Pro Football Historian (PFH) is a blog page written by Flint Given. Pro Football Historian or PFH is a page to inform people on prior NFL events that people might not know about. Learning about teams from the 1920s or even the first few NFL World Championships in the 1930s fascinates me. It's these kinds of events that I want to discuss in this blog. Hopefully you are interested and will continue to check up on my blogs. Check out the website at https://profootballhistorian.lovable.app/
Roger Russell Wehrli is an American former professional football cornerback who played for his entire 14-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League from 1969 until 1982. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler after playing college football for the Missouri Tigers, where he was a consensus All-American and a first-round draft choice by the Cardinals in 1969. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007.
Wehrli's outstanding attribute was his speed. Originally expected to be taken in the third round, he ran a 4.5 40-yard dash and vaulted into the first round. Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach has called Wehrli the best cornerback he played against, and claims that the term "shutdown corner" originated as a description of Wehrli. Although he only played on five winning teams and only went to the playoffs in non-strike years twice, he is considered one of the best cornerbacks in the history of the game.
In his career, Wehrli had 40 career interceptions for 309 yards and recovered 19 fumbles. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007. When inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he became the second Missouri player to be elected, joining former tight end Kellen Winslow, who was enshrined in 1995. Wehrli was inducted into the Cardinals Ring of Honor on October 14, 2007.
An All-Rookie choice in 1969, Wehrli was voted All-Pro in 1970 and was a consensus All-NFC selection including being voted to the Pro Bowl. In 1971, Wehrli was 2nd team All-Pro by the NEA and again was a consensus All-NFC choice and was selected to his second Pro Bowl. In 1972 Wehrli was moved to safety by the Cardinals coaching staff where he played alongside Hall of Famer Larry Wilson. He returned to right cornerback in 1973.
In 1974 Wehrli was again All-Pro and he made his third Pro Bowl and was a consensus All-NFC selection. The following year, 1975 though 1977, he was a consensus All-pro and consensus All-NFC player and a Pro Bowler. In 1978 Wehrli's only post-season honor was being honorable mention All-NFC by UPI as his Cardinal team struggled under new coach Bud Wilkinson. In 1979 Wehrli had a fine season and was a consensus All-NFC pick and made his seventh Pro Bowl. In 1981, after 12 seasons as right cornerback (except for 1972), Wehrli switched to the left side. In his first start at the other corner, he broke up two passes and made four tackles as the Cards shut out the Buffalo Bills, 24–0.
In his 14 seasons, Wehrli played in 193 games. In addition to his starting defensive back duties, he was the holder on the place-kicks. In that role he scored a touchdown in 1982 on a fake field goal.
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Thurman Lee Thomasis an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League for 13 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills. He played college football for the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Thomas was selected by the Bills in the second round of the 1988 NFL draft, where he spent all but one season of his professional career. He spent his final NFL year as a member of the Miami Dolphins in 2000.
During his twelve seasons with the Bills, Thomas established himself as a central contributor of the Bills "K-Gun" offense that utilized no-huddle shotgun formations. He qualified for the Pro Bowl five times, twice received first-team All-Pro honors, and was NFL MVP in 1991. Thomas' efforts helped his team make a record four consecutive Super Bowl appearances from 1991 to 1994, although the Bills lost each game. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007 and into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
A knee injury damaged Thomas's certain first round pick status and caused him to slip into second round (40th overall) of the 1988 NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills, their first choice in the draft. Seven other running backs were drafted ahead of him. Thomas is well known as part of the offense that included Jim Kelly and Andre Reed, which led the Bills to four straight Super Bowl appearances.
Thomas was the AFC rushing leader in three seasons (1990, 1991, and 1993). In the first three seasons of his career, Thomas had a total of twelve games with at least 100 yards rushing. The Bills won every one of those games. In 1989 and 1990, his combined total yards from scrimmage was 3,742. This was more than 200 yards better than any other player in the NFL. He was voted to the All-Pro team in 1990 and 1991, was selected to five straight Pro Bowls from 1989 to 1993, and was named NFL's Most Valuable Player in 1991, after becoming the eleventh player in NFL history to finish a season with over 2,000 all-purpose yards. Currently, he is fifteenth on the NFL all-time list for most rushing yards in a career.
Thomas currently holds the all-time Buffalo Bills rushing record with 11,938 yards and the team record for yards from scrimmage with 16,279 over twelve seasons. He is also fourth overall in team scoring. Overall, Thomas finished his thirteen seasons (the last one was spent in Miami) with 12,074 rushing yards, 472 receptions for 4,458 yards, and 88 touchdowns (65 rushing and 23 receiving) with 16,532 total yards from scrimmage.
