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Cowboys' Irvin to retire Tuesday
Posted: Tuesday July 11, 2000 12:38 AM
IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Great hands made Michael Irvin one of the best receivers in NFL history. A loud mouth made him one of the game's great showboats. For 12 years with the Dallas Cowboys, Irvin got attention one way or another. He'll soak up some more of it when he announces his retirement at Texas Stadium at 2 p.m. Tuesday. The spine injury that ended his 1999 season is forcing Irvin to walk away while he still can. Last month, longtime teammate Daryl Johnston quit because of a neck injury. Irvin loved taunting opponents with an exaggerated first-down motion after a big catch. He made enough big catches that he was nicknamed "The Playmaker," a moniker he proudly had printed on his license plate.
Along with Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith, Irvin led the Cowboys to three Super Bowl championships in four years. Irvin, who beat defenders to the ball using smarts and size, finishes with 750 catches for 11,904 yards. His receptions total is tied for 10th in league history, while his yardage total is ninth. He holds nearly every major career or single-season Cowboys receiving record. For all his on-field accomplishments, Irvin also will be remembered for some serious off-field problems. In 1996, Irvin was arrested in a motel-room drug bust in the wee hours of his 30th birthday. When his case went to trial, he arrived at court one day in a mink coat and sunglasses, then autographed a security guard's Bible. The trial was briefly delayed when a Dallas police officer was arrested for allegedly hiring a hit man to kill Irvin. The receiver ended up pleading no contest to a felony drug charge. He received 800 hours of community service and four years of probation, which was lifted Thursday, 10 days early. Irvin also was suspended by the NFL for five games. His image and the team's were seriously tarnished and he lost most of his endorsement deals. At training camp in 1998, he was involved in "Scissorsgate," when he cut the neck of a teammate during a scuffle over a haircut. Irvin followed that with a poor season, catching a career-low one touchdown pass as then-coach Chan Gailey reduced his role in the offense. The receiver's future in Dallas was in doubt going into 1999, but Irvin turned a hot topic into a non-issue by working hard and saying all the right things. Then, on Oct. 10 against the Eagles in Philadelphia, he suffered the most serious injury of his career. On a tackle after a reception, Irvin awkwardly slammed his head into the hard turf of Veterans Stadium and was temporarily paralyzed. Tests revealed that he sustained a herniated disc, and also detected that Irvin was born with a narrow spinal cord. That genetic condition puts him at a much higher risk of serious injury if he takes another blow to the head or neck. The Cowboys have been preparing to play without Irvin, acquiring receiver Joey Galloway from Seattle in February. The team said Monday that Irvin, 34, will announce his retirement. He also is expected to announce plans to go into broadcasting. He took advantage of his 6-foot-2, 207-pound frame to screen cornerbacks, especially on the quick slant that became the trademark play for Irvin and Aikman. On deeper passes, Irvin often stretched the rules of contact by swatting away defenders' arms. Irvin won a national championship in college at Miami, and was Tom Landry's final first-round draft pick. Dallas took him with the 11th overall pick in 1988 and a year later he was reunited with his college coach, Jimmy Johnson.
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