Repeated broken noses, 47 stitches and enough bruises to last a lifetime.

Douglas County High School football coach Jimmy Johnson's battle scars proved he asked no more of his players than he did of himself.

Family photo (ENLARGE)

Jimmy Johnson coached the Douglas County High School football team for nearly two decades.

The old-school tough guy played nose guard for the University of Alabama, and though he barely overlapped with the Crimson Tide's most famous coach, he adopted the same style on the football field.

"He was a Bear Bryant-style coach," said his son Mark Johnson of Douglasville. "He was very stern with his players and instilled in them team effort and the idea that they were always champions in each other's eyes and if they worked together, they could accomplish great things — not just on the field, but in life."

Mr. Johnson won 124 games and four region titles in 20 years at Douglas County High.

Starting in the 1970s, his Tigers football program churned out more than 20 college players.

"He'd been a walk-on himself, so he knew how important it was to have all the head coaches see his players," his son said. "He went the extra mile to get his kids noticed and really shined a light on them, calling coaches and sending film and all that kind of stuff."

The funeral for James Lee Johnson is 2 p.m. Wednesday at Whitley Garner at Rosehaven Funeral Home. Mr. Johnson, 71, died Monday in his sleep of an apparent heart attack at his Douglasville residence.

Football was an all-consuming way of life for Mr. Johnson, "but that was the life he wanted," his son said. "At our household, it was pretty much all about football, and we loved it as well."

Both of his sons played under him at Douglas County High. Far from cutting them slack, he loaded them up with extra duty.

His friend Ray Broadaway of Marietta said: "Jimmy could speak to you in that coaching voice to where you didn't ask what or why. You just did it. I don't believe I'd have been tough enough to play for him."

Friends for more than 30 years, the men were former rivals when Mr. Broadaway coached for Marietta High School.

"He was always a gentleman," said Mr. Broadaway, now executive director of the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association. "One thing for sure, when you played Jimmy Johnson, your team better be ready to play."

In 1987, Mr. Johnson had a chance to dramatically show what he was made of. He was talking on the sidelines and turned around just in time for a charging player's helmet to hit him full in the face. Forty-seven stitches and a few days later, he was back on the field.

In his retirement years, he led clinics several times a year for the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association. Whenever he spoke at its events, his hilarious football stories cracked up the crowd.

"We referred to him as the Jerry Clower of the GACA," Mr. Broadaway said. "He was such a funny guy, and everybody loved him. If football season weren't starting right now, there's no telling how many coaches from around the state would be there for Jimmy's service."

"He ended up with a lot of friends and a lot of people that loved him," his son said. "He's got hundreds and hundreds of people whose lives he touched through helping them. I couldn't be prouder to have a father who did that for so many people and did not expect any of it back."

Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Josephine Johnson, of Douglasville; another son, Gary Johnson, of Douglasville; a brother, J.P. Johnson, of Cottondale, Ala.; and three grandchildren.