Thomas is the only player in NFL history to lead the league in total yards from scrimmage for four consecutive seasons. He is one of only eight running backs to have over 400 receptions and 10,000 yards rushing. Walter Payton, Marshall Faulk, Marcus Allen, Ricky Watters, Tiki Barber, Warrick Dunn and LaDainian Tomlinson are the other six. Thomas is also one of five running backs to have rushed for over 1,000 yards in eight consecutive seasons along with Curtis Martin, Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith and Tomlinson.
Thomas also set NFL playoff records with the most career points (126), touchdowns (21), and consecutive playoff games with a touchdown (nine). Overall, he rushed for 1,442 yards and caught 76 passes for 672 yards in his 21 postseason games. In a 1989 playoff loss to the Cleveland Browns, Thomas recorded thirteen receptions for 150 yards and two touchdowns, which was a postseason record for receptions by a running back and tied tight end Kellen Winslow's record for most receptions in a playoff game. At the time of his retirement, his 76 postseason receptions ranked him fourth all time, and to this day he remains the only running back among the NFL's top ten leaders in that category.
Thomas had an outstanding performance in Super Bowl XXV, rushing for 135 yards and a touchdown, while also catching five passes for 55 yards. He would have likely won the Super Bowl MVP award, but the Bills lost the game 20-19 when kicker Scott Norwood missed a 47-yard field goal attempt with eight seconds remaining.
Some fans and sports writers, such as Sports Illustrated writer Paul Zimmerman, have argued that Thomas had the best performance of the game, so therefore he should have won the MVP award even though his team lost. He had far more yards and catches than New York Giants running back Ottis Anderson, who won the MVP.
His performances in the Bills other postseason games that year were also superb. He rushed for a total of 255 yards, caught eight passes for 99 yards, and scored three touchdowns in their two playoff games prior to the Super Bowl.
Thomas is noted for a mishap in Super Bowl XXVI. Thomas had a pre-game ritual where he placed his helmet at the 34-yard line. His helmet was moved in order for the stage to be set up for Harry Connick, Jr. to perform the national anthem. A trainer eventually found the helmet, but by then Thomas had missed Buffalo's first two offensive plays. He went on to gain just thirteen rushing yards and a touchdown on ten carries. He also caught four passes for 27 yards. On August 8, 2009, during teammate Bruce Smith's Hall of Fame induction speech, while he was acknowledging his relationship with Thomas, Bruce proclaimed "I hid your helmet!" Following the ceremony on NFL Total Access, Bruce indicated this was merely a joke.
Thomas scored the first points of the game for his team on a two-yard touchdown run, but was limited to just nineteen rushing yards on eleven carries and four receptions for ten yards in Buffalo's 52–17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Thomas was still recovering from a hip injury he suffered in the first game of the postseason. As a result, running back Kenneth Davis got the majority of carries in the game. Thomas also committed a costly fumble that was converted into a Dallas touchdown.
Thomas had another disappointing Super Bowl performance in this game, which the Bills lost to the Cowboys 30–13. He scored the only touchdown of the game for his team, but was limited to just 37 rushing yards on sixteen carries. He was a reliable target as a receiver out of the backfield, catching seven passes for 52 yards but he lost two fumbles that led to ten Dallas points.
Thomas signed with the Miami Dolphins during the 2000 off-season, after the Bills had released him to clear space under the salary cap. He suffered a knee injury on November 12, 2000, against the San Diego Chargers which ended his NFL career. In his only season with the Dolphins, Thomas ran for 136 yards on 28 carries and no rushing touchdowns while having sixteen receptions for 117 yards and one receiving touchdown in nine games.
After deciding to retire, Thomas signed a ceremonial one-day contract on February 27, 2001, with the Bills.
Thurman Thomas was first eligible for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006. In that year, he made it to the list of ten finalists, but was not one of the six players elected to the Hall that year. He was selected on February 3, 2007, to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Thomas joined his former quarterback Jim Kelly and wide receiver James Lofton in the Hall of Fame.
Thomas, Steve Tasker, Andre Reed, Bruce Smith, Don Beebe, and Jim Kelly were the subject of the 30 for 30 film, Four Falls of Buffalo.
His jersey number, 34, was retired by the Bills on national TV on Monday October 29, 2018 in honor of his achievements.
Thomas is married to Patti Mariacher, who is from Buffalo and was on the Oklahoma State University golf team. They have four children, Olivia, Angel, Annika, and Thurman III.
He is involved with several business enterprises including sports, energy, telecommunications and construction. He was appointed as vice chair of the New York State Tourism Advisory Council in 2014.
Thomas has been involved in community issues since early in his career, establishing the Thurman Thomas Foundation in 1992. He has talked about mental health and the effects of concussions suffered during his football career.
