| | Associated Press
IRVING, Texas -- Michael Irvin's desire burns as fiercely as
when he stood on the sideline with tears streaming down his cheeks
because he believed his team had quit.
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Monday, July 10
Michael Irvin has accomplished nearly everything a wide receiver can accomplish in the NFL. He played a long, successful career. He led the Cowboys in receiving eight straight years, played in five Pro Bowls and won three Super Bowls. There's not much left, given the dangers associated with the neck problem he has. He's making the right decision to retire. Plus, the Cowboys, while still competitive, aren't in a position to win another Super Bowl.
Irvin made the most of his abilities as a player. While he wasn't a speed burner, Irvin was highly competitive and a big target. The coaches used routes that really accentuated his abilities. In addition to his physical skills, Irvin was blessed with good timing. Being surrounded by coach Jimmy Johnson and players like Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith also contributed to his success.
Looking at his productivity over a long period of time for a dominant team in the '90s, Irvin must seriously be considered as a Hall of Fame candidate. Some people will look at his numbers and at some of his off-the-field problems and use those against him. But people realize now that it's virtually impossible to win a championship without a prime-time player at quarterback, running back and receiver, like Dallas had with Aikman, Smith and Irvin. Certainly, that will help Irvin's cause getting into Canton.
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Nearly three years after that Sunday in 1997, Irvin was nearly
in tears again as he described his passion for football, the
Cowboys and the city of Dallas.
This time, he was the one quitting, walking away from the game
with his body and pride intact.
"I like to think of myself as a warrior," Irvin said Tuesday
at a news conference to announce his retirement. "I wanted to be
dragged off the field -- and I was."
Irvin's final catch came late in the first quarter of an Oct. 10
game in Philadelphia. When Irvin was tackled, the back of his head
bounced on the hard turf of Veterans Stadium and he was carted off
the field and into an ambulance.
He was temporarily paralyzed with a herniated disc. Tests
revealed a fragile spine that he'd been fortunate not to damage
earlier in his career.
A somber Irvin admitted days later he was considering
retirement. He struggled with the decision for months until his
wife and mother made him realize that being able to play with his
kids was more important than trying to win another Super Bowl.
"If I said there wasn't serious thought, I'd be lying to you. I
tried to rationalize it: `Any hit can be your last hit. You've been
doing that all you're life.'
"But I've accomplished a great deal of things that I wanted to
accomplish and at this juncture there's no need to risk it and go
on," said Irvin, who will now work for Fox Sports Net's Sunday
pregame show.
The 34-year-old Irvin caught 750 passes for 11,904 yards. At the
time of his final play, both figures were ninth in NFL history. Of
the guys ahead of him, only Jerry Rice has as many Super Bowl
rings.
"We've both got three. I'll take that," Irvin said, roaring at
his own joke.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who has long been Irvin's biggest
supporter, said Irvin's career statistics "are particularly
impressive considering he did it on a team whose running back
(Emmitt Smith) may become the all-time record holder."
But Irvin's career was marked by off-field problems, too.
In 1996, he pleaded no contest to felony drug charges stemming
from a raucous 30th birthday party at a motel with a teammate and
two models. The NFL suspended him from five games.
At training camp in 1998, he was involved in "Scissorsgate,"
when he cut the neck of a teammate during a scuffle over a haircut.
Whether the off-field stuff will affect his Hall of Fame
candidacy won't be known for five years. Irvin, though, is more
interested in getting in the team's Ring of Honor and reminded
Jones of it more than once Tuesday.
Irvin's reckless lifestyle also gave critics and rival fans more
ammunition against him. As much as he was loved in Dallas, fans
elsewhere saw him as epitomizing everything they hated about
"America's Team."
|  | | It's a scene we won't see anymore: Michael Irvin pulling in a touchdown pass. |
Irvin, though, thrived on it. He enjoyed making a target of
himself then going out and proving he could handle it. His secret
was a steely work ethic that came from growing up as the 15th of 17
children.
"He wasn't blessed with the best physical abilities, but he
made up for it with desire and work ethic," Aikman said. "He
practiced every day as if he were going up against the 49ers."
Longtime teammate Daryl Johnston said Irvin "came to the locker
room ready to win football games on Wednesday morning."
Irvin also infused his teammates with his incredible desire to
win. He said his saddest memory was Dec. 21, 1997, against the
Giants in Barry Switzer's last game with the Cowboys when he sensed
that it was gone.
"I looked around and felt like we'd quit," he said. "For some
reason we just didn't have it."
Now Irvin will throw himself into a new career: broadcasting.
He'll work with Chris Myers on "NFL This Morning."
"I'm looking forward to watching him," Aikman said, chuckling.
"Michael always has taken a shine to cameras."
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ALSO SEE
 Kreidler: Irvin an extreme athlete in every sense
Review: No catch to Irvin's Hall status
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Michael Irvin announces his retirement from the NFL.
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 Michael Irvin thinks of himself as a warrior.
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Jerry Jones says the Cowboys cannot replace Michael Irvin.
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Michael Irvin decided to retire because of his family.
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Former Cowboy teammate Nate Newton is saddened by Michael Irvin's retirement.
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Michael Irvin says he would play if it was his decision alone.
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