Irvin, Michael J.
Football
b. March 5, 1966, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
The 6-foot-2, 199-pound Irvin set University of Miami receiving records with 143 catches for 2,423 yards and 26 touchdowns.
He was chosen in the first round of the 1988 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys. As a rookie, he caught 32 passes for 654 yards, a 20.4 average, and 5 touchdowns.
Irvin suffered a knee injury in the sixth game of 1989 and missed the rest of that season and the first month of the 1990 season, when he was a backup. However, he became a starter in 1991 and led the NFL in reception yardage with 1,523 yards on 93 catches, a 16.4 average, scoring 8 touchdowns. He caught 78 passes for 1,396 yards in 1992 and 88 for 1,330 yards in 1993.
He was one of the "Big Three," with running back Emmitt Smith and quarterback Troy Aikman, on the Dallas teams that won three Super Bowls in a four-year stretch. Irvin often functioned as a possession receiver, willing to catch the ball over the middle to pick up the first down, but he also had exceptional running ability that often allowed him to turn a short reception into a long gain.
He was named an All-Pro wide receiver three consecutive years, 1991 through 1993, and went to the Pro Bowl five years in a row, 1991 through 1995. In 1995, he set an NFL single season record with 11 games in which he had more than 100 yards receiving.
After making his 750th career catch on Oct. 10, 1999, Irvin suffered a spinal injury when his head slammed into the turf at Veterans' Stadium in Philadelphia. The injury forced him to announce his retirement after the season ended.