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Charles Alvin Sanders was an American professional football player who was a tight end for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League from 1968 to 1977. Sanders was chosen for the NFL's 1970s All-Decade Team and voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007.
The Lions selected Sanders in the third round of the 1968 NFL draft, and he became their starting tight end for the next ten seasons. He had 336 career receptions for 4,817 yards and 31 touchdowns. He was also known as a superior blocker. Sanders was chosen for the Pro Bowl seven times (1968–71, 1974–76). He was the only rookie to be named to the 1969 Pro Bowl, following a season where he had forty receptions for 533 yards. Sanders was also selected as a first-team All-Pro for the 1970 and 1971 seasons, receiving the most votes of any player in both years. During an exhibition game in 1976, he injured his right knee, but continued to play until his retirement at age 31 in November 1977.Sanders was named to the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team as selected by voters of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1997, and the Minnesota M Club Hall of Fame in 2013. In 2008, Sanders was chosen as a member of the Lions' 75th Anniversary All Time Team.
Sanders served as a color analyst on Lions radio broadcasts from 1983 through 1988, worked with the team as an assistant coach in charge of wide receivers from 1989 to 1996, returned to perform radio broadcasts in 1997, and then joined the Lions' front office as a scout. He became the team's assistant director of pro personnel in 2000, and held the role until his death. In 2005, he co-authored Charlie Sanders' Tales from the Detroit Lions, a book of anecdotes about the team and its players.
Sanders also worked in the team's community relations department and served as a spokesman for the United Way and The March of Dimes. He created The Charlie Sanders Foundation in 2007, which provided two college scholarships per year for students from Oakland County, Monroe, Michigan, and his home state of North Carolina. In 2012, he began the "Have A Heart Save A Life" program (within the foundation) to raise funds to provide heart (EKG) screenings to young people. In August 2012, the first "Charlie Sanders Have A Heart Save A Life Celebrity Golf Outing was held in West Bloomfield, Michigan. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital honored Sanders for his charitable work in 2014.Sanders and his wife, Georgianna, had nine children and lived in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Charlie has nine children Mia, Charese, Mary Jo, Georgianna Jr., Charlie Jr., Nathalie, Talissa, Wayne and Jordan. One of his daughters, Mary Jo is a pro boxer, and three of his sons played college football: Charlie Sanders Jr. at Ohio State University and had a brief NFL career with the Detroit Lions; one son formerly played at Saginaw Valley State University; and one son is currently playing at Saginaw Valley State University, after transferring from Michigan State University.
Sanders developed a malignant tumor behind his right knee, which was discovered while he was undergoing knee replacement surgery. Sanders underwent chemotherapy, but died on July 2, 2015, in Royal Oak, Michigan, from cancer.
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Bruce Rankin Matthews is an American former professional football player who played as a guard, center, offensive tackle, and long snapper in the National Football League for 19 seasons, from 1983 to 2001. He spent his entire career playing for the Houston / Tennessee Oilers / Titans franchise. Highly versatile, Matthews played every position on the offensive line throughout his NFL career, starting in 99 games as a left guard, 87 as a center, 67 as a right guard, 22 as a right tackle, 17 as a left tackle, and was the long snapper on field goals, PATs, and punts. Having never missed a game due to injury, Matthews' 293 NFL games started is the third most of all time, behind quarterbacks Brett Favre and Tom Brady.
Matthews played college football for the University of Southern California, where he was recognized as a consensus All-American for the USC Trojans football team as a senior. Matthews was selected in the first round of the 1983 NFL draft by the Oilers and was a 14-time Pro Bowl selection, tied for the second-most in NFL history, and a nine-time first-team All-Pro. Matthews was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007, and his number 74 jersey is retired by the Titans.
After retiring as a player, Matthews served as an assistant coach for the Houston Texans and Titans. A member of the Matthews family of football players, he is the brother of linebacker Clay Matthews Jr.; father of center Kevin Matthews and tackle Jake Matthews; and uncle of linebacker Clay Matthews III and linebacker Casey Matthews.
Matthews is considered to be one of the most versatile offensive linemen to play in the NFL. He started in 99 games as a left guard, 67 as a right guard, 87 as a center, 22 as a right tackle, 17 as a left tackle, and was the snapper on field goals, PATs, and punts. Matthews was selected to 14 Pro Bowls, which at the time tied a league record set by Merlin Olsen. Matthews was also named a first-team All-Pro nine times and an All-American Football Conference selection 12 times. An extremely durable player, Matthews retired after the 2001 season having played more games (296) than any NFL player, excluding kickers and punters, and played in more seasons (19) than any offensive lineman. He never missed a game due to injury, and started 229 consecutive games. Matthews is the only player who played against the Baltimore Colts in their last game at Memorial Stadium in 1983 and against the Baltimore Ravens in their last game at Memorial Stadium in 1997.
