Miami football: 25 greatest Hurricanes of all time
By Joe Romano
5. Michael Irvin
Wide receiver, 1985-1987
There is a trend among all these great players, most of them came from the “State of Miami”. The next in line for that is wide receiver, Michael Irvin. Coming from St. Thomas Aquinas, a school that is still heavily tied to the Hurricanes, Irvin was a big-time get for coach Jimmy Johnson and The U. Irvin embodies what it meant at the time to be a Hurricane. He was uber-talented and let everyone know it with his dancing and celebrating.
On the field, Irvin was a special type of receiver. He burst onto the field in 1985, paired with Vinny Testaverde at the helm. Irvin had 10 touchdown catches that season and a record at the time for most catches and yards by a freshman in Miami history. Those records would be later broken by Reggie Wayne and eventually Ahmmon Richards.
Irvin was able to follow up a successful freshman year by dominating in his sophomore season. He topped those ten touchdowns by grabbing 11 touchdowns. His 868 yards ranked inside the top 20 nationally. Those 11 touchdown grabs were second in the nation. Irvin would be recognized as a first-team All-American selection in the postseason. Miami would disappoint as previously discussed, losing to Penn State in the National Championship game.
In 1987 Irvin had to help new quarterback Walsh fill in for the departed Heisman trophy winner and first overall pick Testaverde. He did just that by leading the team, with Walsh, to an undefeated season and a National Championship. For his play, he would be named second-team All-American. His plays on the field were just as spectacular, he just was not as prominently featured with the new quarterback and team dominating nearly every opponent early. He ended his career with 26 touchdown receptions, a record that still stands with the team.
The NFL came calling and Irvin skipped his final season with the Hurricanes to enter the NFL Draft. He was selected 11th overall by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1988 NFL Draft. A year later his coach, Jimmy Johnson, would also leave the Hurricanes to reunite with his former playmaker. Irvin and Johnson would win a Super Bowl together. Irvin is one of the best receivers in NFL history thanks to his five Pro Bowls, three All-Pro awards, and three Super Bowls. He is a member of both the Cowboys Ring of Honor and Pro Football Hall of Fame for his 11-year career, all spent with Dallas.