Irvin, Others Enjoy Night to Remember

WACO -- Michael Irvin's first trip into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame might be forgettable because he looked and felt like a man kissed with the flu, but unforgettable because of the reminder it served.

When Irvin was escorted into the Tom Landry Theater on Tuesday he had to stop and take a bit longer to look at the exhibits on the iconic late Cowboys coach.
It's often overlooked that in 1988 Irvin was Landry's last first-round pick. Landry was fired after that season by new owner Jerry Jones.

It is often mistakenly assumed that Irvin was drafted by his college coach, Jimmy Johnson. But without Landry pushing to draft the star receiver from Miami, Irvin might never have ended up with the Cowboys.

"To walk in and see all of the other guys that are in the Hall of Fame, I stood and looked at Landry [exhibit]," Irvin said. "I wouldn't be here had he not pulled the trigger. It's definitely an honor."

Known for his gift with words, Irvin was not his normal, entertaining self Tuesday. He was sick, and he sounded and looked every bit the part of an ill man.

"I'm not my usual self," he said. "I wouldn't have missed it no matter how poorly I feel. I was going to make it."

Irvin was part of an eight-member class that was inducted in front of a crowd of more than 1,000 at Baylor's Ferrell Center.

(thescoreboards.com)