The Houston Oilers drafted Matthews with the ninth overall pick in the first round of the 1983 NFL draft. During his first two seasons, Matthews blocked for future Hall of Fame running back Earl Campbell. As a rookie, Matthews played guard and was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. Before his second season, Matthews was moved from right guard to center, snapping to rookie quarterback Warren Moon. However, Matthews played multiple positions that season due to injuries on the offensive line; at one point he played center, guard, and tackle in successive weeks. In 1985 and 1986, Matthews alternated between right and left tackle.
Matthews sat out of the first eight games of the 1987 season due to a contract dispute. When he returned, Matthews was moved back to right guard. He remained at the right guard position in 1988, 1989, and 1990, being named to the Pro Bowl each season. Matthews also earned first-team All-Pro recognition each year from the Associated Press (AP), Pro Football Weekly, and The Sporting News. He thrived in the run and shoot offensive scheme adopted by the Oilers around this time, which required linemen to be exceptionally agile. The holes Matthews opened up helped running back Mike Rozier to consecutive Pro Bowls in 1987 and 1988.
The Oilers placed Matthews at center for the final game of the 1990 season in an effort to bolster the team's running game. Of the move, Matthews said, "I'd like to stay at guard, but forces greater than myself make these adjustments." Behind blocking by Matthews and fellow future Hall of Fame guard Mike Munchak, Oilers quarterback Warren Moon led the league in passing yards in 1990 and 1991, and running back Lorenzo White was a 1992 Pro Bowl selection. Matthews remained the team's center through the 1994 season, being named to the Pro Bowl each year.
Prior to the 1995 season, Matthews signed a four-year, $10.3 million contract extension with the Oilers. That year, the Oilers signed free agent center Mark Stepnoski, and as a result, Matthews moved to left guard. He spent the majority of the rest of his career at the position, occasionally filling in for injured players along the offensive line. During this time, the Oilers left Houston for Tennessee after the 1996 season. Matthews' blocking helped running back Eddie George to four straight Pro Bowl seasons.
In 1999, at age 37, Matthews signed another four-year contract to remain with the Oilers. That season, the Oilers rebranded as the Tennessee Titans. The team won 13 games, plus three more in the playoffs before losing to the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV.
Matthews retired from football prior to the 2002 season at the age of 40.
On February 27, 2009, Matthews returned to Houston where he was signed on as an offensive assistant with the Houston Texans after volunteer coaching at his children's high school, Elkins High School.
On February 9, 2011, Matthews was hired as offensive line coach by new Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Munchak. Both were Hall of Fame linemen for the Houston Oilers. Regarding his new job, Matthews stated, "For me this is an opportunity of a lifetime. It is such a unique opportunity to work with Mike because I think he will do a great job. It is just one of those things I couldn't pass up."
After the Titans finished the 2013 season with a 7–9 record, general manager Ruston Webster and president/CEO Tommy Smith met with Munchak and gave him the option to fire a large contingent of assistant coaches, which included Matthews, in exchange for an extension and a raise, or lose his job as head coach. Munchak was not willing to fire everyone they were ordering him to fire, so Munchak parted ways with the Titans, along with Matthews and the other assistant coaches they wanted him to fire.
In his first year of eligibility, Matthews was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2007. He was inducted during the Enshrinement Ceremony on August 4, 2007, with the unveiling of his bust, sculpted by Scott Myers. Matthews was the first player from the Tennessee Titans to be given this honor since the relocation from Houston. He was the fifth player from the 1983 NFL draft class to be enshrined, joining Dan Marino, Eric Dickerson, John Elway, and Jim Kelly; Darrell Green, Richard Dent, and Jim Covert later became the sixth, seventh, and eighth members. Matthews was selected as a guard on the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1990s. In 2010, he was ranked 78th on The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players by the NFL Network. At the 2020 Super Bowl, Matthews was named to the NFL 100 All-Time Team as one of the top 100 players of the first 100 years of the NFL.
Matthews comes from a football family. A devout Christian as evidenced in his Hall of Fame Speech, Matthews is the son of Clay Matthews Sr., who played in the NFL in the 1950s. His brother, Clay Jr., also played 19 seasons in the NFL. Bruce is the uncle of linebacker Clay Matthews III, former NFL linebacker Casey Matthews, and Kyle Matthews of USC football. Bruce and his wife, Carrie, have seven kids: Steven, Kevin, Marilyn, Jake, Mike, Luke, and Gwen. Kevin Matthews played center for Texas A&M until the 2009 football season and then played in the NFL for five years as a member of the Titans and Carolina Panthers. Jake Matthews played offensive tackle for Texas A&M and is currently the starting left tackle of the Atlanta Falcons. Mike Matthews played on the offensive line for Texas A&M, where he was the starting center. His youngest son, Luke, is currently a senior at Texas A&M. Matthews is also the uncle of tight end Troy Niklas by way of his wife's sister.
