NFL Hall of Famer Michael Irvin

27:26But here's a couple things. You've been a caregiver for years. how has that fight kind of changed the definition again we're talking about the ether of strength for you you know that's a playmaker but now you're a playmaker on a different kind of field over here yeah but i've watched my wife man show me um you know an uncanny kind of a love you know and you with what i put her through and what she endured and then the way she handled it you know my wife's never been on social media She's never had any social media, never wanted to be in front of any cameras or anything. You know, she's just one of those godly women that just wanted to be a wife.

28:13You know what I mean? And even when I was, when she should have gotten up and gotten out and got out of here or whatever, she would always say, God has told me I am your wife. I'm not going anywhere. So, you know, I will always honor her no matter what. And she didn't want anybody to know about this either, guys. You know, because we had watched my mom and we had watched her mom. We built right here in this house. We have quarters because we were in Miami, University of Miami. We all used to drive in the back of South Miami and see the big houses and dream about the houses we were going to get.

28:50That's right. And then we're going to build quarters for our mothers because, you know, mothers, poor mother-in-law suite. So we built quarters. And, you know, her mom died. So, yeah, so we always talked about a man, and we had her. Her mom died here, right here. And she watched my mom from Alzheimer's. Her mom's from Alzheimer's. And when she first got sick, Jim, we were 49. She's about 49. It's 10 years ago. And we thought it was menopause for about the first year, going through the doctor and thinking it's menopause. But then we find out it's early onset. And that's when she was like, just don't tell anybody.

29:29I don't want anybody to know because she just didn't want anybody to know. But we had some family issues, and it got out. That is strong because, and I think you made a great point, too. You said your humility because you basically, I'm going to quote you, you said that you confessed everything to her, hoping that she'd fight. Right. So you could walk away, but instead she said, I'm your wife? Dude. You got to handle that with the man upstairs, huh? I'm coming home. I'm coming home now. All of this stuff at the hotel is breaking everywhere. I'm like, oh, I gotta walk in the house. I gotta get...

30:05You know, I'm coming up with all kinds of arguments, all kinds of things, and really thinking when we get into this argument, I'm gonna just bust back out the door and get back to it. You see what I mean? I'm really clocking the mind, man. When I walked in, before I even got in the house, that's what she said. She said, hey, she said, don't say a word to me. God has told me, I am your wife, and I am not going anywhere. She said, but you have to make your peace with God. And dude, I'd much rather have a fight. You got to face reality of what it really is, right? She put the fight between me and me.

30:48Between me and me. She said, I'm going to get out of the way. And she put the fight between me and me, man. Oh, man. Yeah, that broke me. That broke me. That hurt me. But on the back end of that, what was the result of that going through that? Because we see that Michael Irvin today, we see how you've been able to handle different situations with a smile on your face, even when you're accused of something, even when something goes on. It's the Michael Irvin that's still positive. and how much is that a direct reflection of what that conversation and that experience was all about? But, you know, and that's how we have always been.

31:30You know, for years, after she got sick, you know, Sundays, we would still go to the potter's house. And I love Bishop Jakes for this. I love him for this. And the church knew because they would assist me in getting her into church. you know, they would have a lady there and we would drive and they would help. She would help because if she had to go to the bathroom, you know, help her get in the bathroom. But then get us in the front, get us out front so we can get the service. The only time my wife would have a moment, you know, is when we were in service and like when they're singing sometimes.

32:24like when they're singing spiritual music you could you could you could see her in there you know sometimes so you know so i would always try to make sure i go on sundays go to church with it but then it just then it got even too difficult to do that but but you know we we had to about about five years ago, you know, took about five years. I'm sorry, I didn't even go there. I didn't even go there. But that was, yeah, that was, yeah, probably the last time, really, you could see her in there. Powerful, man. But it would only be, like, in service. Like, you know, I would be sitting in the gym like, dang, just, you know.

33:07Like, you go to church and you feel God, you feel God and all of that, and everybody but but when i when she just she did and they're singing and she start you know now when they started getting to the sermon but but when he she's singing it was just yeah that was a that was beautiful that was beautiful on a lot of levels you know what i mean to see the spirit still talking to her like that and she's still getting joy even in in that situation. Yeah, it's and thank you for sharing that too because I know it's difficult in those situations to relive and kind of go back through when someone you love is dealing with the health issues and as powerful and as much gravitas and connections you have not to be able to step in and say, I got it.

