San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame cornerback Jimmy Johnson passes away at the age of 86

San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame cornerback Jimmy Johnson has died at the age of 86.

Johnson's death was announced on Thursday through the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The six overall pick of the 49ers out of UCLA in 1961, Johnson played 16 seasons for San Francisco.

Johnson was named a first-team All-Pro four times and was also a four-time second-team All-Pro in a distinguished career that saw him named to the Pro Bowl on five occasions.

A member of the 1970s All-Decade Team, Johnson recorded 47 interceptions in his career, including a career-high six in 1965. Only in 1962 did he fail to register a pick. He returned two interceptions for touchdowns and also had four receiving touchdowns, making 40 catches for 690 yards across the two seasons he played on offense in 1962 and 1963.

Johnson was a part of the 49ers team that won three successive NFC West titles between 1970 and 1972 but suffered playoff heartbreak at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys in each of those campaigns, losing twice in the NFC Championship Game and once in the Divisional round of the postseason.

Regarded as one of the best man-to-man defenders in NFL history, Johnson retired after the 1976 season. He was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994. He is one of only six Hall of Famers to have played their entire career with the Niners.

“Jimmy Johnson was extraordinarily athletically talented. The 49ers enjoyed the luxury of using him on offense and defense early in his career to fill team needs,” Pro Football Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said. 

"Once he settled in at left cornerback, he flourished. The notion that a ‘lockdown’ cornerback could cut the field in half for the opposition was true with Jimmy.

“Only rarely would other teams’ quarterbacks even look his direction, and more often than not regretted the decision if they challenged him.”