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Michael Jerome Irvin is an American sports commentator and former professional football player. He played his entire 12-year career as a wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. In 2007, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Irvin played college football for the Miami Hurricanes and was selected in the first round of the 1988 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He spent his entire 12-year NFL career from 1988 to 1999 with the Cowboys before it ended abruptly from a cervical fracture of his spine sustained in a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Veterans Stadium on October 10, 1999, in which Irvin was carted off the field and transported to a Philadelphia hospital.
Irvin was nicknamed "The Playmaker" due to his penchant for making big plays in big games during his college and pro careers, and he relished the nickname, even acquiring "PLY MKR" as his Texas vanity license plate. Along with Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith, Irvin was one of three key Cowboys offensive players, known as "The Triplets", who led the Cowboys to three Super Bowl wins in 1992, 1993, and 1995.
Irvin is widely considered to be one of the greatest wide receivers of all time.
Irvin is a former broadcaster for ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown and currently an analyst for NFL Network. In 2009, he competed in Season 9 of Dancing with the Stars in which he was the season's ninth contestant to be eliminated.
He is one of the co-hosts of the FS1 weekday debate show Speak with Paul Pierce, Keyshawn Johnson, and Joy Taylor.
Irvin was selected by the Dallas Cowboys as the 11th pick in the first round of the 1988 NFL draft. He was the last first-round draft pick made by the Cowboys under the leadership of long-time general manager Tex Schramm, player personnel director Gil Brandt, and head coach Tom Landry. Schramm predicted that Irvin would accelerate the Cowboys' "return to the living".
As a rookie in the 1988 season, Irvin became the first rookie receiver in Cowboys' history to start a season opener in 20 years. In the opening game of his rookie season against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium on September 3, 1988, Irvin caught his first NFL career touchdown. He also caught three touchdown passes in the Cowboys' win over the Washington Redskins on December 11, 1988, at RFK Stadium, which represented one of only three wins in the Cowboys' 3-13 1988 season, which was the final season of Landry's career. For the season, Irvin led the NFC in average yards per catch with a 20.4 yard average per catch.
In 1989, the Cowboys hired Jimmy Johnson, Irvin's coach at the University of Miami, to replace Landry. The Cowboys' misfortunes continued in 1989, and they finished the season with a 1–15 record, the worst season record in Cowboys franchise history. Injuries limited Irvin to only six games during the season. He had been on pace to gain over 1,000 receiving yards until tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in a game against the San Francisco 49ers on October 15, 1989, after which he was placed on the injured reserve list for the rest of the 1989 season and the first three games of the 1990 season.
In 1990, Irvin did not register his first reception until the seventh game and finished the season with just 20 receptions for 413 yards, but he also averaged 20.7 yards per catch.
Before the injury, Irvin was nearly traded to the Los Angeles Raiders to help bring talent to the Cowboys and potentially pair Irvin up with Tim Brown, but Raiders owner Al Davis essentially talked Johnson out of the trade by saying, "You sure you want to do that? Who is going to catch passes for you?" Johnson instead traded Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings in what would come to be known as the Herschel Walker trade. One factor in Irvin almost being traded was that then-offensive coordinator David Shula thought Irvin was slow and not a team player. When the Cowboys fired Shula and replaced him with Norv Turner, the notion of trading Irvin became nonexistent in part because Turner believed Irvin would become a superstar in his system.
In 1991, Irvin was a major factor in the Cowboys reaching the playoffs. He finished the season with 93 receptions (second in the NFL for the season), 1,523 receiving yards (first in the NFL for the season), eight receiving touchdowns, and set a Cowboys franchise record with seven 100-yard games. Irvin was named to the 1991 Pro Bowl, the first of five consecutive seasons in which he was selected to Pro Bowls.
In 1992 and 1993, Irvin was a key player on the Cowboys' Super Bowl teams. In 1994, he enjoyed another stellar campaign with his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl season, but that year the Cowboys lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. For his part, however, Irvin had one of the most productive games in NFL playoff history, with 12 catches for an NFC championship record 192 yards and two touchdowns.
One of his greatest performances was in Super Bowl XXVII (1993), where he caught six passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns. His two touchdowns catches were both in the second quarter and occurred in a span of just 18 seconds, the fastest pair of touchdowns ever scored by one player in Super Bowl history. He also became only the second player ever to score 2 touchdowns in one quarter of a Super Bowl, after Washington Redskins wide receiver Ricky Sanders in Super Bowl XXII.
