Gentler Irvin shows brand-new respect for Hall
By Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY
CANTON, Ohio — When Michael Irvin visited Canton for the first time a few years ago, in town with the Dallas Cowboys to play in the NFL's preseason opener, he came with his signature brashness and a bold proclamation.
Seems that Irvin, at that time, wanted no part of touring the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
He refused to see the museum and pay homage to the greats of the game.
Thought it was, well, too early — because he knew he'd be coming back.
"I won't go through the Hall," he roared back in 1999, "until I go into the Hall."
PHOTOS: Hall of Fame day
CEREMONY: Six enter as Canton immortals
The former all-pro receiver was reminded of that statement over the weekend, when he was enshrined with the six-member Class of 2007 and prompted often to reflect on both his lifetime of achievement and series of misfortunate incidents on the Road to Canton.
Irvin, a rejected finalist in the previous two years before getting voted in February, now seems ashamed that he once had such a cavalier view of the Hall's significance.
Turns out that 1999 was his last year as a player, his career abruptly finished when he suffered a frightening neck injury in the fourth game of the season at Philadelphia, which led doctors to discover a degenerative spinal condition.
"I was wrong," he said Friday, on the eve of the induction ceremonies. "I should've come here. It just makes me think that having that much more respect for the game could've curbed some of the situations for me."
Hall of Fame hindsight is so vivid. Irvin, whose star was tarnished by several off-the-field controversies linked to drugs, now thinks Canton is such a cool place that he has a suggestion for the NFL: Hold the annual Rookie Symposium at the Hall. Let those rookies taste the history, give them a setting that will foster respect for the game.
Said Irvin, "This is the perfect place for that."
Irvin would probably volunteer as a tour guide for NFL rookies. On Friday evening, though, he had another group to escort through the Hall: Family and friends.
His weekend guest list topped 400, which is what happens when you're one of 17 siblings with a fat checkbook and full tank of charisma. Many guests came from Irvin's hometown, Ft. Lauderdale. According to the often-hyper Irvin, they are rambunctious.
"I don't know if Canton is ready for these Irvins," he said.
By mid-day Friday, the three-time Super Bowl winner was ready to deliver the speech.
Not that speech.
No, Irvin was thinking tour guide address.
"When we get there," he said, "I'm going to have to make an announcement: 'Irvins — These are not souvenirs to be taken home. Look, but do not try to take!'
"Then I'll peep the security guard: 'Check all the name tags. With the Irvins, pat 'em down on the way out.' I'd hate for a story to come out the next day, 'Michael Irvin's little brother stole Dan Marino's bust!' "
Talking and listening to himself at a lodge a few miles from the Hall where he attended a private luncheon for Hall of Famers, Irvin flashed an electric grin and unleashed a deep, extended bellow.
Clearly, Irvin, who caught 750 passes for 11,904 yards in 12 seasons, was poised to enter the Hall the same way he entered the NFL — with a free spirit and many punch lines.
Asked about some of the arrangements for guests from Florida, Irvin said the bulk of them provided their own transportation. He chipped in by handling many incidentals.
"I would've preferred to pay for a bus," he said. "But they were like, 'No, we'll get there. You pay for everything else.' When I cut that check, I was like, 'Just sign it, get it out of your mind, and enjoy the party.' "
The day after he was drafted from the University of Miami (Fla.) as a first-round pick in 1988, Irvin showed up at the Cowboys' Valley Ranch headquarters and posed for cameras with a life-sized cardboard cutout of Tom Landry that was positioned in a hallway. Said it was his "new" daddy.
Saturday night, after the unveiling of his bronze bust on stage, Irvin kissed the likeness of himself. Totally in character.
Then it was time for the man that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones hailed as the inspirational heartbeat to the great Super Bowl teams to deliver his induction speech.
That speech. Irvin, dropped earlier this year from his high-profile job as analyst for ESPN, was the last speaker of the night. He had plenty to say.
At the luncheon, Deacon Jones, the spirited veteran Hall of Famer of Fearsome Foursome renown, warned Irvin not to get too long-winded with his speech.
The Deacon suggested that Irvin tuck 5- x 7-inch index cards into his jacket pocket if it would help him stay within the 15-minute window organizers allotted for each enshrinee.
Irvin, though, knows a bit about himself.
"Deacon threw me off a little bit with that noise he was making," Irvin said.
He talked about the time limit with another member of the class, former Buffalo Bills running back Thurman Thomas.
According to Irvin, Thomas told him: "You can take a few minutes from me. After I get to six or seven minutes, I'm sitting down."
Irvin: "I appreciate that. I'll surely use that."
He said he also went to the two networks airing the ceremonies live, ESPN and The NFL Network.
Irvin: "If this thing goes long, what are you going to do?'"
The response: We won't cut away.
"I said, 'Oh. That's all I need to know,' " Irvin said. "I wanted to be sure. I didn't want to be sitting up there talking, and it's 'We're going to the X Games now.' "
The speech went 26 minutes, 19 seconds. It was by far the longest of the night.
All from a guy who a few years ago, would not even tour the Hall.
