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Michael Irvin Football

February 5, 2012 by · Comments Off on Michael Irvin Football 

Michael Irvin Football, Michael Jerome Irvin (born March 5, 1966) is a former American football player for the Dallas Cowboys, and actor. He is also a former broadcaster for ESPN’s NFL Countdown and currently an analyst for NFL Network.

Irvin was self-nicknamed “The Playmaker” due to his penchant for making big plays in big games during his college career. He played college football at the University of Miami. In 2007, he was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Irvin is also known as one of “The Triplets” along with Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith. The Triplets highlighted the Dallas Cowboys’ offense in the 1990s that won three Super Bowls.

Irvin was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys with the 11th selection in the first round of the 1988 NFL Draft. He was the last first-round draft pick made by the Cowboys under the leadership of long-time general manager Tex Schramm, player personnel director Gil Brandt, and coach Tom Landry (Schramm predicted that Irvin would accelerate the Cowboys’ “return to the living”).

Irvin became the first rookie receiver in Cowboys’ history to start a game in 20 years, in which he caught his first touchdown the same game. Also as a rookie, Irvin caught 3 touchdown passes in the Cowboys’ win over Washington, one of only three wins that season and the final win of Tom Landry’s career. He finished his rookie season with a 20.4 yards per catch average, which led the NFC.

On August 4, 2007, Irvin was inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame, delivering a tearful acceptance speech in which he referenced both his life as a football player and the many mistakes he has made in his life. His speech has been praised by many NFL commentators as heartfelt, including those who had been inclined to dislike him.

On October 14, 2007, Michael Irvin accepted his Hall of Fame ring at Texas Stadium during halftime of the Dallas Cowboys/New England Patriots game. In his speech, he proposed to Commissioner Roger Goodell that from the 2008 class, all drafted rookies (not regarding subsequent undrafted rookie free agents) will have a tour of Pro Football Hall of Fame to better understand their football history.

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