33:56I'm going to make sure it's better. That's a challenge all in itself too because she has to deal with her own battle as you have to deal with yours and as much as you want to give and give back and help, let's say physically, but you're there mentally. With that situation and with her, my whole thing was I just wanted to, you know like God has blessed us and I've worked hard and and I want her to be able to enjoy what we worked for and the hard part is seeing her like that without you know not knowing I just think it's a horrible disease you know these are mothers that spend their whole life trying to take care of their kids.

34:59And in the end, they won't even be able to recognize their kids. And just think it's a horrible, horrible disease. And there's so many families dealing with it. So many families dealing with it. So many mothers, or fathers too. I mean, there's so many people dealing with it. But that's just horrific to me. So I said, you know, Because moms, they do everything for their kids. Everything. That's all. That's all she wanted. Everything was for the kids. Make sure the kids were there. And then in the end, you can't recognize the kid that you've done everything for. I just think that's a vicious disease.

35:35With that, too, and your travels, and once this came to the forefoot of what your family was dealing with, was it a connection with some other people that you didn't even know that were dealing with the same thing that kind of help you walk through this transition? Well, it's interesting because, you know, as a spiritual man, that's what the word says, you know, spiritually. It says, confess one ye to another, pray ye one for the other. In this we shall find healing because it tells us to share our journeys. In sharing our journeys, we'll see the strengthening places. We see where God has helped you and everything.

36:14We go to the Bible. 2 ,000 years ago, read that instead of sharing now, reading this, because he's still writing the Bible. So that's why, yeah, there are people here on All Timers Association reached out to me, and you started, you know, and that's how you say, oh, okay, a lot of people dealing with this. This is, you know, and even something good may come out of this finding out. Now, listen, I was vexed even when people found out because, you know, I was, yeah, you know, because there are things that you go through with what you made that in those moments you and her may have shared. You know what I mean?

37:02You want to hold that true and it means something. You know, it means something. She didn't want anyone to know. And for eight, nine years, I was able to hold on to that until that situation happened. And then somebody else put it out. But I was upset that it had gotten out. But then when I get the response and how many people saying, thank you, Michael, this really helped me. Then you say, OK, maybe there's another side to it. You know, and you try to pull towards that side and say, okay, then maybe you did some good even opening up, sharing about it. Yeah, you know, going through that too, you got a brother, excuse me, and Deion Sanders who you guys both support each other.

37:46You went through your stuff. He was there for you. He goes through his health issues. You're there for him. How has that bond? We know you brothers, but, I mean, it's a different kind of thing right here with you and Deion. Florida State, Florida, but it don't matter. It's just a different thing. Well, we're boys, period. That's how I got him here, too, right? Because you remember now, he had been in Atlanta and then been with San Francisco, right, right? And I knew on the field he had a fight with Ryzen when they went and played each other. And then, you know, I heard some things that went down in San Francisco between him and Jerry.

38:24And then when I called him, I said, hey, man, I don't know what I do. Come over here and play with me, man. You know, them Negroes ain't from Florida. What you playing with rising and rights for anyway, man? So Dion and I, you know, we met way back. We were in school and everything, man. So have an opportunity to get with him and play together with him. And I do love him, man. I love him so much. Because I'm older than Dion. But I call him my little big brother. because Deion Deion is that straight lady that straight dude you know he's a coolest dude but Deion wait wait wait back up back up so you're talking about the straight come on but he said it's prime time over here then it's Deion Sanders so Deion is the straight one oh yeah all of it Deion or prime ain't never drink or chew ain't gonna hang around with nobody but that dude but he's gonna go around with me and I ain't just drinking got you it's always one it's always one but he's so straight with it and I honor him on that man you know it's so funny it's so funny Deion Daryl Green it's crazy how many dudes that you competed against that you really become such great friends with now Deion's my best one but I love Daryl I love Aeneas Williams.

