“The key is not getting those draft picks. The key is getting good players with those draft picks.” That was Jimmy Johnson’s mantra. Back in the day, Jimmy didn’t care if a guy was flashy—he wanted speed, brains, and someone who lived football. No nonsense. He had this golden rule: “Hit me with a hammer if I draft a dumb guy.” That’s how serious he was about intelligence and playmaking, and that’s exactly how he ended up taking Troy Aikman in 1989—smart, driven, and coachable.
Fast forward to the 1993 NFL draft: Jimmy and the Cowboys were flying sky-high after winning Super Bowl XXVII. And that meant just one thing: Bolster the team’s roster and reclaim the crown in the next season. Johnson, known for his scouting philosophy, then came across a 6-foot-5, 255-pound defensive end from Texas Southern—Michael Strahan.
The then 22-year-old was entering the NFL draft after an impeccable senior year, where he had 68 tackles, a school-record 19 sacks, and 32 tackles for 142 yards in losses. Impressed by his performance, Jimmy flew Strahan to Dallas and introduced him to Aikman and Michael Irvin. The interesting part? He assured young Strahan that Dallas was going to draft him. He even sent a scout to his home on the draft day to welcome him to the team. But Jimmy made a mistake.
Back in the ’93 NFL draft, the Cowboys had the 29th overall pick to draft Strahan. But the team traded their 29th pick to the Packers, and just like that, Jimmy Johnson unintentionally broke the promise to draft Michael Strahan when the Giants snagged Strahan as the 40th overall pick. Fast forward to now, and the former Cowboys head coach considers it the biggest regret of his career.
“The biggest regret I have in my entire career involved you,” Jimmy confessed while addressing Strahan. “You know, here, we’re getting ready for the draft. I flew Michael up to Dallas, I sat down with him. I told him I was gonna draft him, you know, because he came from a little school. You know, I was always looking for a bargain, you know.”
“And so I was thinking I can get you late in the second round. I sent a scout and was sitting in your home. Sitting in your home because I’m going to call you and say, ‘Michael, you’re a Dallas Cowboy.’ Well, New York jumped in front of me, so I wasn’t able to draft you.” Just like that. Sure, Strahan went on to have an impeccable career with the Giants where he won the Super Bowl in the 2008 season.
But let’s be real—not able to play for the Cowboys is a bitter memory—not just for Michael Strahan, but the retired head coach as well. Not to mention, the Cowboys won their second consecutive Super Bowl in the 1993 season. Yeah, the very same year when Jimmy missed on drafting Strahan.
Years later, when Strahan looked back on his professional career, no wonder he always remembers the day when Jimmy lied to him.
When Michael Strahan confronted Jimmy Johnson
The ’92 Cowboys’ defense under the leadership of Jimmy Johnson was a total beast, literally and figuratively. They ranked No. 1 in the NFL in total defense, allowing just 243 points over the regular season—an average of 15.2 points per game. And why not? When you have a defensive unit like Jim Jeffcoat, Tony Tolbert, and Charles Haley, who were wreaking havoc with their combined 25 sacks, no doubt the opposition was running for their life.
Then there were Ken Norton Jr. and James Washington, who led the charge with 120 and 95 tackles, respectively. The result? A 52-17 Super Bowl victory against the Bills. Now, imagine Michael Strahan on the Cowboys’ defense in the very next season. Sounds thrilling, right? Except it was just imagination because Jimmy Johnson could not fulfill his promise to draft Strahan in the ’93 NFL draft.
Right after that went down, Strahan confronted Johnson. Last year, Strahan recalled the moment when he met Johnson after not being drafted by the Cowboys. “I say to Jimmy, ‘You lied. You promised me’,” Strahan recalled while having a chat with Tom Brady. “He said, ‘Well, you know I thought you were going to drop and I can get you a lot lower, plus I didn’t know you were going to be any good.” Classic Jimmy.
But did that affect Strahan’s career? Absolutely not. In fact, the Giants legend went on to have a standout 15-year professional career with the New York team, where he had 141.5 sacks, a Super Bowl ring, and a Pro Football Hall of Fame induction seven years after his retirement in 2014. At the end of the day, it’s safe to say that even though Jimmy Johnson regretted not being able to draft Strahan, the 53-year-old NFL legend wrapped up his NFL career on a high note. Plain and simple.
The post “Michael Strahan, You’re a Dallas Cowboy”: When Jimmy Johnson Confessed Big NFL Draft Regret appeared first on EssentiallySports.
