The right foot was taken during an extended hospital stay this year, the victim of a staph infection that almost killed him. The legs that Ohio State coach Woody Hayes recruited in the mid-1970s to replace college football’s only two-time Heisman Trophy winner sit propped in a wheelchair. His story is in stark contrast with that of former Cowboys fullback Ron Springs, who achieved a tiny fraction of Irvin’s wealth and fame, but has managed to keep an amazingly positive attitude despite the loss of a foot to diabetes.Įx-Cowboy counts his blessings ( Dallas Morning News, 24 November) Frankly, he would likely have made it on the first ballot last season were it not for the off field issues. Irvin has made a successful transition as a broadcast personality, was inducted into the Cowboys Ring of Honor earlier this year, and is once again on the short list for the Hall of Fame. Sadly, it looks like he’s back to his old ways. Irvin had geniunely seemed to turn his life around. Irvin holds Cowboys records for catches (750), receiving yards (11,904) and 100-yard games (47), including a team-record seven in a row in 1991.Īs a Cowboys fan, I hope there’s an explanation here beyond the obvious. In 1996, Irvin pleaded no contest to felony cocaine possession in exchange for four years of deferred probation, a $10,000 fine and dismissal of misdemeanor marijuana possession charges. He was released about an hour after he was pulled over. Irvin paid a fine on the speeding ticket and posted bond on the drug paraphernalia possession charge. Police spokesman Mike Johnson said he didn’t know what kind of paraphernalia was found. Irvin, an ESPN analyst and semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for speeding in Irving after being pulled over Friday afternoon for speeding in Plano, the Plano Police Department said. Two other Dallas Cowboys, Clayton Holmes and Leon Lett, were suspended last year for drug offences, although criminal charges were not brought, while the Steelers' own running back, Byron Morris, was also charged a fortnight ago in Texas with cocaine possession.Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin, a Hall of Fame candidate, was arrested earlier today for possession of drug paraphernalia.įormer Cowboys receiver Irvin arrested (AP)įormer Dallas Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin was charged with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia after police searched his vehicle during a traffic stop, Plano police said Sunday. Sammy Smith, a 29-year-old former NFL running back, faces from 20 years to life in jail after pleading guilty last month to cocaine possession and distribution charges. The only consolation for Irvin is that it could have been worse. Angela Beck, the 21-year-old woman who claimed to own the drugs, faces the same charges, and a glass container with cocaine traces was found in the footballer's overnight bag. But there is scant sign of prosecutors using the plea-bargain to zero in on Irvin. Athletes are idols and role models as few others, and if America's war on drugs is ever to succeed, children must learn that their heroes are not above the law. "My client is being selectively prosecuted because of who he is and because of his stature as a player," Mr Clancy says - and probably he is. No smiles, no autographs, just a sober double- breasted suit and tie, with Clancy doing the talking. But when he was summoned again two days later to provide more testimony, the mood - and the garb - were changed. Irvin added: "There have been all kind of blackmail attempts on me and my family."įor the first of two grand jury appearances, the 30-year-old Irvin was the epitome of the flamboyant sports mega-star, decked out in a full-length black mink coat and signing autographs for the scores of fans who mobbed him on the court-house steps. Well, of course, they arrest them right there because it's extortion." "He goes and gets his boss and they come back to get the money. "We tell him we need to see his boss to get a receipt," Irvin told listeners. A man sent to collect the the money was arrested. A threat was made to blow up his lawyer's office, Irwin said, unless he paid $120,000. Last week, the scandal took a bizarre twist when Irvin told listeners to a Dallas radio station that he had been a target for extortion.
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