Daryl Johnston fondly remembers the enthusiasm displayed by fans who attended the Dallas Cowboys’ scrimmages with the Houston Oilers in the 1990s when the Oilers trained at Trinity University.

“We saw the turnout there,” the former Cowboys fullback and three-time Super Bowl champion said. “You know the support is here.”

As the rookie general manager of the Alliance of American Football’s San Antonio franchise, Johnston is counting on that same passion surfacing in the Alamo City for the spring league set to kick off in February.

“There is a love of the game of football in the state of Texas that is unrivaled in our country,” Johnston said. “Friday Night Lights is a big deal. It’s not just a TV show. It’s a way of life here.”

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The Alliance’s San Antonio franchise, which has yet to choose a name, has already been allocated a handful of players, including former University of the Incarnate Word standout punter Joe Zema and former Houston Texans defensive lineman Matthew Godin. Johnston’s efforts to assemble a team from scratch will continue Saturday in Houston when the Alliance hosts the second of its three scouting combines.

The final Alliance combine is set for Aug. 25-26 in Atlanta. The league’s eight teams will hold additional group and individual tryouts this fall.

Johnston said he hopes some of the players he will oversee in San Antonio will use it as a springboard to the NFL.

“There are 70,000 kids out there and there are only 1,700 spots on NFL rosters, so you’ve got a lot of talented kids who for one reason or another things didn’t work out for them,” Johnston said. “We will really try to give them another opportunity because it’s everybody’s dream to go to the NFL and play at the highest level.”

As he scouts prospective players, Johnston will lean on advice he’s received from several NFL personnel men past and present, including Cleveland Browns GM John Dorsey, Pro Football Hall of Famers Ron Wolf and Bill Parcells and Dallas Cowboys vice president of player personnel Will McClay.

“It was flattering to me to have my old football family be there again to help me out with this opportunity,” said Johnston, a two-time Pro Bowler during his 11-season career with the Cowboys.

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Johnston, 52, will continue to work as an NFL analyst for Fox while he puts together the San Antonio squad.

“Television has been a great opportunity for me and the people at Fox have been absolutely fantastic,” he said. “(Fox Sports president and executive producer) Eric Shanks and (Fox Sports president of production) John Entz have been great in allowing me to juggle both things.”

Despite his TV success, Johnston yearned for something more.

“A lot of us when we leave the game kind of have that idea in the back of our head of, ‘If I was in charge, what would I do? Could I ever put together a championship team?’” he said.

With the Alliance linked to a long list of former NFL executives and players, including co-founder and former Pro Football Hall of Famer Bill Polian, Johnston jumped at the chance to become involved with the new league, especially after he learned it would include San Antonio.

“This was really the only city I was interested in being a part of, and I know (San Antonio) coach (Mike) Riley felt the same way,” he said. “I hope the fans are excited as we are to be a part of it.”