Irvin Can Walk Away From Game He Loves

IRVING, Texas — Michael Irvin’s desire burns fiercely, even as quits playing football.

“I like to think of myself as a warrior,” the Dallas Cowboy receiver 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 because of a herniated disk. Tests revealed a fragile spine that he’d been fortunate not to damage earlier in his career.

A somber Irvin, 34, acknowledged 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.

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.

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 for 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.

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On His Way to Canton?

Love him or hate him, Michael Irvin may well be immortalized with a bust in Canton, Ohio. How he compares to wide receivers in the Hall of Fame:

RECEPTIONS

Michael Irvin: 750

Charlie Joiner: 750

Charley Taylor*: 649

Don Maynard: 633

Raymond Berry: 631

Fred Biletnikoff: 589

YARDS

Charlie Joiner: 12,146

Michael Irvin: 11,904

Don Maynard: 10,834

Lance Alworth: 10,266

Raymond Berry: 9,275

TOUCHDOWNS

Don Hutson: 99

Don Maynard: 88

Lance Alworth: 85

Paul Warfield: 85

Tommy McDonald: 84

Charley Taylor*: 79

Fred Biletnikoff: 76

Michael Irvin: 75

Raymond Berry: 68

Charlie Joiner: 65

Bobby Mitchell*: 65

* Taylor and Mitchell were primarily halfbacks early in their careers.

RECEIVERS IN 1990s

Michael Irvin was among the most dominant receivers in the ‘90s:

RECEPTIONS

Jerry Rice: 860

Cris Carter: 835

Tim Brown: 726

Michael Irvin: 692

Andre Rison: 650

Rob Moore: 628

Herman Moore: 626

Irving Fryar: 624

Andre Reed: 624

Larry Centers: 604

TOUCHDOWNS

Jerry Rice: 103

Cris Carter: 95

Andre Rison: 74

Tim Brown: 70

Carl Pickens: 63

Herman Moore: 59

Michael Irvin: 58

Andre Reed: 55

Terance Mathis: 54

Tony Martin: 53

YARDS

Jerry Rice: 12,078

Michael Irvin: 10,872

Cris Carter: 10,238

Tim Brown: 10,211

Rob Moore: 9,368

Irving Fryar: 9,172

Andre Rison: 8,779

Andre Reed: 8,687

Herman Moore: 8,664

Tony Martin: 8,124

--Research by ROY JURGENS