Back in those glory days of the early ’90s, Joe Brodsky ran the Cowboys’ backfield with old-school grit. As Jimmy Johnson’s longtime assistant, Brodsky knew how to get the best out of his backs, especially the young ones. While Emmitt Smith had already proven he could light up Sundays, Brodsky made sure guys like Derrick Lassic were earning their stripes in the heat of practice. No shortcuts. Every rep counted. At least, that was the idea.

But one day, that approach backfired. Emmitt was standing on the sideline, untouched, while Lassic was getting run into the ground. Jimmy saw it, and he snapped. “Get Emmitt in there and get him ready to play,” Jimmy barked. Brodsky tried brushing it off: “Coach, he’s a veteran. He’s going to be fine on Sunday.” But Jimmy wasn’t having it. “That’s what happens. Even the assistant coaches get soft on those players,” Jimmy recalled during his Ring of Honor ceremony.

It wasn’t about Emmit, though. It was about discipline. After all, no one coasts on Jimmy’s watch. But the thing that was often overlooked was how Jimmy had everyone’s attention. It didn’t matter if it were coaches or the players. Fast forward to now, the Cowboys won Super Bowls under Jimmy and Joe, the legendary head coach retired, and sadly, Joe is not among us. But those memories? Still afresh. Not just to Jimmy but to the Cowboys’ fans as well.

On June 9, 2025, on the birth anniversary of Coach Brodsky, Jimmy recalled his days as the head coach of the Cowboys and replied to a birthday post of Joe Brodsky. “Great guy & great friend…” Jimmy wrote. Right after that went down, a fan slid into the post’s comment section and recalled that moment when Jimmy got upset just because Brodsky was letting Emmitt get off easy in practice while Lassic took all the workload.

“I remember the story from your book when you got upset that Coach Brodsky was letting Emmitt get off easy in practice while Lassic took all the workload!” the person wrote. “But it’s amazing how you had everyone’s attention …players and coaches! Your coaches were your best friends! Must’ve been fun.” And yes, the legendary Cowboys head coach took notice of it and took some time to clear the air on this particular anecdote. “I was fortunate to be surrounded by great coaches & players!” Jimmy wrote. Just like that.

Jimmy also shed light on how he used to love Joe Brodsky to death, who was his running back coach when the Cowboys won Super Bowls in the early 90s, and how he did a great job with his running backs. But that was one of the moments that made Jimmy upset. But ultimately, it was Jimmy’s dynamic with his coaching staff—particularly with Brodsky—that underscored the high standards and accountability he demanded, shaping his legacy as one of the greatest head coaches in Cowboys history.

When Jimmy Johnson coached the Cowboys with Michael Irvin

A few days ago, a Cowboys fan shared a post on their ‘X’ handle, appreciating Jimmy Johnson’s coaching as the Dallas team is still struggling to have another Super Bowl run. “Unless someone is a diehard Canes & Cowboys fan for the past 44 years they could never understand the attitude that @JimmyJohnson & @michaelirvin88 brought to the Dallas Cowboys after winning at Miami,” they wrote. “That Cowboys team was cancer, these 2 men brought the cure with them.” Understandable. And why not?

When Jimmy arrived in Dallas for the first time, the Cowboys were a franchise in turmoil, coming off a dismal 3-13 season. Enter Jimmy Johnson, fresh off a national championship with the Miami Hurricanes, with his no-nonsense attitude. The first couple of seasons under Coach Jimmy were poor, no doubt. Dallas had a 1-15 and a 7-9 record, respectively. The result? Jimmy’s former Miami protégé and the Cowboys’ receiver, Michael Irvin, was pissed of the performance and how careless the team became with winning.

Irvin straight-up went to Jimmy’s office with a list of players he felt weren’t fitting in with the team. And Jimmy? Well, the head coach listened. And that set the momentum for the Cowboys team that went on to win back-to-back Super Bowls. Jimmy orchestrated the Herschel Walker trade, drafted Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith, and with Michael Irvin already in place, transformed the Cowboys into a powerhouse, guiding them to a 13-3 record the very next season.

Safe to say that Jimmy Johnson indeed cured the Cowboys when they were struggling.