Wednesday, October 2, 1996

Irvin's return will be a lift
By DENNE H. FREEMAN
Associated Press
(Oct. 2, 1996)

IRVING - When the Dallas Cowboys return to the practice field on Thursday, Michael Irvin will be there.

The wide receiver's five-game suspension by the NFL over his involvement in a drug and sex scandal ended with the Cowboys' 23-19 victory over Philadelphia on Monday night. Dallas is off this week so the first practice is set for Thursday.

Asked Tuesday if Irvin will be an immediate starter against Arizona on Oct. 13, coach Barry Switzer laughed and said "the minute he walks out there we're going to throw to him."

Irvin, who has been working out with Switzer's son, Doug, owes 800 hours' community service as part of his suspended sentence.

"My son tells me that Michael is in great shape," Switzer said. "They've been working out in a cow pasture over in Farmer's Branch.

"We get an emotional lift when he's around. He's a great competitor. The fear of losing is deep in Michael."

Switzer said the win over Philadelphia and the return of Irvin "could be the turning point of the season. I think we can win some games now. We're a pretty good team. You don't look at the record (2-3). You look at the long season we still have ahead."

Switzer said he had hoped the defending Super Bowl champions could be 3-2 in the stretch without Irvin.

"We came up a little short," Switzer said. "But we've got it turned around now. We won a hard game on the road."

The Cowboys were feeling double relief that they had escaped with a win at Veteran's Stadium and were finally getting Irvin back.

"I'm so happy Michael's back," wide receiver-cornerback Deion Sanders said. "He can take some of this pressure now that we've all had."

Switzer gave the Cowboys Tuesday and today off and scheduled workouts for Thursday and Friday. He then plans to give the Cowboys the weekend off.

Dallas came out of the Eagles game battered and bruised but with no major injuries.

Switzer said the offense still has a ways to go before regaining last season's form.

"We can get a lot better just clearing up our mistakes but at least we proved we can move the football," Switzer said. "I think Sherman Williams helped when he came in to spell Emmitt (Smith) at running back. He gave us a little spark. We plan on getting Sherman into the games some more like that."

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