback who dinked and dunked and didn’t take a sack or throw an interception as opposed to one with big throws and big mistakes.”Negatives:1. I wished there was more. I would have added supplementary materials that included interesting topics like his favorite all-time plays, top ten lists of favorite players, favorite teams.2. As a football fan I wished it was a little more technical in terms of football.3. As most memoirs go expect some ego (the book is titled swagger after all) but I do sense Johnson holding back a little, almost dare I say being politically correct.In summary, what an enjoyable and fun read this was. If you are a football fan, you need to read this book. For the record, I am NOT a Dallas Cowboys fan but I must say I am now a Jimmy Johnson fan. There is something really charming about Johnson but as a coach he was a fearless competitor and very demanding. This book is a revealing book about what a successful football coach has to go through and the impact it has on life in general. Football fans will enjoy this. I recommend it.Further recommendations: “Dynasty” by Jeff Benedict, “America’s Game” by Michael MacCambridge, “Go Long” by Jerry Rice, “The 85 Bears: We Were the Greatest” by Mike Ditka, “Playmakers” Mike Florio, “I feel Like Going On” by Ray Lewis, “Coming Back Stronger” by Drew Brees, “Qb: My Life Behind the Spiral” by Steve Young, and “Belichick and Brady” by Michael Holley.

What I took from this interesting book is that Jimmy Johnson developed the personality he needed to become one of the winningest coaches in football history. I could be wrong, but it just seemed to me as I read that coach Johnson knew he had to develop a rough and tumble attitude to win games. His basic easy going, nice guy style wasn't going to win games so he did things with players he didn't really want to do and it paid off for him. If you like reading about coaches who do and say the things they need to win then you will enjoy this book. Jimmy did, indeed, develop the swagger he wanted his teams to have and it is very interesting as this attitude comes together in the book. To win titles at the college and pro levels is something that doesn't happen often in the world of sports. Coach Johnson did that and can be so proud of his career and...writing this book to tell people about it. Enjoy!Dr. Norman Jones author of The Untold Story About How Unions Took Over Illinois Government