Irvin picks Jones for Hall presenter
Receiver will be first Cowboys Hall of Famer presented by an owner
11:26 PM CDT on Thursday, March 22, 2007
BARRY HORN / The Dallas Morning News
bhorn@dallasnews.com
Michael Irvin and his wife Sandi drove to Valley Ranch earlier this week to ask "a special favor" of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
"Would you..." an emotional Irvin stammered, "could you ... be my Hall of Fame presenter?"
For a moment, Jones was speechless.
"I was taken aback," Jones said Thursday. "When I could get the words out, I finally told him, 'I would be honored.' "
So when the Class of 2007 is enshrined at the Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony in Canton, Ohio on Aug. 4, Jones will join a select group of NFL owners that includes the likes of Al Davis, Art Rooney, George Halas, Paul Brown and Wellington Mara, to be similarly honored by former players.
"This is a real highlight for me in my life," Jones said. "This is a very big deal."
Irvin is the eighth Cowboys player to enter the Hall. He is the first who will be presented by an owner. Coach Tom Landry presented four of his former players – Bob Lilly, Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett and Mel Renfro. No one else has been invited to present more than one. President Tex Schramm, inducted as an administrator, chose former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle for the honor.
"We made this decision as a family," Irvin said Thursday. "I asked Sandi for some suggestions on who it should be and only one name came out of her mouth. It was the same one that I had been thinking of all the time. Jerry has been a miracle in my life."
Irvin, a wide receiver from the University of Miami, came to the Bum Bright-owned Cowboys as the 11th player selected in the 1988 draft. A year later, Jones bought the team and brought with him Jimmy Johnson, Irvin's coach at the University of Miami, to replace Landry.
"Had Jerry not bought the Cowboys and made the bold moves he made, and had all the players he brought in not made the moves we made, we wouldn't be talking about me and the Hall of Fame," Irvin said. "I was surrounded by greatness at all levels."
When a neck injury forced Irvin to retire after the 1999 season, he had 750 career receptions for 11,904 yards and 65 touchdowns. The Cowboys teams he played on won three Super Bowl championships.
"I love Jerry to death," Irvin said of the owner he affectionately refers to as "bossman."
"He's been great to me not only through my playing days and my bad times, but since I retired as well. I haven't caught a pass for him in seven years, and he's always there for me to talk to. We'll always be together."
Jones stood steadfastly beside Irvin through a series of off-field incidents that stained Irvin's reputation after the Cowboys won Super Bowl XXX, their third NFL championship of the 1990s.
Jones said no player in his ownership tenure worked harder on the field or had a greater desire to win.
His challenge now, Jones said, is to pare hundreds of his favorite Irvin stories into a select few so he doesn't overextend his welcome as a Hall of Fame presenter.
"I feel a responsibility for everyone who has been associated with Michael," Jones said. "He is a favorite of all of the players and coaches who worked with him. Narrowing the stories down will be a long, hard process."
While most of Jones' stories will detail Irvin's desire to win and willingness to "outwork everybody," the owner said one memory will always stand out. It happened away from the game and has never received near the attention of Irvin's famous off-field escapades.
When the Cowboys visited Oklahoma City after the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, someone was needed to act as a team spokesman to talk to anxious relatives waiting for word on their loved ones.
While others in the Cowboys traveling party shuffled aimlessly or stared silently into the distance, Irvin volunteered.
"Michael raised his hand and said he would do it," Jones said. "The words he delivered were a thing of beauty. He touched everyone. When he was finished, a lady said, 'Michael is just people.' I've heard that description of him time and time again. That really is the best way to describe him."
COWBOYS' HOF PRESENTERS The Cowboys have 10 members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Here are their presenters: Inductee Presented by Michael Irvin (2007) Jerry Jones, Cowboys owner Troy Aikman (2006) Norv Turner, Cowboys offensive coordinator Rayfield Wright(2006) Stan Lomax, college coach at Fort Valley State Mel Renfro (1996) Tom Landry, Cowboys coach Tony Dorsett (1994) Tom Landry, Cowboys coach Randy White (1994) Ernie Stautner, Cowboys defensive coordinator Tex Schramm (1991) Pete Rozelle, NFL commissioner Tom Landry (1990) Roger Staubach, Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach (1985) Tom Landry, Cowboys coach Bob Lilly (1980) Tom Landry, Cowboys coach
Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony, Aug. 4, Canton, Ohio.
