Cowboys legend Michael Irvin recalls how Jimmy Johnson saved WR from going back to ghetto

Michael Irvin is widely considered one of the best wide receivers of all time, winning three Super Bowl titles with the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990s as part of a three-headed offensive juggernaut that comprised himself, Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith.

He was also well-known for his eccentric personality, relishing in the epithet "The Playmaker" and engaging in some less-than-savory antics. And that could be traced back to his college days in Miami, Florida.

Speaking last week to Robert Griffin III on RG3 and the Ones, Irvin recalled an incident in his freshman season - one that head coach Jimmy Johnson ultimately had to resolve:

"My first day in Miami. I get into a fight. I've never seen food like this. I'm a freshman. They're telling me, 'Get back. You're a freshman. Shut up bro.' I said, 'Okay, okay, okay. But I want that steak. Gimme that steak right there.'

"Then he looked at me and then he said, 'imme the same steak that freshman wanted.' I grabbed that tray and cracked it over his head. They send me to the office. I said 'Jimmy finna send me right back to the ghetto.'"

---

Michael Irvin calls CeeDee Lamb the "most gifted 88" in Cowboys history

The number 88 holds a special place for the Dallas Cowboys and not just Michael Irvin.

The first two people to wear it were linebacker Sonny Davis and punter Colin Ridgeway. Sonny Randle was the first wide receiver to put on 88, but it did not achieve its storied legacy until Drew Pearson.

But since then, its legacy has only grown, thanks to the likes of "The Playmaker", Dez Bryant and CeeDee Lamb. Speaking of CeeDee Lamb, Irvin had some big words about him in that same episode:

"CeeDee Lamb is the most gifted, physically talented 88 we've ever had. Neither one of us (Irvin and Pearson) were able to do equal damage inside and out. The old 88's, you built a passing game around. This 88, they built the whole system around."

Lamb finished the 2023-24 season with a league- and career-high 135 catches for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns (both also career-highs). He also set career-highs on the ground, rushing for 113 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries.