Dallas Cowboys: 15 Best players in team history
By Randy Gurzi
Michael Irvin. 7. player. 123. . Wide Receiver. (1988-1999)
We get to our first member of “The Triplets” here as Michael Irvin comes in at No. 7. During the Cowboys dominant run in the 90s, they were led by running back Emmitt Smith, quarterback Troy Aikman, and wide receiver Michael Irvin. The three-headed monster was impossible to stop when they got rolling and to this day, fans are wanting to recreate this triplet group whenever the Cowboys have new stars on offense.
An emotional leader on the field, Irvin was a first-round pick in 1988 out of Miami. He was later joined by his former head coach in college, Jimmy Johnson, and the two continued to be a great fit for one another as Johnson helped No. 88 turn into one of the best in the NFL at his position.
Nicknamed “The Playmaker,” Irvin recorded his first 1,000-yard season in 1991 when he went for 1,523 yards on 93 receptions. He crossed that plateau in each of the next four seasons — making the Pro Bowl in every one of those campaigns.
Irvin ended up putting up two more seasons of more than 1,000 yards but that ended in 1999 when he suffered a career-ending neck injury at the age of 33. Another Hall of Famer, the star receiver is second all-time in Dallas history with 11,904 yards and 750 receptions. He’s also fourth in receiving touchdowns with 65 in his career.