CANTON, Ohio — When Michael Irvin visited Canton for the first time a few years ago, in town with the Dallas Cowboys to play in the NFL's preseason opener, he came with his signature brashness and a bold proclamation.
Seems that Irvin, at that time, wanted no part of touring the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
He refused to see the museum and pay homage to the greats of the game.
Thought it was, well, too early — because he knew he'd be coming back.
"I won't go through the Hall," he roared back in 1999, "until I go into the Hall."
PHOTOS: Hall of Fame day
CEREMONY: Six enter as Canton immortals
The former all-pro receiver was reminded of that statement over the weekend, when he was enshrined with the six-member Class of 2007 and prompted often to reflect on both his lifetime of achievement and series of misfortunate incidents on the Road to Canton.
Irvin, a rejected finalist in the previous two years before getting voted in February, now seems ashamed that he once had such a cavalier view of the Hall's significance.
Turns out that 1999 was his last year as a player, his career abruptly finished when he suffered a frightening neck injury in the fourth game of the season at Philadelphia, which led doctors to discover a degenerative spinal condition.
"I was wrong," he said Friday, on the eve of the induction ceremonies. "I should've come here. It just makes me think that having that much more respect for the game could've curbed some of the situations for me."
Hall of Fame hindsight is so vivid. Irvin, whose star was tarnished by several off-the-field controversies linked to drugs, now thinks Canton is such a cool place that he has a suggestion for the NFL: Hold the annual Rookie Symposium at the Hall. Let those rookies taste the history, give them a setting that will foster respect for the game.
Said Irvin, "This is the perfect place for that."
Irvin would probably volunteer as a tour guide for NFL rookies. On Friday evening, though, he had another group to escort through the Hall: Family and friends.
His weekend guest list topped 400, which is what happens when you're one of 17 siblings with a fat checkbook and full tank of charisma. Many guests came from Irvin's hometown, Ft. Lauderdale. According to the often-hyper Irvin, they are rambunctious.
"I don't know if Canton is ready for these Irvins," he said.
By mid-day Friday, the three-time Super Bowl winner was ready to deliver the speech.
Not that speech.
No, Irvin was thinking tour guide address.
"When we get there," he said, "I'm going to have to make an announcement: 'Irvins — These are not souvenirs to be taken home. Look, but do not try to take!'
"Then I'll peep the security guard: 'Check all the name tags. With the Irvins, pat 'em down on the way out.' I'd hate for a story to come out the next day, 'Michael Irvin's little brother stole Dan Marino's bust!' "
Talking and listening to himself at a lodge a few miles from the Hall where he attended a private luncheon for Hall of Famers, Irvin flashed an electric grin and unleashed a deep, extended bellow.
Clearly, Irvin, who caught 750 passes for 11,904 yards in 12 seasons, was poised to enter the Hall the same way he entered the NFL — with a free spirit and many punch lines.
Asked about some of the arrangements for guests from Florida, Irvin said the bulk of them provided their own transportation. He chipped in by handling many incidentals.
"I would've preferred to pay for a bus," he said. "But they were like, 'No, we'll get there. You pay for everything else.' When I cut that check, I was like, 'Just sign it, get it out of your mind, and enjoy the party.' "
The day after he was drafted from the University of Miami (Fla.) as a first-round pick in 1988, Irvin showed up at the Cowboys' Valley Ranch headquarters and posed for cameras with a life-sized cardboard cutout of Tom Landry that was positioned in a hallway. Said it was his "new" daddy.
Saturday night, after the unveiling of his bronze bust on stage, Irvin kissed the likeness of himself. Totally in character.
Then it was time for the man that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones hailed as the inspirational heartbeat to the great Super Bowl teams to deliver his induction speech.
That speech. Irvin, dropped earlier this year from his high-profile job as analyst for ESPN, was the last speaker of the night. He had plenty to say.
At the luncheon, Deacon Jones, the spirited veteran Hall of Famer of Fearsome Foursome renown, warned Irvin not to get too long-winded with his speech.
The Deacon suggested that Irvin tuck 5- x 7-inch index cards into his jacket pocket if it would help him stay within the 15-minute window organizers allotted for each enshrinee.
Irvin, though, knows a bit about himself.
"Deacon threw me off a little bit with that noise he was making," Irvin said.
He talked about the time limit with another member of the class, former Buffalo Bills running back Thurman Thomas.
According to Irvin, Thomas told him: "You can take a few minutes from me. After I get to six or seven minutes, I'm sitting down."
Irvin: "I appreciate that. I'll surely use that."
He said he also went to the two networks airing the ceremonies live, ESPN and The NFL Network.
Irvin: "If this thing goes long, what are you going to do?'"
The response: We won't cut away.
"I said, 'Oh. That's all I need to know,' " Irvin said. "I wanted to be sure. I didn't want to be sitting up there talking, and it's 'We're going to the X Games now.' "
The speech went 26 minutes, 19 seconds. It was by far the longest of the night.
All from a guy who a few years ago, would not even tour the Hall.
posted by The Gryphon at 11:24 AM
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