39:55You know, all of these dudes that I compete against, it's like you get this mutual respect for each other that'll last forever. You know what I mean? Every year I see them dudes at the Hall of Fame. Man, you know, it's just great things, man. It's a great thing because we knew what it took. We knew what we put into it. We knew what it was like going up against each other. And it just makes your brothers forever, man. But I love Dion, man. Dion came over here one time when I was going through all of that, man. I'll share this with you, dude. And I'm wilding out one night. Went out all night and coming back home.

40:36I'm going to start over and get back out there. And Dion, when I got ready to pull back out, Dion was in the driveway. I said, what's up, man? He said, no, man. He said, dude, what's up, man? What you doing, man? I said, what do you mean? I'm just going. He said, no, we ain't going nowhere, man. We'll sit right here. I mean, the Joker bowed up, ready to fight. We ain't going nowhere right now, you know, to keep me here. And so that's a brother. You know, it's a brother that's going to come and tell you what you need to know when you need to know it. Now, hey, you wildin'. We'll stop this right now.

41:07You wildin', you know what I mean? And if you want to get back out here wildin', you're going to have to do it over my dead body because we're going to sweat right here. You know what I'm saying? So I'll always appreciate him for that. No, no. And it's amazing, too. again the persona part of it how you see dion especially those that grew up in the air with you think one thing but he's told us over the years that's one part of who i am but this is the main part who which you're talking about right there and i'm sure he's done he's done that for other people too with regards to being the voice of reason right and i don't know why we do this as people and why we think somebody with personality oh that means they're selfish should only care about themselves.

41:51You know, I don't always exuberant play. You know, people think sometimes it's not just about, oh, I'm doing this to make you look bad. I do what I do to bring the best out of me. You know, when I play height, I catch first down, first down. I'm not trying to step on you. I'm trying to bring the best out of me. What brings the best out of you? So, Deion, the prime time, that's what brings the best out of him. He had vision. Half-stepping down the sideline. You're going to say he's doing it against you. No, he's doing it for him. You see what I'm saying? So, we like to think that somebody with that kind of cash, flash, and dash is selfish.

42:35But he's totally not that. And I'm talking about been doing this forever. When he was playing, when he was playing, He would go get kids that live in some place I don't know where. I don't know where from. I come over to his house. He got these kids. I said, who are these? Are these my kids? And this is it. Uh-huh. Where do you get these kids from, man? You over here, man. He pulled this kid from somewhere, this kid from somewhere, and put them in a better school to give them opportunities to go play ball, to go get a scholarship. He's been doing this always. I mean, I said, how do these people give you their kids?

43:15How does it happen? He literally have them living with them, man. So what he's doing, he's walking out his destiny, dude. He was doing it when he was playing. When he was playing, he was doing it, helping kids get there. And now he gets to going to it. So, yeah, that's why my heart was broken on draft day. I know what he's put into all of this. I know what he's put into it. Pays Checkout is offered by your banks and credit unions. So when you shop online at participating merchants, your cards appear in one place, ready to use and kept up to date. And the best part, your actual card number isn't shared when you check out.

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44:31Availability, amount of discounts and savings, and eligibility vary by state. But they're built for it, though. I mean, you know, it may not have happened the way they wanted. Right, right. You're right. They're built for it long term. And they turn it into something. That's right. They turn that mess into some form of greatness. Some kind of way is what I say. No doubt. So, listen. So, because you talked about relationship, I got a couple things I want to get. Real quick, rapid questions for you right now. Okay? You ready? I want to say stuff. So, toughest defensive back. And we ain't talking about Deion because we already said it.

45:06That you had to play against. hmm that's a that's a lot in there man man when toughest I was tough as I'll go Aeneas Williams I beat his I beat him down all the time and he kept showing back up he's a hall of famer I mean uh we won a lot of games against but boy he kept showing back up and then and then my wife and I my wife and I we would be over at Red Lobster this was early Red Lobster, Irving offseason, and here come Aeneas Williams. I was like, dude. I said, baby, I've been beating this Joe for a time. He keeps lining up. He keeps lining up, man. He was strong, man. He was filthy, man. That's my dog, man.

