Michael Jerome Irvin is an American sports commentator and former professional football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). In 2007, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Irvin played college football at the University of Miami and was selected in the first round of the 1988 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. Irvin was nicknamed “The Playmaker” due to his penchant for making big plays in big games during his college and pro careers.
He is one of three key Cowboys offensive players, along with Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith, known as “The Triplets” who led the Cowboys to three Super Bowl championships in 1992, 1993, and 1995. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wide receivers of all time. Irvin is a former broadcaster for ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown and is currently an analyst for NFL Network.
Why is Michael Irvin’s number not retired?
Despite his 750 receptions, 11,904 receiving yards and 65 touchdowns as a Cowboy, the “Playmaker” has no intention of letting the No. 88 leave the football field.
In a recent profile on Irvin on The Ringer titled “The Gospel of Michael Irvin,” the Cowboys great spoke about why he’d rather have his jersey number on the field, rather than in the rafters.
“People tell me, ‘Michael, why don’t they retire your jersey?’ Why would I want my jersey retired,” Irving told The Ringer. “When they retire it, the only time they talk about it is when I leave time and go to eternity and they take the camera off the field and say, ‘Hey, we lost Michael Irvin today. Back to the game.’”
“Why should I wait for my death for my flowers? With Dez Bryant wearing [88], every Sunday when he makes a play, they say, ‘Boy, that reminds you of Michael Irvin!’ If he a drops a ball, they say, ‘Michael Irvin wouldn’t have dropped that!’”