Michael Irvin was a player defined as much by his willpower and tenacity on the field as by his physical abilities.
‘Playmaker’ was the 15th of 17 children and had to do every job he could get his hands on as a child. And that approach and growth helped him become one of the best wide receivers in NFL history.
From Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, started at the University of Miami under future Dallas Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson.
He was a first-team All-American, setting Miami career records for receptions, receiving yards and receiving TDs. It culminated in the Hurricanes winning the 1987 National Championship.
From there, he was drafted 11th overall in the 1988 NFL Draft. Ironically, this was the last first-round selection taken by iconic Cowboys coach Tom Landry. It’s ironic, because Jimmie Johnson would replace Landry as manager just a year later.
At 6-foot-2, 207 pounds, Irvin was a big, physical receiver who could handle cornerbacks. Due in part to Irvin’s ability to easily push past defenders, the NFL eventually changed its rules to accommodate wide receivers emulating Irvin’s physical style.
Here’s what Michael had to say about his approach to DB acquisitions:
“It’s something you always have to think about. I tell young guys, how often are you going to play with this guy? Let’s say the opponent is in the NFC East and he’s a guy who’s trying to make physical plays. I could probably hang around that guy, but I’m going to run because I’m only going to see that guy twice a year. through him.
“So I say if you want to beat him, attack his weaknesses, if you want to break him, attack his strengths. If someone attacks your strengths and beats you, you have nowhere to go.
“If I attack his weakness, he can say, “Oh, that guy beat my weakness. “Now I’m going to go get a physical exam.”
“But when I come out and attack that force – BAM, BAM, BAM (three punches) – and I have a physical response to you, the guy says, “Oh my God, I don’t want to see this guy coach.”
And it’s not just once that we’re putting you off. But if we play in the same division, you’ll think about that twice a year.”
Read the full interview with Michael Irvin here.
Who was the best cornerback you played against?
Everson Walls was the best cornerback in the world. I remember the first time I faced Everson Walls in the early days of the league. He came over and acted like he was going to disturb me, then walked back and then came back and interrupted me. And I fell to the ground.
Then someone said to me, “Why are you trying to avoid being around that person? Just pass by.” And that started the mindset I mentioned.
I’m no Tyreek Hill, and I’m no Julio Jones. I don’t have that speed. There’s no time to waste. I have to go through you to get to that soccer game.
As you mentioned about Everson Walls, how does imposing your will and outsmarting your opponents affect your approach to everyday life?
Well, it’s still the same. This is why it is difficult to retire from soccer. You have to understand that you are no longer a football player. I had a bad knee so I went to see a doctor. Then the doctor said, “You need to stop running. You can’t run anymore because your knees are gone.”
My wife and I left the hospital, went home and started getting dressed. Then my wife said, “Where are you going?” And I said, “I’m going to run.” She said, “Didn’t you hear the doctor?” I said, “Honey, that’s it suggestion. He gives it to the common people, and I am not the common people.”
I feel like I could always work, but I could just keep going. Just like my eyesight got worse when I turned 40. And I think, ‘I can fix this.’ But that can’t be the case. It’s not about football.
I went to the doctor and he said, “Oh, that’s right, this is presbyopia.” That’s what happens when you turn 40. When you look down at the paper, you see dots instead of letters. So I started wearing #1 progressive lenses and it changed my life. I needed to know that. I tried to fix it myself, but it was impossible. So if you want to do that, you should see a doctor. And ask about Varilux, the world’s number one progressive lens. essilorusa.com.
Is it weird watching a Cowboys game now and seeing another wide receiver wearing #88?
Actually it’s not strange – I like it. Drew Pearson broke this down for me, so I’ll break it down for you. I said, “Drew, I don’t want to do this.” He said, “No, wear it, but don’t just wear it, make my ceiling the floor.”
And he said, “When Michael retires, it goes to the rafters. And the only time we see the numbers is when I leave Earth and go into eternity. Then they have a fan during the game and talk about me and then they go right back to the game. But if you wear it, I get flowers every time you make a play.”
So now whenever Cede Lamp or Dez Bryant makes a play, they talk about me. If one of them drops the ball, they say, “Michael Irvin wouldn’t have dropped the ball.” So I get flowers.
Every Sunday I get flowers. You don’t have to wait until you go into eternity.
Faster in your “prime” – you or Deion Sanders?
Hey Dion. One of the best athletes in the world.
Who would win a fight between Erik Williams and Mark Tuinei?
Ah, that’s a good one! Ah, that’s a good question! Tuinei is a badass Samoan from Hawaii. Do you know what I mean? But Big E is a nasty mug. Gee, I don’t know who will win. All I know is that I won’t fight either of them!
Who were the toughest guys on the ’90s Cowboy team?
We had a lot of tough guys. And let me mention someone you might not think of. This is Charles Haley. He may not be the biggest dude in the world, but he’s a monster. Erik Williams had knee surgery. And Charles Haley said to him: “I’ll let you know when you’re ready to play.”
A year later, Big E returned to the practice range. And Charles Haley said, “He’s not ready yet.” They called the entire team and lined up Erik Williams and Charles Haley.
And Troy Aikman bounced the ball, saying “Blue 18, Blue 18, HUT.” And these two people called. I have never seen anything like it in my life. It was so loud you could hear it everywhere.
They crashed and both stood up and looked at each other. “He’s ready,” Erik Williams said, and the whole team was “crazy.”
Charles Haley was the toughest dude on the Cowboy team.
Were you at the practice field the day Jimmy Johnson famously told the kicker, “That’s where the asthma field is.”
I was at the practice range. And you didn’t laugh. You were always serious Jimmy. What tripped me up was what I learned. years later Jimmy has asthma! yes! “Coach, you have asthma. How do you get that guy out?”
“I wasn’t playing. He has to play. And he wasn’t ready to play.”
Tell the great story of Jimmie Johnson under the radar.
I came in one day, me and another player left on a Thursday night. We went out and ate and then left. We came the next day and were late for the meeting. We went in at the same time.
And he said to me, “Michael, you are my leader. I am so disappointed in you. Work your way through that meeting, sit in that chair, and you will be the leader.”
Then he pointed to another person and said: “And you grab your pads, pack your stuff, and get the hell out!” He fired him on the spot.
That’s the kind of thing you always knew about Jimmy. Whenever you were with Jimmy, you were always ready to play with your P and Q.
What are the biggest similarities between Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer?
Both are great men. They just did things differently.
Jimmy believed that I had to push and keep pushing you to get the best out of you. Barry, a great guy, approached it from the perspective that I was paying these guys $5 million and $6 million a year. I don’t need to hover over them.
But that’s the reality. Because not everyone is as hungry as your best players. You have to hover over these people.
Emmitt Troy and I went to Coach Johnson one time and said, “Coach, we don’t need all these pre-practice speeches.” He literally gave a speech before every practice. And he said, “I know you don’t need it. I’m not speaking for all of you. I’m speaking for the 53rd person on the list and I’m not going to stop doing this.”
What is your favorite play of your career? When Michael Irvin puts his head on his pillow at night and thinks about his life, what is your favorite play or one thing that comes back to you?
When I was a kid, I would throw rocks around the neighborhood or come to my mom’s house and say, “Your son broke my window. He’s never going to amount to anything.”
So when I got into the NFL and scored my first TD on ‘A Route’ in Super Bowl 27, the first thing I thought about was all those guys. And how I scored a TD in the Super Bowl in front of them all.
And he got his second TD 18 seconds later. The moment I put my leg up, turned around, and jumped into the end zone was the best moment of my life.
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