A prolific corner forward in the legendary Kerry County football team of the late 1970s and 1980s, he made his county senior debut against Tipperary in the 1975All Ireland Championship, and instantly marked his arrival onto the senior stage with two goals in the first round opener. The 1975 success marked the beginning of a golden era for the county. Successful Munster titles in 1976 and 1977 were followed by consecutive defeats to Dublin at the All-Ireland final and semi-final stages. However, in 1978, Egan scored in every round of the Championship, and Kerry went on to win again against Dublin in the final. The winning scoreline in that match of 5-11 to 0-9 failed to reflect Dublin's early dominance, which resulted in a rapid 5 point lead. An initially shellshocked Kerry were inspired by a crucial Egan goal against the run of play, and they progressed to win a famous victory. Egan was a key part of the Kerry team that won a record equalling 4 All-Ireland titles in a row from 1978-1981. Egan's outstanding individual footballing talents were recognised with the awarding of five GAA All Stars Awards in 1975, 1977, 1978, 1980 and 1982. His son, also John, plays association football and has been capped by the Republic of Ireland senior national side.
Health
In a Sunday Independent column published on 7 March 2010, Páidí Ó Sé wrote: "All our best wishes go to my old colleague John Egan who, I'm told, is not well right now. John is 58 and, of course, captained the Kerry team that lost to Offaly in the 1982 five-in-a-row final. He has six All-Ireland medals, and my Dublin rivals in the 1970s always regard him as the finest of our Kerry team. Robbie Kelleher, who has adopted Ventry as his home from home, will join with me in wishing the very best to John, and a speedy recovery."
Death
On 8 April 2012, Egan died at the age of 59 at his home in Cork following recent heart surgery. He is survived by his wife Mary, son John, and daughter Máirín. Gaelic Athletic Association president Christy Cooney paid tribute saying in a statement "John was an iconic footballer on arguably the most iconic team of all time and his undoubted skills and dedication were handsomely rewarded in an era that will be remembered fondly by Kerry supporters for evermore". Kerry legend Pat Spillane described him as "one of greatest corner-forwards ever in Gaelic football, one who never craved the spotlight, He was a gentle giant and a warrior". Former manager Mick O'Dwyer paid tribute by saying "There has never, at least in my understanding of Gaelic football, been a better inside forward than John Egan. I can't say he was the best, but I can say there was no-one better".
