Michael Irvin always played in the fast lane

By Darrell Laurant  |   Tuesday, July 31, 2007  |  Comments( 10 )

Dallas Cowboys
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Last in a series on this year's Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees.

There was no neutrality where Michael Irvin was concerned. If you were a Dallas Cowboy fan, you loved the guy. If you rooted for anyone else, you hated him.

Never mind Irvin's flashy demeanor, his University of Miami swagger, his off-the-field problems with cocaine and hookers. What really aggravated other teams was his style of play.

Listed as anywhere from 6-foot-2 to 6-3½ and a solid 210 pounds, Irvin was an early prototype of the rugged wide receiver. If a ball was thrown in his vicinity, no matter how many defenders were surrounding him, chances are he'd catch it. He had the knack of clearing out the area around him, by whatever means, and then snatching the pass (usually from Troy Aikman) like a kid playing keep-away from his little brothers.

Almost singlehandedly, Irvin forced some NFL rules changes as to what receivers could and couldn't do.

The voting bylaws of the Pro Football Hall of Fame prevent the consideration of non-football issues, and that's a good thing for Irvin. Some of his antics brought back memories of the "North Dallas 40" days of Cowboy excess, and Irvin's fast-lane lifestyle was no secret.

Now a professed born-again Christian at the age of 41, the Fort Lauderdale native -- one of 17 children -- has apparently mellowed, although he was suspended for ESPN's broadcast team for a joking comment about Dallas QB Tony Romo that was perceived as racist.

But the rule in Canton is to forget the shenanigans and focus on the numbers, and those fairly scream for Irvin to be admitted.

It isn't just that he caught 750 passes for 11,904 yards during his 12 years as a Cowboy, or that he scored 65 touchdowns and averaged 15.9 yards per game.

What makes Irvin Hall-worthy above all else was his performance in the postseason -- 87 playoff receptions for 1,315 yards and 12 touchdowns, many of them key. He has three Super Bowl rings.

Irvin was one of those rare receivers (Terrell Owens at his best is another) who could make a clutch catch when everyone in the stadium knew the ball was coming his way.

His presenter on Aug. 4 will be Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones, no doubt savoring the connection to the good ol' days.
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