45:50He's a fighter, man. He's a fighter. And I respect that. I know how I was hitting across his head. It should have been some fouls, some flags thrown and everything. And he just kept showing right back up. Like, Mike, I ain't going nowhere. So I respect that. All right. on the 90s championship teams, who was probably maybe the most underrated player on those teams? I say to this day, Eric Williams is the most underrated player in the history of the National Football League. I don't care what you're saying. He should have been a Hall of Fame. He should have been a first ballot Hall of Famer for what he did.

46:22And Eric Williams is the one that said, Reggie White, no more. He was the one, when you go back, Reggie White was throwing 300 pounders across the football field. Go look at the film. until Big E, Eric Williams, got in the league and said no more. Gotcha. So, okay, one word to describe Jimmy Johnson.

46:49Miracle. Miracle. Okay. Same thing. One word to describe Jerry Jones. Jerry's a miracle too, man. A different miracle? Let me tell you something. Now, Jimmy's a miracle because Jimmy took all of us kids that grew up in the ghettos of Florida and he brought us in. And when we were at Miami, the one thing he'd make us all do every Thursday night, right, we'd meet. He'd bring us some Whoppers or Big Macs and stuff, and we could not talk football. We could only talk about what we're going to do in our lives beyond football. We couldn't talk football because we didn't have anybody in our homes that modeled any kind of a plan.

47:37So Jimmy would bring us in every Thursday night and make us meet. And I look around now and see all the dudes, some of the dudes that were in the room and still have a success in life. That's why I call him a miracle. That means he's a miracle on all of our journeys because if he didn't give us those moments, we wouldn't be doing what we're doing right now. Now, Jerry's a miracle for the National Football League. Remember when the league was about to start saying, the networks, those networks we talked about, came to the league and said, you saw it in the documentary, we're not making enough money.

48:11We need to cut back on that. And Jerry said no. The rest of the owners wanted to give CBS a break. Jerry said no and brought in Fox, you see. And now this is the healthy league. is business-wise, they just got$150 billion. That means all of us, everybody wins in that deal. I don't know that the league would have been what it is today had it not been for the miracle, Jerry. What I loved out of that documentary about Jerry was I didn't know what I learned out of it. I didn't know that his college thesis was on the broken system of the NFL. That means you were in college already thinking about that.

48:54So people can say this. I say this about Jerry Jones. You may disagree with him about it from a general management perspective. But that business is business. But the ownership part of it, one of the best that Pevrey ever did it. Yeah. Hands down. From the business side. Yeah. That business. That business is business. And I appreciate it because I still do business with him. You know what I mean? And I know that's one thing. I know Michael wanted that. Michael wanted to have that relationship with a guy in the Green Bay Packers don't even have an honor. I know. Circles back to that. Okay, so out of the three Super Bowl rings, what's your favorite one?

49:32The first is always the best. I don't care what anybody say, man. The first, and people get afraid to say that, but the first time is the first time. You can't redo the first time. The other times were great, but the first time I caught that bang A to score the touchdown, I thought about all the people in that ghetto that I grew up in that said I wasn't going to be lifted. They saw that one right there. They saw that. They saw that first one, right? They said you had all the success at the U. Nah, this right here means something a little different. That was it, dude. You know, that kid ain't going to never be nothing.

50:11That kid, Pearl, I'm telling you, Pearl, he ain't going to never be nothing. That's exactly what I thought about when I wear it. I hope I'm here to listen to y 'all. Take that. I'm in the Super Bowl, you know, because you dreamed about it in your front yard. Big time. And you just, man, oh, my God, you just made it happen. Nothing like that first. Okay, so you know the playmaker. Is the playmaker for you a personal blessing, having that moniker or a curse? You know how I got it. I got it from, it's a blessing for me. It's a blessing because they mention me all the time, even when they are not mentioning me.

50:53so when they say on TV or watching or doing a game boy he is our playmaker they are talking about the adjective they know I am the I am the playmaker you know what I'm saying so it works I am the so even when they don't mention Mike Werbin they mention me so listen so you recently said this too about and this is maybe not a quick hitter but Mount Rushmore wide receivers, which are great. I mean, you mentioned Andre Johnson and Megatron and Terrell Owens. You had Jerry Rice and yourself, of course, Andre Reid. There's so many great receivers. Hold on, hold on. Let me get to this. You left out my boy Who?

