BETHLEHEM - The Eagles had more than 6 months to get ready for the awful news that arrived as evening fell on training camp at Lehigh yesterday. So you wouldn't say Andy Reid or Joe Banner looked shocked, or even that they seemed on the verge of being overcome with grief, when the head coach and the team president met with reporters in a tent adjacent to the Lehigh practice fields, the sun sinking toward the mountains behind them.

Then, too, that would not have been how Jim Johnson would have wanted them to react to the news that Johnson had passed away, at age 68, of metastatic melanoma, at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

One of the things that endeared Johnson to so many people - Reid marveled at the calls, text messages and e-mails pouring in as news of Johnson's death spread - was that he tended to face the worst disappointments with humor and quiet dignity.

When Johnson haltingly climbed onto the NovaCare stage for what was to be his final press conference, May 2 during the minicamp, he was the same cagey codger he'd always been. Johnson was almost apologetic as he thanked everyone for their concern while he was dealing with "my injury."

Clearly, he didn't want to make a fuss. He talked a little about how he appreciated being able to get out on the field and coach, albeit in a red motorized scooter. He said he looked forward to his back mending so he could walk a little better, though Johnson certainly knew the tumor on his spine, and the cancer it was spreading thoughout his body, was not going to allow that to happen. Johnson was so matter-of-fact about his struggle, in a few minutes the questions turned to how this rookie or that rookie was looking. It was business as usual, as long as possible.

"He really represented everything this city is all about, with his toughness and grit," Reid said. "That's the way he fought this cancer . . . At this time, I think it's important that we do think of the good times that Jim brought us, as we go through the grieving process here, remember all the positives that he brought to the Philadelphia Eagles and to the city of Philadelphia."

Those positives were pretty fundamental for a head coach who ran the offense and employed three offensive coordinators over his first decade but had just one defensive coordinator during that time. Since 2000, Johnson's defenses have ranked second in the NFL in sacks and in forced fumbles, second in third-down and red-zone touchdown efficiency, and fourth in fewest points allowed.

"The whole Andy Reid regime here that's taken place, wouldn't have been possible without Jim," Reid said, on a night when the lighted sign outside Lincoln Financial Field beamed down to I-95 motorists the words: "Jim Johnson, 1941-2009."

"It's been an amazing run with Jim. He's been a great friend and partner, and [it's] a tremendous testimony to the life he led, the outpouring of feelings from people," Banner said. "I think his legacy is the words from the people who knew him best, [along] with his family - the Steve Spagnuolos and John Harbaughs and Brian Dawkins and Troy Vincents, the guys that lived with him every day."

Banner said he, too, was deluged with messages, "just nothing but the warmest feelings of love and great memories. We'll all just have to cherish that and get through this."

Reid went through the old story about Johnson's defense with the Colts thoroughly embarrassing the high-flying Packers offense Reid was helping run for Mike Holmgren in 1997, a setback that caused Reid to seek out Johnson at an ensuing Pro Bowl and to call Johnson first when Reid was offered a head-coaching job by Banner and team chairman Jeffrey Lurie in 1999. Banner said he and Lurie, having gone through a similar experience in an Eagles-Colts game, quickly endorsed the choice.

Reid said it was easy to identify why players universally seemed to respond to Johnson, a demanding, sometimes curmudgeonly coach, quick to correct mental errors.

"He was sincere," Reid said. "He shot 'em straight. That's what players want. To survive as long as Jim did in the National Football League, at the level he did, to have the respect - listen, I've never heard a person say a negative thing about him. Never. On other teams, all the way back to college players . . . and he was so sharp, and he was progressive . . . I've never had an argument with Jim."

Eagles middle linebacker Stewart Bradley said Johnson "treated you the right way."

"He definitely could get into you, but that was Jim - he was an equal-opportunity yeller," Bradley said. "It wasn't like he played favorites; he got into everybody if they made a mistake. That honesty made guys respect him."

Among Johnson's talents was finding ways to emphasize the strengths and disguise or downplay the weaknesses of his players.

"He was an absolute blessing to me, with the way he used me on the football field and allowed me to show my God-given ability," said Brian Dawkins, a seven-time Pro Bowl safety for the Eagles who left for the Denver Broncos this offseason.

Dawkins made the Pro Bowl last year after Johnson minimized his deep-coverage responsibilities, bringing Dawkins closer to the line of scrimmage.

"His confidence in me meant so much," Dawkins said. "He looked to create new defenses each week to utilize my talents. I have been praying for him every day, and those prayers won't stop now. I'll be praying for his family and their comfort during this difficult time."

Another player Johnson did that with was former Eagles linebacker Carlos Emmons, now retired. Emmons, living in Atlanta, said last night he had been thinking a lot about calling Johnson lately, not realizing how far the cancer had progressed. Emmons thrived on Johnson's unconventional blitz schemes.

"The passion he put into what he was doing, you knew when he put something together, he believed in it," Emmons said. "You trusted that if you followed and did what he wanted, it was going to work. That was how much belief we had in him."

Johnson was a college coach at four schools from 1967 to 1983 before moving to the pros - 2 years in the USFL followed by 22 more in four NFL cities. He was mentioned for a few head-coaching jobs earlier this decade, but he was pushing 60 by then, and a heftier paycheck from the Eagles convinced Johnson not to pursue what really weren't top-drawer opportunities.

Johnson seemed to acknowledge in that last press conference that he regretted having the 32-25 loss at Arizona in last season's NFC Championship Game be remembered as his final game. Johnson's proud defenders gave up four touchdown passes to wily quarterback Kurt Warner, and sacked Warner only twice. In true Johnson fashion, though, the Eagles adjusted at halftime - 24 of the points, 15 of the 21 Cardinals' first downs, and three of the TD passes came in the first half.

"[My emotions were] all over the place. Disappointment, a lot of disappointment, losing that game and then I knew we were going to have to go in and see what was happening with me," Johnson said. "That was tough, it wasn't easy."

Reid said the team pretty much knew what Johnson was facing by the Arizona game, the second game he coached from the press box, unable to stand on the sideline.

"We were all pulling for him. By that time, we kind of knew, obviously, that he had cancer, and when it's in your spine, that's not a good thing," Reid said. "When a guy that tough is losing that much weight and is confined to that little three-wheel contraption that he was in, that just wasn't a pretty sight."

There were lots of better memories, though. Last season's regular-season finale would be one, when the Eagles completed their unlikely push to the playoffs by blowing away the hated Cowboys, 44-6. Johnson thoroughly befuddled Dallas quarterback Tony Romo, who fumbled the ball away twice, was picked off once, and compiled a 55.8 passer rating.

Reid said he began the process of life without Johnson at the Pro Bowl in February, which Johnson skipped while undergoing chemotherapy.

"Having the headset on and not hearing him growling in the headset, that was the first time I noticed it," said Reid, who allowed that it was strange introducing Sean McDermott as Johnson's successor Saturday at Nova-Care.

"He taught Sean well, and Sean will move on here," Reid said.

On Saturday, McDermott was asked what advice he would take from his years understudying Johnson.

"Blitz," McDermott said. "And blitz again."

Johnson is survived by his wife, Vicky, their children, Scott and Michelle, and four grandchildren. Funeral services are pending.

The Eagles are expected to wear a patch commemorating Johnson on their uniforms this season.

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