Quotes from Jimmy Johnson

I could start a fire from scratch.

The other thing was that when I was at the University of Miami, we ran a pro-style offense and defense. I started each year by going to a pro training camp, I visited with various pro coaches, and I did this for five years.

I'm not a bad man.

Like I always say, it's not how many great plays you make; it's how few bad ones you make. I know fans, and even some losing coaches, are enamored with long pass completions or the great run plays, but that doesn't offset the interception or the fumble.

Football rewards the guys that are in great condition.

Of all the programs, I watch sporting events live and I watch 'Survivor' live. Everything else I TiVo.

With 'Survivor' - I didn't get any sleep, there was no food, we had to boil our water... plus, it was physically taxing during the day. That's what made it more difficult than three-a-day practices.

In some ways 'Survivor' might have saved my life.

I don't miss a minute of 'Survivor.'

I've seen every second of 'Survivor' since it started.

How 'bout them Cowboys!?

Football is such a team sport, so no one individual does it. No one coach or no one assistant coach or no one player, it's a great team sport, so I don't get carried away with a bunch of accolades.

Elliott's bigger, stronger, maybe even a step faster than Emmitt Smith, but they're both very similar. I think, you know, Ezekiel Elliott is a more powerful runner. He runs over people. Both of 'em can make people miss, so you don't really get a big shot on 'em. But Elliott will take on tacklers, whereas, you know, Emmitt never did this.

You've got to make sure that every body's putting in the work and you've got to have the discipline to go out there and get the job done.

There is a way to practice hard and be physical without pads. You can still be a physical football team and be efficient in practice without pads. The 49ers practiced like that for a long period of time in the 1980s under Bill Walsh and were extremely successful when all the other teams were practicing in pads.

You can't really compare teams just because of two or three players.

Do you want to be safe and good, or do you want to take a chance and be great?

Treat a person as he is, and he will remain as he is. Treat him as he could be, and he will become what he should be.

In fact, one of the conversations I had with Jason Garrett, you know, sometimes X's and O's get so complicated, and a coach gets so into that that he forgets the most important thing is players win ballgames. Make sure that the players are properly equipped and motivated to do their jobs.

And the main thing was that I wanted to live in south Florida. That's why I left the Cowboys; to live in south Florida.

Treat a person as he is, and he will remain as he is. Treat a person as if he were where he could be and should be, and he will become what he could be and should be.

I'm really impressed with Kolb there in Philadelphia. He's a very talented quarterback.

A lot of coaches could ration out their time. They could delegate. They would make time for their family. But when I was coaching I would almost laugh at those guys. I knew we were working the extra hours to get an edge on them.

But I was always a bit of a gypsy, anyway. I spent five years at Oklahoma State, five years at Miami and moved on after winning the national championship, and five years with the Cowboys. So, I was ready to move on. We won back-to-back Super Bowls, and I felt that I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish.