Friday, October 4, 1996
Michael Irvin Recharges Listless Cowboys
By JAIME ARON
AP Sports Writer
(Oct. 4, 1996)
IRVING, Texas (AP) - Michael Irvin returned to the Dallas Cowboys
on Thursday, providing the listless Super Bowl champions with
some of the spark they've been missing much of this season.
The Cowboys have struggled to go 2-3 in their star receiver's
absence caused by violation of the league's drug policy. Dallas
also has lacked some of the Irvin-inspired swagger that made
the Cowboys loved or hated but not ignored.
"The guys were happy to see me, but I was more happy to
see them," Irvin said following his first practice with
the team since training camp. "When I came in, we did some
laughing and joking."
Irvin has vowed to clean up his image since pleading no-contest
to felony cocaine possession charges in July, ending a trial
that exposed several other scandals, including a murder-for-hire
plot that was funded by a Dallas policeman and targeted Irvin.
He maintained a solemn tone in an impromptu news conference Thursday.
But teammates assured that, in the locker room, Irvin is still
"The Playmaker."
"He's the same flamboyant, loving guy. He's not going to
change that," quarterback Troy Aikman said.
The most unique insight came from often thoughtful offensive
lineman Nate Newton, whose description of his greeting of Irvin
seemed to summarize the twin personas he's trying to balance.
"I walked up to him, hugged him and kissed him," Newton
said. "I told him how he's helped us dig this hole that
we're in and now he's got to help bring us out of it.
"His answer was, 'I know I messed up by not being there
for you guys.' We started crying and exchanging Kleenex and everything
was all right."
So Irvin was really humbled?
"Oh, he was flashy about it," Newton said. "He
used gold Kleenex."
Irvin has remained in good shape during his time off, making
him a lock to start a week from Sunday when the Cowboys host
the Arizona Cardinals. Dallas has a bye this weekend.
His return should help awaken the Cowboys' once-dominant scheme
that has slipped greatly without him, tight end Jay Novacek and,
most recently, Kevin Williams.
No wonder Aikman said Thursday he "was as excited as anybody
to have him out on the field."
Irvin - who described Aikman's early-season frustration as "the
toughest thing to watch" during his absence - was just as
happy.
"I was trying to relax him, make sure he feels comfortable
with what I'm doing," he said. "That means a lot to
me."
Although the team had the last two days off following Monday
night's 23-19 victory over Philadelphia, Irvin has spent a lot
of time at the team's Valley Ranch training facility.
"I was over here as soon as the game ended," said Irvin,
whose suspension concluded when that game did. "As a matter
of fact, I listened to the last bit of it on the radio right
up the street. When the gun sounded, I was pulling up and in
here two seconds later.
"I sat in my locker once again, and I read everybody's notes
in their locker - just being nosy - to see what's been going
on around here," he added, giggling.
So, which Irvin will it be: the remorseful guy who tearfully
spoke of ruining his family's name, or the flashy guy who wore
a fur coat and sunglasses into a courthouse.
It'll probably be, as his close friend Deion Sanders would say,
"both."
All content copyright 1996, AP, The Abilene
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