Consider Irvin thankful
Receiver thrilled to enter Hall despite off-field troubles
By Barry Wilner, Associated Press
August 4, 2007
CANTON, Ohio - Of the six players about to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Michael Irvin was the only one to make headlines off the field. Irvin knows that's not a good thing.
The Dallas Cowboys receiver recognizes that his troubles easily could have kept him from the shrine in Canton, where he will be inducted today.
"Mistakes will cost you. That's the reality," Irvin said. "You have to pay the price for your mistakes but, also, don't give up. Keep going and try to overcome that. That's the reality, too. I like that it worked out the way it worked out."
The way it worked out, Irvin was voted into the Hall of Fame in his third year of eligibility, joining Troy Aikman, his quarterback while with the Cowboys. In a few years, teammate and NFL all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith will make it, too.
Irvin knows he made it difficult on himself.
"I don't know if (his stats) gets overlooked, but sometimes the good stuff may get overshadowed," he said. "Whether I like it or not, I made those bad decisions and you're going to take all those things into account when you're dealing with me."
A few weeks after the Cowboys won their third Super Bowl, police found Irvin, marijuana, cocaine and strippers in a hotel room. He pleaded no contest to felony cocaine possession and was put on probation for four years.
It was one of several run-ins with police. And Irvin wondered if he had burned his opportunity for making the Hall of Fame.
"A few days before the vote, a current player called me and said, 'They're just trying to keep you out because once you go in, the rest of us player-boys will, too,' " Irvin said. "I never thought of it like that. I hope they don't think of it like that.
"I'm not trying to lead the way for bad boys to get in. I'm just trying to deal with my own issues."
The other inductees - Thurman Thomas, Bruce Matthews, Roger Wehrli, Charlie Sanders and Gene Hickerson - had no such issues. All were exemplary players, and for the most part, with one franchise.
While Irvin had his problems, he also had enviable statistics worthy of enshrinement. He was the top receiver on those three title teams, and he made the league's All-1990s team.
"I never coached a player who had as much passion for the game as Michael Irvin," said Jimmy Johnson, his former coach.
Thomas, one of only three Hall of Fame running backs along with Walter Payton and Marcus Allen to have more than 400 receptions and 10,000 yards rushing, also set playoff records for career points (126), touchdowns (21) and consecutive games with a touchdown (nine).
"I wish I could've won a Super Bowl so I could feel what that felt like," Thomas said. "But if it's anything like this, I don't think there's anything you can compare it to."
Comparing Matthews to any other offensive lineman would be fruitless. No one was more versatile: In his 296 games with the Oilers and Titans, Matthews spent 99 at left guard, 87 at center, 67 at right guard, 22 at right tackle and 17 at left tackle.
Hickerson played 15 seasons and Cleveland never had a losing record with him, and Sanders was a strong blocking tight end who became a pass-catching threat for the Lions. Wehrli was one of the game's first shutdown corners and was a starter from his rookie season in 1969 through 1982 for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Hall of Fameinductees
Gene Hickerson
Guard, 6-foot-3, 248 pounds. 1958-1973 Browns. Selected by Cleveland as future choice in seventh round of 1957 draft.
• Was lead blocker for three Hall of Famers: Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell and Leroy Kelly. . . . First-team All-Pro five consecutive seasons. . . . Voted to Pro Bowl six straight times. . . . During his tenure, the Browns never had a losing season. . . . Started at right guard in four NFL championship games, including the Browns' 27-0 win against the Colts in 1964. . . . Made NFL's all-decade team of the 1960s.
Michael Irvin
Wide receiver, 6-2, 207. 1988-1999 Cowboys. Dallas' first-round pick (11th overall) in 1988 draft.
• Irvin's 20.4-yards-a- catch average as a rookie led the NFC. . . . Had 1,000-yard seasons in all but one year from 1991-1998. . . . Won three Super Bowls while with Cowboys. . . . Selected to five straight Pro Bowls. . . . Picked for NFL's all-decade team of the 1990s.
Bruce Matthews
Guard/tackle, 6-5, 289.
1983-2001 Oilers/Titans. Selected by Houston in first round (ninth overall) of 1983 draft.
• Regarded as one of game's finest linemen for nearly two decades. . . . Played in more games (296) than any position player in NFL history. . . . Made 14 consecutive Pro Bowl teams, tying Merlin Olsen for the most ever. . . . An All-Pro nine times. . . . Named to NFL's all-decade team of the 1990s.
Charlie Sanders
Tight end, 6-4, 230. 1968-1977 Lions. Selected by Detroit in third round (74th player overall) of 1968 draft.
• In an era of blocking tight ends, he became team's secret weapon as a receiver. . . . Was voted to seven Pro Bowls. . . . Made 30 receptions or more in a season seven times. . . . Chosen for NFL's all-decade team of the 1970s.
Thurman Thomas
Running back, 5-10, 198. 1988-1999 Bills, 2000 Dolphins. Selected in second round of 1988 draft.
• A key part of Bills' run of four straight Super Bowl appearances. . . . Led NFL in total yards from scrimmage four consecutive seasons. . . . Named league MVP in 1991. . . . Selected to play in five consecutive Pro Bowls. . . . On all-decade team of the 1990s.
Roger Wehrli
Cornerback, 6-0, 190. 1969-1982 Cardinals. Selected by St. Louis in first round (19th overall) of 1969 draft.
• Maintained enough speed and savvy to play demanding position for 14 seasons. . . . Registered an interception in all but two seasons and amassed 40 career pickoffs. Recovered franchise record-tying 19 fumbles in career. . . . Voted to NFL's all-decade team of the 1970s, was first-team All-Pro five times and made Pro Bowl seven times.
