Irvin Makes His Way Back

Michael Irvin, a former Dallas Cowboys receiver and current NFL analyst speaks with campers Sunday during the Northwest Arkansas Passing Academy football camp at Fayetteville High School.
Michael Irvin, a former Dallas Cowboys receiver and current NFL analyst speaks with campers Sunday during the Northwest Arkansas Passing Academy football camp at Fayetteville High School.

FAYETTEVILLE — Michael Irvin had visited Arkansas only a couple of times before this weekend.

A few years ago, Irvin drove to Fayetteville while in the area for a Walmart engagement. And as it turns out, the former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver known as “The Playmaker” enjoys some quiet time to reminisce.

“Usually, when I come in town, I always go and visit the stadium which I may have played in,” Irvin said. “So, I went to Razorbacks Stadium and I was sitting out there by myself just looking at the stadium, and one of the guys from the team saw me.”

Irvin said he accepted an invitation to speak to Arkansas’ players by Houston Nutt, who was coaching the Razorbacks at the time.

And before he left, Irvin stopped by the Broyles Athletic Center and noticed the statue of his former boss — former Arkansas player and current Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

“I went back and said, ‘Jerry, I didn’t know that you were that good that they gave you a statue,” Irvin said, laughing.

Irvin was only a few blocks from Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Sunday. He made his way around Harmon Stadium as an instructor on the final day of the NW Arkansas Passing Academy.

Dressed in shorts and a black University of Miami T-shirt, Irvin looked like he could still catch touchdown passes from the group of high school quarterbacks who worked on their fundamentals.

But his white Pro Football Hall of Fame hat made it clear that his playing days are over.

Irvin was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007 after catching 750 passes for 11,904 yards and 65 touchdowns. He now serves as an ESPN NFL analyst alongside Chris Mortensen, whose son Alex Mortensen runs the passing academy.

“It’s a great opportunity to come back and spend some time and pour into these young men, especially now when you have so many people talking about the dangers of the game,” Irvin said.

“It’s a good time to keep talking about the positives of the game and how it builds team work and it builds unity and builds within a young man the ability to work together with other young men for true success.”

Irvin should have plenty of memories from his brief time in Arkansas. He was a flashy wide receiver for Miami when the Hurricanes cruised to a 51-7 win over the Razorbacks in front of 55,310 at War Memorial Stadium on Sept. 26, 1987.

Arkansas was ranked No. 10 in the nation at the time, but Miami faced little resistance and went on to finish the season 12-0 en route to the school’s second national championship.

When Irvin arrived at Harmon Stadium on Sunday morning, Chris Mortensen pointed out former Arkansas quarterback Joe Ferguson, who also served as an instructor at the passing camp.

But Irvin knew very well what Ferguson looks like. Growing up in South Florida in the 1970s, Irvin watched as the Miami Dolphins tried to slow down Ferguson, who starred as a quarterback for the Buffalo Bills.

“I said, ‘Mort, you don’t have to explain that to me. I know who that is,’” Irvin said. “I watched him come to Miami every year because I’m from Miami. It was in the AFC East, and those Bills and Dolphins played all the time.”

Irvin is also familiar with another Arkansas resident in first-year Razorbacks linebackers coach Randy Shannon. Irvin and Shannon were roommates and teammates at Miami nearly 30 years ago.

“He was one of the smartest players I’ve ever seen,” Irvin said of Shannon. “He understood the concepts. He understood the game at a real deep level.”

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