The Mouth That Roars

Upshaw replies, "The empty wagon always makes the most noise." According to Upshaw he was attempting to explain the agreement to the Cowboys when Irvin, from the back of the room, interrupted him to debate various points. Upshaw told Irvin that players before him had made sacrifices so that players of his generation would have it better, and Irvin should in turn make a sacrifice for players who would come after him. Irvin, according to Upshaw, then stalked to the front of the room and angrily took over the discussion. "He ended up loud and out of control," Upshaw says.

According to Upshaw, Irvin made a number of derisive statements, including, "I don't want to hear about what you old guys did." The gist of Irvin's speech was that he isn't an average player and doesn't intend to be paid like one. Irvin then made a vulgar gesture to Upshaw and walked out. Irvin, with a smile, denies a report that he mooned Upshaw, and Upshaw won't confirm or deny it. Upshaw says only, "What he did was immature, childish and juvenile." He adds, "What I saw was a bunch of his teammates looking at him and thinking, What a selfish son of a bitch."

On the field, though, the Cowboys view Irvin as an essential part of their team. Irvin declares confidently, "Some people might say I'm greedy or selfish, but not my teammates. They understand me."

"Everybody on this team wants the ball," says Harper. "We just show it in different ways. We don't look at Mike as selfish. When we need to get it done, what guys in the huddle are saying is, 'Let's give it to Mike.' "

What the Cowboys seem to understand about Irvin is the depth of his desire to win and the heights to which his energy can take them. Irvin says that Cowboy coach Jimmy Johnson, who was his college coach at Miami, understands him better than anybody. Irvin also says that Johnson is one of the few men he respects. Their relationship is built on a simple principle: All Johnson requires from Irvin is that he help the team win. Irvin says, "You give him what he wants, which is every ounce of strength you have, or it's c'est la vie, he'll see you later."

Catching the essence of Irvin, Johnson says simply, "He's fought for food his whole life." Their first encounter occurred on one of Johnson's first days at Miami, in the fall of 1984, after a fight erupted in the cafeteria between Irvin, then a brash, skinny freshman, and Mike Moore, a 245-pound senior offensive lineman. Johnson assumed that Irvin had gotten the worst of it, but it turned out that Irvin had decked Moore. It seems that Moore had tried to cut in front of Irvin on the food line. "It was a mismatch," Johnson says.

Johnson and his staff gave Irvin latitude because, for one thing, they knew his background. "He's looked in the eyes of hell," says Cowboy receivers coach Hubbard Alexander, who was an assistant at Miami under Johnson. The coaches felt that the same combativeness that got Irvin in trouble outside of football would, with a little maturity, work for the team. "My problem," Irvin says, "is when I take my football energy off the field. If somebody challenges me, I can get in altercations."

The coaches' patience paid off in Irvin's junior year when he helped lead the Hurricanes to the 1987 national championship. In the season's pivotal game, against Florida State, Irvin issued one of his most outrageous challenges to authority. The Hurricanes trailed 19-3 late in the third quarter when Irvin, furious, got on the headphones to the assistant coaches. "Get me the ball!" he screamed. "Get me the——ball!" In the fourth quarter, Irvin caught scoring passes of 26 and 73 yards.

Ever since, Irvin has demanded the ball whenever he has seen fit. He rants to Cowboy offensive coordinator Norv Turner, "Norv, I'm open, I'm open." It's up to Turner, of course, to decide when this is bull and when Irvin can actually make a play.

Irvin's dedication is one thing no one questions. He is the last man to leave the Cowboys' weight room each night, and he hectors young players about their work habits if he thinks they leave too early. "Where are you going, to watch cartoons?" he says. It is not unusual for him to ask quarterbacks to stay after practice and throw to him as he runs every route in the playbook.