"THEY memorialized Jim Johnson in a football stadium yesterday, which certainly was appropriate, given how much of Johnson's life was spent in such places.

The posh lounge in Lincoln Financial Field might not have been exactly to Jim's taste - a cramped coach's office or a locker room would have been more the natural environment of the 68-year-old Eagles defensive coordinator, who passed away from metastatic melanoma on July 28. But it would be hard to fit 300 people into a coach's office or even a locker room, and that many players, former players, coaches, former coaches, friends, family and various invited figures from the sports community showed up to honor the life of a man who probably contributed as much as head coach Andy Reid to the Eagles' success over the past decade.

"It was tough on everybody, but, at the same time, it was a great tribute to Jim," Reid said afterward. "To do this, at this time of the year, and have 300 peoplewhatever they're doing to come here tells you what people think of this man . . . Today is closure for the family. It was great to see all these different generations of Eagles all come back. It was like one big family in there."

Ravens coach John Harbaugh and Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo, former Johnson assistants, left their own training camps to attend. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was an unexpected attendee, a team official said. Former players such as Troy Vincent, Al Harris, Sean Considine, Bobby Taylor, Jeremiah Trotter and Dhani Jones also found their way to the Linc. Brian Dawkins, who apparently is undergoing or has just undergone hand surgery, was unable to attend.

They sang four verses of "Amazing Grace," said the Rev. Herb Lusk, Eagles chaplain and former running back.

That was Johnson's favorite hymn, said Lusk, who eulogized Johnson. The principal speakers were Lusk and former Colts general manager Bill Tobin, whose association with Johnson went back to when they were football teammates at Missouri, Eagles president Joe Banner said. Afterward, many attendees lingered to tell stories of the gruff former Missouri quarterback, loving husband, father and grandfather who led a tremendously successful Eagles defense from his hiring in 1999 until last month."