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Thursday, August 21, 1997

Those who cover Cowboys see signs of the old Irvin

By John Smallwood / Knight-Ridder Newspapers

IRVING, Texas - The Dallas Cowboys locker room was noticeably lacking players when Michael Irvin walked to his stall.

First one reporter, then another, then a whole horde made its way over to the talented but controversial wide receiver.

It's not that Irvin had been refusing to talk, but to say his relationship with the Dallas media has changed since his high-on-the-horse lifestyle crashed in on him would be a major understatement.

Always seeking attention during the first eight years of his career, the flamboyant Irvin never shied away from a camera or an interview. But last season, "The Playmaker" didn't chase the limelight.

That's what happens when an off-field life of drug arrests, league suspensions and accusations of sexual assault becomes bigger news than on-field performance.

So Tuesday, when Irvin, who could have easily hidden in the back rooms of the Cowboys' luxurious training facility at Valley Ranch, actually seemed to enjoy a 45-minute media session, it was a lot like old times.

Irvin smiled.

He joked.

He laughed.

He told how on Monday, Dallas offensive lineman Mark Tuinei, in William Tell style, challenged quarterback Troy Aikman to knock a Gatorade bottle off his head from across the locker room.

"Troy was about 25 or 30 yards away," marveled Irvin, who has 11 receptions for 129 yards in three preseason games. "Look at the ceiling in here and you can see you can't throw the ball high. I'm telling you no lie, man, Troy zipped the ball and - doop! - knocked the bottle right off Tuie's head.

"It amazed me, and I shouldn't be amazed by Troy anymore."

That's the gregarious Irvin the regulars who cover the Cowboys had come to know. It's the guy who has been missing for most of the last 16 months.

"Last year, (Irvin) didn't (joke and carry on) like this with us," longtime Associated Press writer Denne H. Freeman, who has covered the Cowboys for as long as anyone can remember, said of Irvin's jovial press conference. "And for obvious reasons with all the personal (problems) and everything.

"But right now, it's the old Michael Irvin again. You can look out on the football field and see it. He's going to have an incredible year."

It's no secret Irvin is an emotional player. He thrives off the energy he gets from suiting up and slipping on the football helmet with the trademark big, blue star.

But after a year when he was suspended for five games after pleading no contest to felony cocaine possession and was later falsely accused of sexual assault, Irvin said football simply stopped being fun.

He said he wanted to be traded from Dallas because the controversy surrounding him made it too uncomfortable for him to play there.

When the trade didn't happen, he said he was contemplating retirement, skipped the team's minicamps and let the Cowboys' management wonder if he would show up at training camp - until he did.

And while it will be truly impossible for Irvin ever to fully put the events of the last year behind him, this training camp seemingly has given him a big boost in beginning to move on.

"My back was killing me all offseason," said Irvin, who, despite the suspension, still led the Cowboys with 64 catches and 962 receiving yards. "I was thinking, 'I'm not going to be able to play any ball. I'm going to have to retire. My back is hurting.'

"But as soon as I walked into camp, all of a sudden my back was fine. I said you know it must have been stress. It must have been stress, because I was stressed to the limit this offseason. Just being around these guys is good for me. Just being where I am at is good for me."

It's also good for the Cowboys, who readily acknowledge Irvin's presence brings a special energy to the team.

"He looks like the Michael of old," coach Barry Switzer said. "He affects and stimulates the whole team. He is such a big motivator for our football team."

His talent assures that Irvin, who now has 591 career receptions for 9,500 yards and 52 touchdowns, will continue to be a great player.

Whether he will remain a great citizen is a more iffy proposition, but he is getting more incentives to do so.

Once stacked with endorsements, Irvin's troubles with the law had made him a Madison Avenue pariah. But Aikman, who is perceived as one of the NFL's most clean-cut players, went to bat for his teammate and helped him land an endorsement with Logo Athletic.

"I view the Logo Athletic deal as a sign that some people are telling me they believe in people," Irvin said when the deal was announced last month. "They're saying they believe things happen in life and things go wrong, but some companies will still take a chance on you.

"I truly appreciate it. Troy had a lot to do with this, and I've thanked him and told him that I appreciate it."

Last year, when far too many people called for his head on a platter, I said I hoped Irvin would straighten out his life and return to greatness as a player, while regaining a measure of respect, as well.

I didn't want him to get any special treatment because of who he was, but I didn't want him to be overly punished and made an example for the same reason, either.

If you think Irvin's legal penalty (probation and community service) was too light, then take it up with the Texas court system.

If you think his league punishment - which was a game longer than that of most first-time offenders - wasn't enough, then take it up with NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue.

Irvin - like you, me, everyone - deserves a second chance.

If he has rediscovered his passion for the game and can keep his off-field life in order, then it is not only good for him, but also for the NFL and its fans.

(c) 1997, Philadelphia Daily News.

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