51:38From the Ohio State University hands himself, which was CC. Come on, man. Come on, Mike. When they gave my Mount Rushmore, I'm not Rushmore. I'm not saying he's top five, but I'm talking about being mentioned with the others. Exactly. Chris Carter definitely deserves to be in there all the way around. Now, with pure hands, the best in the game. You ask me, one person whose hands I'm going to take, if I'm building a perfect receiver, as hard as it is for me to say, and it's hard for me to say this, But because, you know, I will give that to Chris Carter. It's very hard for me to say that. Because the dude just, you know, he had some incredible hands and he made some incredible plays, man.

52:32But when we talk about the great receivers, I always say to Jim, I said, listen, Jared Rice is the greatest. He was on my locker room. Right. He was on my locker room. But I tell people like this, I said, And soon as you finish with that E and right, you go with that L and Mike. And Mike. You see what I'm saying? Yo, Jerry played 18 years. He got three rings. I played about nine. He got three rings. Okay. So, yeah. So, it works out. But, but, but, but I think about honesty. And if somebody said, get me on your mind, what's more? I'm putting June Pearson on my mind. Oh, yeah, Drew, big time. So I'm a Steeler fan.

53:17Lin Swan got the hype, but it was John Starworth who was like the linchpin for the Steeler. Bad man. Bad man. John Starworth was a bad man. John Starworth caught them slant route. Lin Swan caught them deep route all down the hill. Lin Swan, Lin Swan was when I was in high school and I went to Disney World. They call it grad night. We went to Disney World. It was my first time going to Disney World. I had just got kicked out of the public school. I was at the private school now. Went to grad school, man. And they had a video of Lance Swann making that one-hand play. By the sideline? Yeah, by the sideline.

53:59Dude. Every other kid wanted to go ride the Space Mountain. I just kept going by that little video. Just going by that little video. He said, Mike, you gonna ride here? I said, no, y 'all go ahead. So I just wanted to see, I just kept seeing that play, man, of 88 making that play. So, okay, but you asked me about Mount Rushmore. I'm going to put Drew on there for what he means to me. Okay. Let me hear some, for what he means to me. And let me tell you why I say that. First of all, I want people, I'm a spiritual man. The number eight stands for new beginnings. And Drew was given 88. That's a double new.

54:38So, Drew, this man went from undrafted all the way to the Hall of Fame. I tell people I measure many distance traveled. Don't tell me about where you are. Tell me about where you started. Let me see where you are, and I shall measure you accordingly. Will you tell me you, a hundredth player in a camp, not a hundredth player, but a hundredth player in a camp didn't get drafted, and then you got to a team and took it to the Hall of Fame, You created that new beginning. So it means something to me. My father died my senior year in high school. So he had never gotten a chance to see me play football.

55:23I'm 16. I had 16 brothers and sisters. He was a roof. You know, he worked 7 a.m. 7 p.m. Sun up, sun down. So during the week, and literally, you know, you play, he works Saturdays too. And then he's a preacher. He had to travel sometimes Saturday and preach on Sundays and everything. So what he would always say to me, what he would always talk to me about, man, my father would always talk to me about was about what does it take to be a man? And what is a man? and he had gotten real sick and he had cancer. And I was a junior in high school and I had to take him back and forth to the doctor. And I was transferring from a public school to a private school.

56:20My principal in the public school wouldn't sign the waiver. And then they took me to court. And they said to me, we don't think you're making a decision for educational reasons. We think you're doing this for athletic reasons. So high school sues me in St. Thomas Aquinas. In the lawsuit of the judge ordered that I can't play football if I stay at St. Thomas. But I can play if I go back to the public school where I've been kicked out. I'm failing and doing well. You know what I'm saying? Oh, you can play if you go back there. So we decided that I wasn't going to play. I'm going to stay at St. Thomas.

57:04And, you know, a year later, they lifted. So I didn't play my junior year. I would just spend my whole junior year going to and from the hospital with my dad. My senior year, before my first game, my dad died. My first year. You know, and he was saying, I'm so proud you made this decision, son. You're doing the right thing. I'm going to be there for the first game. You know, but he wasn't. So it's from high school. and that's the first time I played wide receiver. It was my senior year in high school, the first time I played wide receiver. Before then, I was a defensive end and a tight end. St.