Irvin was a key contributor in the Cowboys' victories in Super Bowl XXVIII in 1993 over the Buffalo Bills and Super Bowl XXX in 1995 over the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the 1993 Super Bowl against the Bills, Irvin recorded five receptions for 66 yards. In the 1995 Super Bowl against the Steelers, he had five receptions for 76 yards.
Irvin's best season with the Cowboys was 1995 during which he set franchise records for receptions (111) and receiving yards (1,603) while scoring 10 touchdowns and setting an NFL record with 11 games with over 100 receiving yards. Irvin had seven receptions for 100 yards and two touchdowns against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game, which led the Cowboys to Super Bowl XXX, the team's third Super Bowl win in a span of four seasons.
Irvin is the only player to play for each of the first four Cowboys coaches since the team has been owned by Jerry Jones (Landry, Johnson, Barry Switzer, and Chan Gailey). Irvin officially announced his retirement after Dave Campo became the fifth Cowboys coach, but never played on the field for Campo.
After recovering from his collar bone injury, Irvin returned to have solid years in 1997 and 1998.
During the fifth game of the 1999 season, Irvin was tackled by Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Tim Hauck and was driven head-first into the turf at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. He sustained a non-life-threatening cervical spine injury, but was carted off the field and transported to the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. Irvin did not play again that season. He was subsequently diagnosed with cervical spinal stenosis. After being advised that he was at higher risk for injury if he suffered another blow to the neck or head, Irvin announced his retirement in May 2000.
Irvin was the last Tom Landry-coached player to retire from the NFL. Landry died on February 12, 2000, several months after Irvin's injury in Philadelphia but before Irvin had announced that he was retiring due to the severity of that injury.
In 2000, Irvin was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame.
Irvin finished his career with 750 receptions (tied with Charlie Joiner for 30th all-time in the NFL) for 11,904 yards (21st all-time in the NFL) and 65 touchdowns. His 47 100-yard receiving games is eighth-most in NFL history, tied with Torry Holt. Irvin was selected to five Pro Bowls (two more than any other wide receiver in franchise history) and was named the MVP of the 1992 Pro Bowl (following the 1991 season) after catching eight passes for 125 yards and a touchdown in the NFC's 21–15 triumph. Irvin was a key playmaker for the Dallas Cowboys that won 6 division titles and three Super Bowls.
As part of Dallas' starting lineup on offense, Irvin was a consistent force to be reckoned with in the regular season but also excelled in the playoffs, where his six career 100-yard receiving games are just two shy of the NFL record held by Jerry Rice, who had eight such games. Irvin's 87 postseason receptions place him second in NFL playoff history behind Rice, who had 151, and Irvin's 1,315 post-season receiving yards ranks second to Rice, who recorded 2,245 post-season yards.
From 1991 through 1998, Irvin recorded 1,000-yard seasons in all but one year, racking up an impressive 10,292 yards over an eight-year span. Along the way, the Cowboys made four straight appearances in the NFC Championship Game (1992–1995) and captured three Super Bowl championships with back-to-back wins over the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVII and Super Bowl XXVIII, and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XXX.
Along with his former Cowboy teammates Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith, Irvin was inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor on September 19, 2005.
Irvin was one of three former NFL players with Cowboys ties selected for induction into the 2007 class of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, all of whom were inducted at a February 2008 ceremony in Waco, Texas. The other two were Jim Ray Smith of the Cleveland Browns, who finished his career with the Cowboys (1963–64), and Ray Childress, a five-time Pro Bowl defensive end for the Houston Oilers who wrapped up his NFL career with the Cowboys in 1996.
In 2007, Irvin was named to the Florida High School Athletic Association's All-Century Team that listed the Top 33 football players in the state of Florida's 100-year history of high school football.
Irvin became eligible for induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005. He was selected in his third year of eligibility, on February 3, 2007, alongside Gene Hickerson, Bruce Matthews, Thurman Thomas, Charlie Sanders, and Roger Wehrli. He was formally inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame during the Hall of Fame's August 4, 2007, induction ceremony in Canton, Ohio.
On August 4, 2007, Irvin was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, delivering a tearful acceptance speech in which he referenced both his life as a football player and the many mistakes he has made in his life. His speech has been praised by many NFL commentators as heartfelt, including those who had been inclined to dislike him.
On October 14, 2007, Irvin accepted his Hall of Fame ring at Texas Stadium during halftime of the Cowboys–New England Patriots game. In his speech, he proposed to Commissioner Roger Goodell that all drafted rookies will have a tour of the Pro Football Hall of Fame to better understand their football history.