11:26 PM CDT on Thursday, March 22, 2007
BARRY HORN / The Dallas Morning News
bhorn@dallasnews.com
Michael Irvin and his wife Sandi drove to Valley Ranch earlier this week to ask "a special favor" of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
"Would you..." an emotional Irvin stammered, "could you ... be my Hall of Fame presenter?"
For a moment, Jones was speechless.
"I was taken aback," Jones said Thursday. "When I could get the words out, I finally told him, 'I would be honored.' "
So when the Class of 2007 is enshrined at the Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony in Canton, Ohio on Aug. 4, Jones will join a select group of NFL owners that includes the likes of Al Davis, Art Rooney, George Halas, Paul Brown and Wellington Mara, to be similarly honored by former players.
"This is a real highlight for me in my life," Jones said. "This is a very big deal."
Irvin is the eighth Cowboys player to enter the Hall. He is the first who will be presented by an owner. Coach Tom Landry presented four of his former players – Bob Lilly, Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett and Mel Renfro. No one else has been invited to present more than one. President Tex Schramm, inducted as an administrator, chose former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle for the honor.
"We made this decision as a family," Irvin said Thursday. "I asked Sandi for some suggestions on who it should be and only one name came out of her mouth. It was the same one that I had been thinking of all the time. Jerry has been a miracle in my life."
Irvin, a wide receiver from the University of Miami, came to the Bum Bright-owned Cowboys as the 11th player selected in the 1988 draft. A year later, Jones bought the team and brought with him Jimmy Johnson, Irvin's coach at the University of Miami, to replace Landry.
"Had Jerry not bought the Cowboys and made the bold moves he made, and had all the players he brought in not made the moves we made, we wouldn't be talking about me and the Hall of Fame," Irvin said. "I was surrounded by greatness at all levels."
When a neck injury forced Irvin to retire after the 1999 season, he had 750 career receptions for 11,904 yards and 65 touchdowns. The Cowboys teams he played on won three Super Bowl championships.
"I love Jerry to death," Irvin said of the owner he affectionately refers to as "bossman."
"He's been great to me not only through my playing days and my bad times, but since I retired as well. I haven't caught a pass for him in seven years, and he's always there for me to talk to. We'll always be together."
Jones stood steadfastly beside Irvin through a series of off-field incidents that stained Irvin's reputation after the Cowboys won Super Bowl XXX, their third NFL championship of the 1990s.
Jones said no player in his ownership tenure worked harder on the field or had a greater desire to win.
His challenge now, Jones said, is to pare hundreds of his favorite Irvin stories into a select few so he doesn't overextend his welcome as a Hall of Fame presenter.
"I feel a responsibility for everyone who has been associated with Michael," Jones said. "He is a favorite of all of the players and coaches who worked with him. Narrowing the stories down will be a long, hard process."
While most of Jones' stories will detail Irvin's desire to win and willingness to "outwork everybody," the owner said one memory will always stand out. It happened away from the game and has never received near the attention of Irvin's famous off-field escapades.
When the Cowboys visited Oklahoma City after the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, someone was needed to act as a team spokesman to talk to anxious relatives waiting for word on their loved ones.
While others in the Cowboys traveling party shuffled aimlessly or stared silently into the distance, Irvin volunteered.
"Michael raised his hand and said he would do it," Jones said. "The words he delivered were a thing of beauty. He touched everyone. When he was finished, a lady said, 'Michael is just people.' I've heard that description of him time and time again. That really is the best way to describe him."
COWBOYS' HOF PRESENTERS The Cowboys have 10 members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Here are their presenters: Inductee Presented by Michael Irvin (2007) Jerry Jones, Cowboys owner Troy Aikman (2006) Norv Turner, Cowboys offensive coordinator Rayfield Wright(2006) Stan Lomax, college coach at Fort Valley State Mel Renfro (1996) Tom Landry, Cowboys coach Tony Dorsett (1994) Tom Landry, Cowboys coach Randy White (1994) Ernie Stautner, Cowboys defensive coordinator Tex Schramm (1991) Pete Rozelle, NFL commissioner Tom Landry (1990) Roger Staubach, Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach (1985) Tom Landry, Cowboys coach Bob Lilly (1980) Tom Landry, Cowboys coach
Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony, Aug. 4, Canton, Ohio.
posted by The Gryphon at 7:14 PM
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