Air traffic controller

Sporting News, The, Sept 1, 1997 by Jim Dent

Michael Irvin holds all of the cards. If he plays them wrong, the Cowboys could collapse like a house of cards. But if he plays them wisely -- and is a guiding light instead of a distraction -- the jackpot could be Dallas' again.

If Irvin returns to form and catches 80-90 passes, a fourth trip to the Super Bowl in the 1990s is within reach. But if he reverts to his troubled pattern, the Cowboys could face a repeat of their miseries from 1996.

"Irvin has seated himself in the Godfather role," says sports psychologist Dr. Don Beck, who runs the Dallas-area National Values Center. "Part of his value to the team is that he doesn't mind being king of the hill. He is capable of returning to that role. He needs to get away from the 'to hell with others' attitude and get back to being a leader.

"Being the Godfather carries a big responsibility. The jury is still out on him."

Many signs point to Irvin's return to elite status among NFL receivers. The consensus among players and coaches is that Irvin performed better than anyone in training camp. His preseason stats were not spectacular, but the chemistry between Irvin and quarterback Troy Aikman is back.

"Michael is as important to the offense as Emmitt Smith," says Everson Walls, a former All-Pro cornerback and teammate of Irvin's. "They can't exist without each other. Without Jay Novacek in the offense last season, (Aikman) felt handcuffed without Mike on the other end of his passes. Mike coming back with a clear head should erase a lot of the problems the Cowboys had last year."

The Cowboys' run defense shouldered much of the blame for the team's staggering finish. However, the offense deserved a share of the blame for a 10-6 regular-season record and second-round exit in the playoffs. Irvin was suspended for the first five games after pleading no contest to cocaine possession. His absence was reflected in Aikman's numbers -- 12 touchdowns, his fewest since 1991, and 13 interceptions, the most since 1992. However, problems also cropped up in the running game, thanks in part to a bone spur in Smith's right ankle and the pressure on the ground game to produce against defenses looking to stop the run first. Smith still rushed for 1,204 yards, but it was the fewest since his rookie season (and the 3.7 yards per carry was his worst).

With Irvin stoking the offensive flame, Aikman says a turnaround is imminent. Large contributions from Irvin are especially important considering the Cowboys play the league's toughest schedule in 1997.

"Michael is going to be just fine," Aikman says. "I knew that from the first, second day of camp. His routes are crisp. You can tell that he wants to help this football team. For us to get back where we were before, it is important that everybody be on the same page this year. We've got to get it done."

At Aikman's urging, owner Jerry Jones made some major changes in the off-the-field rules. On the heels of Irvin's no-contest plea and other public-relations hiccups, Jones hired former Cowboys running back Calvin Hill and his wife, Janet, to create a department within the team to improve and monitor players' behavior.

During training camp, the team installed surveillance cameras in the dormitories at St. Edward's University in Austin to monitor players. Uniformed policemen were prevalent on campus. Plainclothes officers often followed players at right around the bar district. Security also has been greatly beefed up at Valley Ranch, the team's regular-season camp in Irving, making it virtually impossible for anyone, including members of the media, to get to the players.

Jones' new policies took an embarrassing setback when coach Barry Switzer was arrested with a loaded handgun at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Switzer says be forgot the gun was in his carry-on bag, but Jones wasn't interested in excuses. He fined the coach $75,000 for conduct detrimental to the team. The behavior code took another beating when a Dallas grand jury heard sexual assault charges against offensive guard Nate Newton. Newton, who is married, admitted to a yearlong relationship with the woman.

Yet another blow to the Cowboys' image was struck on the final night of training camp in Austin. Several thousand dollars worth of damage was reported to the players' dorm. Players ripped down one of the security TV cameras, urinated on the hall floor and caused extensive damage to the carpet and ceiling tiles. Jones said at the time he was unsure if the players would be fined.

Nothing would please Jones more than some positive reinforcement -- say, to see Irvin catch 100 passes while avoiding off-the-field problems. That however, seemed like a long shot in June, when Irvin announced to a packed news conference he was seriously considering retirement. Perhaps he bottomed out in early June when he said he'd "lost the love" for the game.

But those emotions appear to be behind him.

"Now, I feel good about myself." he says. "About who I am. I undergo drugs tests three, four, five times a week. I'm in constant contact with my probation officer. I see a shrink twice a week. I'm working hard on my community service. I'm trying to live up to my responsibilities."