At 6'2" and 207 pounds, Irvin was a big, physical receiver who manhandled cornerbacks and often was able to make tough catches in defensive traffic. In part because of Irvin's ability to push off the defender with such ease, the NFL eventually changed its rules to adjust to wide receivers who emulated Irvin's physical style.
Irvin was a vocal, emotional leader who set every significant career receiving mark in Cowboys history, including catches and receiving yards. At the time of his retirement, he owned or was tied for 20 team receiving records. In November 2008, his Cowboys teammate Daryl Johnston said, "Michael was the hardest working guy on our team. He was a guy who made some wrong decisions, but he never took anything public, and he never spoke out against anyone on our team. He wasn't a problem. He was more of an inspiration."
Irvin has high regard for players from "The U," as he likes to call the University of Miami, including Frank Gore, Edgerrin James, and others.
Irvin has been married to Sandy Harrell since 1990. They have one daughter and two sons together. Irvin also has another daughter from a previous relationship.
Irvin is a Christian. He has said, “I turned my life over to Christ in early 2001 with help from Pastor T.D. Jakes and my friend and fellow believer, Deion Sanders. It took me forty years to really realize the hand that God had on me. I did almost every bad thing you could do, but it's through the power of God I can live this life.”
In 1996, as the Cowboys prepared to play the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Divisional Playoff game, media reports stated that Irvin and teammate Erik Williams, while under the influence of cocaine, had sexually assaulted a Dallas Cheerleader, Nina Shahravan, and, with a gun to her head, videotaped the interaction.
Despite Williams' and Irvin's denials of the allegations, the story largely overshadowed the game, which the Cowboys lost. The accuser was later proven to have fabricated the entire incident. She recanted her story, pled guilty to perjury and filing a false police report, and was sentenced to 90 days in jail and a fine. In the game against Carolina, Irvin was injured in the opening minutes and did not return.
On July 29, 1998, Irvin allegedly assaulted fellow Cowboys offensive lineman Everett McIver. The initial dispute stemmed from Irvin demanding that McIver vacate a barber's chair so that Irvin would not have to wait for a haircut. McIver and Irvin soon began a brawl in the shop with fellow Cowboy Leon Lett attempting to break it up.
During the course of the dispute, Irvin grabbed a pair of scissors and stabbed McIver in the neck, barely missing his carotid artery. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reportedly brokered a six-figure settlement between Irvin and McIver in exchange for McIver's silence and to prevent McIver from pursuing criminal charges against Irvin.
In June 2001, a year following his NFL retirement, Irvin was arrested for felony cocaine possession. Irvin was in a Dallas apartment with an unrelated woman, and neither answered the door when police drug task force agents arrived with a search warrant. Police then entered the apartment forcibly, finding drugs. Irvin and the woman were placed under arrest, though charges against Irvin were later dropped.
On November 25, 2005, Irvin was pulled over in Plano, Texas, for speeding. Irvin was arrested on an outstanding warrant for an unpaid speeding ticket in Irving, Texas, and was also cited for misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia after police searched his car and found a pipe and plastic bags with marijuana residue. Irvin was arrested for a Class C misdemeanor, and was later released on bond.
On December 1, 2005, in response to his arrest, ESPN suspended Irvin for the Sunday and Monday night Countdown shows on December 4 and 5, 2005. He returned to both shows with no mention or consequence of the past incident.
On July 4, 2007, Irvin was accused of sexual assault while he was at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Charges were never filed, but a civil suit was filed against him in 2010. Irvin filed a $100 million defamation countersuit, which was dropped when the case was settled out of court in January 2011.
On January 12, 2009, Irvin claimed he was a victim of a possible carjacking attempt while stopped at a light in Dallas. He filed a police report claiming that two men flashed a gun at him but eventually drove away after commenting that they were Cowboys fans. Dallas police suspended their investigation two weeks later, stating that Irvin did not cooperate in the investigation and that they could not proceed without his cooperation.
On March 22, 2017, Fort Lauderdale police investigated Irvin for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in Florida. Irvin denied the allegations. On July 24, the Broward County State Attorney's Office announced they had closed the investigation and would not charge Irvin in the case.
NFL Network removed Irvin from its coverage of Super Bowl LVII in February 2023 after allegations of sexual misconduct toward a woman at his hotel in the Phoenix area. Though surveillance video showed him interacting with the woman, Irvin told a Dallas-Fort Worth radio station that he had no recollection of any incident because he had been inebriated. He also denied there was any wrongdoing.
