Cowboys' Irvin Retires; Starts New Career As Television Sportscaster

Jet, July 31, 2000

Michael Irvin, the eight-time Pro Bowl receiver who won three Super Bowl rings with the Dallas Cowboys, struggled for months before he finally made the decision to leave the game he loves.

Irvin, 34, recently announced his retirement after 12 seasons with the Cowboys due to a serious spine condition.

"My doctor basically said I could play if I really wanted to," Irvin said. "It became an emotional thing, a family thing."

Although all football players face the risk of suffering an injury that could leave them paralyzed, Irvin learned Oct. 10 that he was particularly in jeopardy. A herniated disc that left him temporarily paralyzed in a game against Philadelphia uncovered that he has a narrow spine.

"I tried to rationalize it: `Any hit can be your last hit. You've been doing that all your life.' But I've accomplished a great deal of things that I wanted to accomplish, and at this juncture there's no need to risk it and go on," he said.

The very day Irvin retired, he was hired by Fox Sports Net to work primarily on the Sunday pregame show "NFL This Morning." He also will make appearances on the network's nightly "National Sports Report" program.

"I called my mom when I got the job," Irvin said, the New York Daily News reported. "She said, `Baby, when God closes one door he opens another.'"

During his NFL career, Irvin caught 750 passes for 11,904 yards. At the time of his final play, both figures were ninth in league history. Of the players ahead of him, only Jerry Rice has as many Super Bowl rings.

"TV is my career now," Irvin said, according to a Daily News report. "This is what I will put all my time into. I'll work as hard at this as I did at football."