Hall of Fame cornerback Jimmy Johnson, who played sixteen seasons for the San Francisco 49ers, passed away on May 8. He was 86. Johnson made the Pro Bowl five times, and he was named a First Team All-Pro three straight years, 1970 to 1972. The 49ers made the playoffs all three of those years–but lost to the Dallas Cowboys each time.
The 49ers retired Johnson’s number, 37, in 1977. He is one of ten 49ers players whose number the team has retired. You can see the rest on the Gallery’s Retired Numbers page.
Today’s card of the day is Johnson’s 1962 Post Cereal card. This is a pre-rookie card, issued two years before his rookie card, a 1964 Philadelphia. Not surprisingly, as a star player with a long career, Johnson appeared on a lot of other cards and stamps, as well.
As his 1962 Post card says, Johnson was the younger brother of Rafer Johnson, who won two Olympic medals in the decathlon: silver in 1956 and gold in 1960. Rafer passed away in 2020.
