Monday, May 6, 1996

Irvin Can Find Role Models on the Cowboys If He Would Look Around

By DENNE H. FREEMAN
AP Sports Writer

IRVING, Texas (AP) - During the NFL draft, there was this cozy scene at Valley Ranch.

Emmitt Smith was sitting in a corner of the lockerroom offering some advice to his buddy, Michael Irvin, who is scheduled to be tried June 24 on drug possession charges.

They were talking in hushed tones. Presumably Smith was trying to convince Irvin to stay out of strange hotel rooms after dark.

A thousand miles away in Hollywood Deion Sanders was offering some free pre-draft advice to Keyshawn Johnson, the wide receiver from Southern California who was the No. 1 pick in the draft, and running back Lawrence Phillips of Nebraska, who slid to sixth before St. Louis selected him.

Sanders was quoted as saying "I just don't want these guys to make a lot of the same mistakes I made coming out of college. I want them to do their thing and wish them the best."

Cynics would say Sanders should have given this lecture to Irvin, who cost himself millions in endorsements for his self-admitted "bad judgment" and goodness knows how much emotional pain to his family.

The courthouse oddsmakers feel Irvin won't ever spend a day in jail. He has three things that can happen but none is expected to keep him from the football field when the Cowboys open practice in Austin on July 18.

Here's how the courthouse smarts figure it:
* If he's convicted he likely would get probation as a first time offender and beloved (by Cowboys fans) public figure. This would put him on the good works circuit serving out his time helping charities.
* He could cop a plea before the trial starts with the understanding he would get probation.
* He could be found innocent as charged. It wouldn't hurt the Irvin defense if they found the lady who asked Irvin to autograph her Bible and get her on the jury.

The Cowboys are still trying to do damage control over the Irvin incident, one in a series involving their players in the 1990s where the club never leaves the headlines. They are either winning a Super Bowl or somebody gets arrested.

Irvin didn't help his cause by showing up in front of the Dallas County grand jury in his black mink coat, bowler hat and his dazzling diamond look. Later, he toned it down with a business suit for other appearances but the hot-dog impression he left could cost him with potential jurors down the line.

Did you ever notice that there are certain players on the team who have nothing but a wholesome image? You would think their good behavior would rub off on their colleagues. Do you ever see Troy Aikman doing anything wrong except dipping snuff? Daryl Johnston never does anything out-of-line. It wasn't his fault a construction crane hit his house.

Smith, in particular, is never seen doing the wrong thing at the wrong place. He keeps his private life under control. Smith and Irvin are good friends and it's amazing Irvin couldn't get a clue seeing the way Smith operates.

Smith joked recently at Valley Ranch during a mini-camp "I've been lying low lately. I've been in town but you haven't seen me. There's sometimes you don't want any publicity being a Cowboy."
Then Smith left to get his college degree in hotel/resort management at the University of Florida. Yes, a college degree. Smith has been spending part of his off-season studying.

Some professional football players, coddled since they were in high school and certainly in college where they had a free run, believe they're invincible once they get to the NFL. Some figure they can get by with anything. They think they don't have to play by society's rules.

Then the trouble starts.

Then Bam Morris gets arrested on marijuana possession. And Irvin's night out on his birthday becomes big national headlines.

Nobody can blame coach Barry Switzer or owner Jerry Jones for Irvin's situations. They can't be body guards for a grown adult.

The only thing they can do now is encourage the NFL to have more frequent drug testing. The honor system just doesn't work anymore.

The only criticism Jones should shoulder for the Irvin situation is his idea of letting the clubs control the drug testing.

Does anyone see anything wrong with that proposal?

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