Michael Irvin Finally Explains Why He Passed on Packers for Cowboys in the Draft

As a rookie in 1988, Michael Irvin became the first Cowboys rookie receiver to start a season opener in 20 years. He led the NFC with a 20.4-yard average per catch that year. Drafted 11th overall, Irvin quickly developed into one of the most elite receivers, but during his draft, there was another team that showed immense interest in him. It was Green Bay—a team he didn’t want to play for. So, when the Packers let him know they would pick him seventh, Irvin and his whole family thought, “No way, Green Bay!”

Irvin had a whole strategy to avoid getting drafted by a team he was avoiding. In 2020, he revealed how he decided he would drop a class if something like that happened and then finish up in summer school. That way, the team would lose a draft choice, but he could still apply for a supplemental draft. But now, he revealed some additional aspects about why he avoided Green Bay. On the September 3 episode of Club Shay Shay, Shannon Sharpe questioned him: “Why did you tell the Packers not to draft you?”

Irvin responded: “They called me because I was a junior. Like, I was graduating early, right? Back when you were coming out back then, you had to graduate to go to the draft early. But it gave me control over the draft. So if somebody calls me and I didn’t want to go, I can decline. I’m going back to school. And that’s what I wanted. I just wanted control.

“I wanted my direction towards, you know, somewhere on the west coast, in New York. I really just wanted to be in Dallas, you know, I always wanted to be in Dallas. So I was trying to work my way.” That’s true. He wanted to go to Dallas. In fact, his father was a huge Cowboys fan and would often sport a fedora hat like Tom Landry used to. His father died when he was in his senior year in high school, but his sister always believed he would go to Dallas. And Irvin did everything possible to make sure it happened.

That control mattered to him. The Packers in the late ’80s were stuck in mediocrity, still searching for an identity after decades of decline post-Lombardi. Dallas, meanwhile, was a sleeping giant about to wake up. Irvin sensed the opportunity, not just to play, but to win. And within a few years, he became the centerpiece of a dynasty that defined the ’90s. But it doesn’t end there.

The weather played a big role in Irvin avoiding the Packers. “But then I started thinking, you know, weather-wise, coming from Florida, going to Green Bay,” he added. It sounds lighthearted, but there was truth in it. Coming from Florida, the cold weather in Green Bay would have made life difficult for him. On the other hand, the Cowboys were about to be sold to Jerry Jones, who immediately hired Jimmy Johnson and tore the roster down to rebuild it around young talent. Irvin was the first cornerstone.

His instincts to steer away from Green Bay, which had no quarterback, no coach, no plan, ended up aligning with one of the greatest turnarounds in NFL history. After Troy Aikman joined the team in 1989 and Emmitt Smith in 1990, they complemented Irvin’s talents and bolstered Dallas’s offense. The team immediately became a contender, with Irvin’s elevated play as a major factor. In 1991, he helped Dallas to an 11-5 record and playoff return with 93 catches for a league-leading 1,523 yards and eight touchdowns. He earned consensus All-Pro honors and was the first of five straight Pro Bowl selections.

Irvin had witnessed Bernie Kosar work his way to Cleveland. Irvin decided to do the same with the Cowboys during his draft. But when it was the Packers who decided to inform him about their interest and not the Cowboys, it brought up a dilemma within his family. Speaking about that, he said, “So when they called, I’m sitting there. We ain’t got a dime […] And they all looking (16 siblings) like, are we rich yet? Are we rich yet? Like, ‘No. Not yet. That’s it’.” Within a few years, those same family members who sat in that room got to watch him lift Lombardi Trophies, something Green Bay fans wouldn’t see again until Brett Favre finally broke through during Super Bowl XXXI, which took place on Jan. 26, 1997.

From 1991-1998, Irvin recorded more than 1,000-yard seasons in all but one year. Dallas made four straight NFC Championship Game appearances (1992-1995) and captured three Super Bowl titles—back-to-back wins over Buffalo in Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII. Later, they defeated Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XXX.

In 1995, Irvin posted his finest season with 111 catches for 1,603 yards, establishing an NFL record with eleven 100-yard games and ten touchdowns. His postseason excellence continued with seven receptions for 100 yards and two touchdowns in Dallas’s 38-27 NFC Championship win over Green Bay. He capped the year with five catches for 76 yards in the Cowboys’ 27-17 Super Bowl XXX victory over Pittsburgh.

So, Irvin didn’t just dodge the cold; he chose the spotlight. What do you think?