57:39Thomas moved me in my senior year. And so then I go on to get to the NFL. My dad and I watched the Dallas Cowboys play every weekend. His favorite player was Drew Pearson. Called him to play. So, man, I promise you, dude, And when I got here and I got 88, it blew my mind. It blew my mind, man. I'm telling you, I was crying thinking about like, wow. Every time I made a play, I can vision me watching the game with my dad and how he act. When Drew made the Hail Mary, because he always jumped up, that's how I would play. That's how I would attach that. So, you know, Drew holds a special spot because he motivated me.

58:29He gave me to put the number on me and then motivated me again. You know what I'm saying? And he told me when he gave me the number, he said, don't do what I did. Do better. And he's a great dude, man. And he talks about it. That's where I get it from. He talks about we're not comparing one another. We're stacking our legacies on top of one another. So we both grow up. He did what he did with it. He gave it to me. I do what I got to do with it. Dears take it to another level. we're stacking these things that's what Drew Pips so it's a long way to tell you how much I love Drew but he definitely deserves to be on that Mount Rushmore on distance travel from undrafted to Hall of Famer that 88 deserves to be on that and that's the beauty of it Mike is because it's your list so your impact and what these people mean to you is different than everybody else's and that journey you talked about before we get out of here I want to say this So with everything you've been through, if you could go back and tell that 15 year old boy who's eating those mayonnaise sandwiches back there in Fort Lauderdale.

59:33OK, about the journey ahead. What would you tell him? Oh. Manage best you can. What you can. But I also do this. And this is what I would tell all of us. all of us and do a lot of speaking right and i'll title speeches sometimes because people give me 40 minutes and i'm trying to give them something i'll walk out of the next 30 40 years so you come up with things to help stain the brain like i'll come up with how to see your way to a championship would be a title of a speech and i and i would say to you i'm not talking about using this divine apparatus called the eye gate i'm talking about giving you six seeds and if you rehearse these six seeds daily you'll end up in a championship lane now six seeds it's because six points are a touchdown but when i'm with young men and you ask me about a 14 you know 15 year old man i always say i got an extra point to see and that extra point c is be careful i tell Be careful.

1:00:45Don't have great success in any profession without growing maturity in your person. Because you will have some situations. You see what I mean? You're up here in your profession, but you're still down here in your person. That's going to bring about a problem. You grow. Make sure you both grow. your profession and your person so you can have sustained good success. Let the church speak, baby. I'm just saying, bro. And this is why I wanted to get you on because I knew, I know so much more the dynamic of Michael Irvin. We've all been blessed over the years to see more of Michael, not just one side.

1:01:31The beauty, the grace, the humility, the sacrifice, the father, the mentor, the personality, all these things wrapped up. And to me, brother, like I said, congrats on everything. I know you continue to assist, uplift young men, especially in our world of athletics, but the ones who need to be touched. And I appreciate you just taking the time out your busy days. You had a lot going on as ESPN. You got is what it is. And that's congratulations on that. You add so much value to that. Cam and Mace, congratulations with that. But all that you do, bro, is so much more. So I appreciate you taking the time to come on, man.

1:02:12Jim, you keep doing what you're doing, Jim. All we're doing, man, is trying to help out. You know what I mean? Use our scars to prevent scars. You see what I'm saying? That's all we're doing, man. So keep doing what you're doing, man. Keep confessing one to another and praying one for the other. That's what we all should be doing. God bless you, my brother. Back at you, bro. Well, ladies and gentlemen, that was Michael Irvin. Raw, honest, and everything you expect from, you know, the playmaker. I appreciate him sharing his stories with us because there's so much more than just one and who he is as a person and what he's been able to do and accomplish outside of the game of basketball.

1:02:52If you want to hear from more of his takes, you can catch him on It Is What It Is show. That's with Cam and Mace, of course. You know, great show for his platform. But also, listen, for the Jim Jackson show, please like and subscribe to this as well. We got more great guests coming your way. So as always, thanks again and appreciate you watching.

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