Jimmy Johnson, who in 1989 replaced Tom Landry, the only man to coach Dallas from the franchise’s inception in 1960, generally is credited with coining that phrase. He could take pride in it considering the Cowboys won two consecutive Super Bowls under his guidance, and took a third with the roster he put together even though Johnson had left the team in a dispute with owner Jerry Jones.
Johnson, who returned to the NFL in 1996 with the Miami Dolphins and rebuilt their defense behind draft picks such as Hall of Fame defensive end Jason Taylor, Hall finalist linebacker Zach Thomas and multi-Pro Bowl cornerbacks Patrick Surtain and Sam Madison, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the centennial class.