In a November 2006 radio interview on Dan Patrick's radio show, Irvin joked that Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo's athletic ability may have been due to African-American heritage and jokingly remarked that Romo's maternal relatives might have been involved with "slave brothers". Irvin later apologized and said, "this is how I joke around with Romo when we're playing basketball. There's a difference from me the player and me the broadcaster".
On February 17, 2007, during the late edition of SportsCenter, ESPN announced that Irvin was no longer with the network. ESPN Communications Vice President Josh Krulewitz said, "We thank Michael for his contributions to ESPN and wish him well." However, eleven months later, in January 2008, Irvin rejoined ESPN as a host on ESPN Radio owned and operation station KESN (103.3 FM) in Dallas, hosting The Michael Irvin Show. This locally aired program ended on February 5, 2010, and Irvin was let go after his contract expired. An ESPN spokesman cited declining ratings and that news of a lawsuit filed against Irvin for a 2007 incident "simply expedited the situation".
On a February 2017 episode of The Rich Eisen Show, Irvin admitted to having snuck out of the locker room during the halftime of Super Bowl XXVII to watch Michael Jackson perform.
Irvin was a co-star in the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard, starring Adam Sandler and Chris Rock. Irvin also guest starred in Sandler's film Jack & Jill, which was released on November 11, 2011. He was one of the "Pros" on an episode of Pros vs. Joes, which pitted former professional athletes against average people. He was the host of 4th and Long, a football-themed reality series which aired on Spike TV. The winner, Jesse Holley, earned a spot at the Dallas Cowboys' training camp. Irvin had a supporting role in the 2017 basketball drama Slamma Jamma as a sleazy sports agent.
In 2011, Irvin spoke to Out magazine about his homosexual older brother, who died of stomach cancer in 2006. He claimed his initial feelings of homophobia in relation to his brother led to womanizing during his playing days but eventual acceptance and feelings of love toward his older brother initiated his understanding for people with difficulty sharing their circumstances.
In August 2011, officials from the Elite Football League of India announced that Irvin would be among the primary investors and advisers for the league. Other prominent backers included former Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka, former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski, and NFL linebacker Brandon Chillar.
In July 2023, management from Asset Entities announced that Irvin would be among the primary investors and advisers for the company. Other prominent backers included TRITON FUNDS.
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Robert Gene Hickerson was an American professional football player who was an offensive guard for 15 years with the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1973. Hickerson was a six-time Pro Bowler from 1965 to 1970. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 4, 2007.
Gene was drafted in the seventh round of the 1957 NFL draft by the Browns. He was promptly shifted from tackle to the guard position on the offensive line in 1958 to better utilize his speed, which was unusually fast for a lineman and made him valuable as a pulling guard. He originally was used as a "messenger" guard by Coach Paul Brown, or a guard that delivered the plays in the huddle, while blocking for Hall of Famers Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell, and Leroy Kelly. But after three seasons in the league, he broke his leg in 1961 and fractured the leg again later in the season while watching a game from the sidelines.After missing two games in 1962, he recovered from the injury and never missed another game in his professional tenure. Hickerson only earned accolades after Jim Brown had retired and he was blocking for Leroy Kelly, but he earned first-team all-NFL honors five straight seasons from 1966 to 1970 and was voted to six consecutive Pro Bowls from 1966 to 1971. During his career, Hickerson's Browns never experienced a losing season and was a starter in four NFL title games, including a 1964 NFL Championship win over the Baltimore Colts 27–0. During Gene's 10 pro seasons, the Browns featured a 1,000-yard rusher every season but one in the era where the NFL season consisted of 14 games. They also had the NFL's leading rusher seven seasons of those ten. He was elected to the Browns' legends team and the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team. In 2003, he was named to the Professional Football Researchers Association Hall of Very Good in the association's inaugural HOVG class.
Hickerson was inducted into the National Football League Hall of Fame in 2007. Jim Brown, one of the greatest college and professional football players of all time, and the first person selected to the NFL's 100th Anniversary team, considered Hickerson "'the greatest downfield blocker in the history of pro football.'"In 2007, during his induction at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, and already suffering from the health problems that plagued the final years of his life, including dementia, Hickerson was brought onstage in his wheelchair, propelled by Bobby Mitchell, Jim Brown, and Leroy Kelly. It was announced as "one last time, Gene Hickerson leads Bobby Mitchell, Jim Brown, and Leroy Kelly." He was inducted by his friend and former teammate at The University of Mississippi and the Cleveland Browns, Bobby Franklin. His hall of fame bust was presented to Ole Miss in 2013.
On October 20, 2008, Hickerson died just outside Cleveland, Ohio. The Browns added a "GH" tribute badge to their helmets for the 2008 season in his honor. The question has been raised as to whether football related chronic traumatic encephalopathy contributed to his dementia and death.
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