By Barry Wilner, Associated Press
August 4, 2007
CANTON, Ohio - Of the six players about to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Michael Irvin was the only one to make headlines off the field. Irvin knows that's not a good thing.
The Dallas Cowboys receiver recognizes that his troubles easily could have kept him from the shrine in Canton, where he will be inducted today.
"Mistakes will cost you. That's the reality," Irvin said. "You have to pay the price for your mistakes but, also, don't give up. Keep going and try to overcome that. That's the reality, too. I like that it worked out the way it worked out."
The way it worked out, Irvin was voted into the Hall of Fame in his third year of eligibility, joining Troy Aikman, his quarterback while with the Cowboys. In a few years, teammate and NFL all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith will make it, too.
Irvin knows he made it difficult on himself.
"I don't know if (his stats) gets overlooked, but sometimes the good stuff may get overshadowed," he said. "Whether I like it or not, I made those bad decisions and you're going to take all those things into account when you're dealing with me."
A few weeks after the Cowboys won their third Super Bowl, police found Irvin, marijuana, cocaine and strippers in a hotel room. He pleaded no contest to felony cocaine possession and was put on probation for four years.
It was one of several run-ins with police. And Irvin wondered if he had burned his opportunity for making the Hall of Fame.
"A few days before the vote, a current player called me and said, 'They're just trying to keep you out because once you go in, the rest of us player-boys will, too,' " Irvin said. "I never thought of it like that. I hope they don't think of it like that.
"I'm not trying to lead the way for bad boys to get in. I'm just trying to deal with my own issues."
The other inductees - Thurman Thomas, Bruce Matthews, Roger Wehrli, Charlie Sanders and Gene Hickerson - had no such issues. All were exemplary players, and for the most part, with one franchise.
While Irvin had his problems, he also had enviable statistics worthy of enshrinement. He was the top receiver on those three title teams, and he made the league's All-1990s team.
"I never coached a player who had as much passion for the game as Michael Irvin," said Jimmy Johnson, his former coach.
Thomas, one of only three Hall of Fame running backs along with Walter Payton and Marcus Allen to have more than 400 receptions and 10,000 yards rushing, also set playoff records for career points (126), touchdowns (21) and consecutive games with a touchdown (nine).
"I wish I could've won a Super Bowl so I could feel what that felt like," Thomas said. "But if it's anything like this, I don't think there's anything you can compare it to."
Comparing Matthews to any other offensive lineman would be fruitless. No one was more versatile: In his 296 games with the Oilers and Titans, Matthews spent 99 at left guard, 87 at center, 67 at right guard, 22 at right tackle and 17 at left tackle.
Hickerson played 15 seasons and Cleveland never had a losing record with him, and Sanders was a strong blocking tight end who became a pass-catching threat for the Lions. Wehrli was one of the game's first shutdown corners and was a starter from his rookie season in 1969 through 1982 for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Hall of Fameinductees
Gene Hickerson
Guard, 6-foot-3, 248 pounds. 1958-1973 Browns. Selected by Cleveland as future choice in seventh round of 1957 draft.
• Was lead blocker for three Hall of Famers: Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell and Leroy Kelly. . . . First-team All-Pro five consecutive seasons. . . . Voted to Pro Bowl six straight times. . . . During his tenure, the Browns never had a losing season. . . . Started at right guard in four NFL championship games, including the Browns' 27-0 win against the Colts in 1964. . . . Made NFL's all-decade team of the 1960s.
Michael Irvin
Wide receiver, 6-2, 207. 1988-1999 Cowboys. Dallas' first-round pick (11th overall) in 1988 draft.
• Irvin's 20.4-yards-a- catch average as a rookie led the NFC. . . . Had 1,000-yard seasons in all but one year from 1991-1998. . . . Won three Super Bowls while with Cowboys. . . . Selected to five straight Pro Bowls. . . . Picked for NFL's all-decade team of the 1990s.
Bruce Matthews
Guard/tackle, 6-5, 289.
1983-2001 Oilers/Titans. Selected by Houston in first round (ninth overall) of 1983 draft.
• Regarded as one of game's finest linemen for nearly two decades. . . . Played in more games (296) than any position player in NFL history. . . . Made 14 consecutive Pro Bowl teams, tying Merlin Olsen for the most ever. . . . An All-Pro nine times. . . . Named to NFL's all-decade team of the 1990s.
Charlie Sanders
Tight end, 6-4, 230. 1968-1977 Lions. Selected by Detroit in third round (74th player overall) of 1968 draft.
• In an era of blocking tight ends, he became team's secret weapon as a receiver. . . . Was voted to seven Pro Bowls. . . . Made 30 receptions or more in a season seven times. . . . Chosen for NFL's all-decade team of the 1970s.
Thurman Thomas
Running back, 5-10, 198. 1988-1999 Bills, 2000 Dolphins. Selected in second round of 1988 draft.
• A key part of Bills' run of four straight Super Bowl appearances. . . . Led NFL in total yards from scrimmage four consecutive seasons. . . . Named league MVP in 1991. . . . Selected to play in five consecutive Pro Bowls. . . . On all-decade team of the 1990s.
Roger Wehrli
Cornerback, 6-0, 190. 1969-1982 Cardinals. Selected by St. Louis in first round (19th overall) of 1969 draft.
• Maintained enough speed and savvy to play demanding position for 14 seasons. . . . Registered an interception in all but two seasons and amassed 40 career pickoffs. Recovered franchise record-tying 19 fumbles in career. . . . Voted to NFL's all-decade team of the 1970s, was first-team All-Pro five times and made Pro Bowl seven times.
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