Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin took a moment to reflect on his tumultuous life outside his football career, as fellow teammate Nate Newton received a pardon from President Donald Trump. The former Cowboys offensive lineman spent two and a half years (30 months) in federal prison after pleading guilty in 2002 to a federal drug trafficking charge before being granted a presidential pardon on February 13.

As Irvin shared his thoughts on this development, the Playmaker looked back at his own life, which involved a fair share of brushes with the law.

“And I also wonder, do I need any pardons, do I? Look, I didn’t do any time. I may have to look into that,” Michael Irvin said in a recent video on his YouTube channel.

Irvin, while being at the top of his game in 1996 after winning three Super Bowls, saw his life come crashing down. He was arrested for possession of mari**ana and co**ine at a Residence Inn in Irving, Texas, along with teammate Alfredo Roberts and two young women whose professions were noted as topless “models.”

As the case went to trial, the decision was turned over to the jury, and he agreed to a plea bargain after pleading guilty to co**ine possession, a second-degree felony. Irvin was also fined $10,000 and ordered to perform 800 hours of community service. The NFL also took action against the Playmaker, as he was suspended for five games of the 1996 season. Since then, Michael Irvin has had a few more clashes with the law.

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The most recent being a 2023 hotel incident where he was accused of misconduct, leading to a $100 million defamation suit against Marriott. As Michael Irvin now has his life back on track, he still remembers these difficult times.

“I don’t think I ever felt worse in my life,” Michael Irvin said in the seventh episode of the Netflix docuseries America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys.

While the Playmaker continues to fight his battles, he has ensured he helps the people around him who are dealing with troubles in their lives. Highlighting this aspect of Michael Irvin’s magnanimous personality, he received some words of appreciation from Nate Newton after his presidential pardon.

Nate Newton thanks Michael Irvin and other Cowboys legends

While his federal drug trafficking case loomed over his life until his recent presidential pardon, Nate Newton saw constant support from his Dallas Cowboys teammates, Michael Irvin and fellow Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. Newton joined America’s Team in 1986 after being released by the Washington Redskins.

He became a starter in 1987 and grew into one of the best interior linemen in the league, as he was named to the Pro Bowl six times and first-team All-Pro twice. But his life took a massive hit with his arrest in 2002. As he navigated through these difficult times, he had the support of Irvin and Sanders as he thanked his former teammates and team owner for looking out for him.

“Mr. Jones, [former teammates] Deion Sanders and Michael Irvin are the three people who really looked out for me,” Newton said, as per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I asked Mr. Jones, ‘Give me a chance because I’m trying to do things, and a few people are blocking them. I won’t let you down.’”

As Newton gears up for a new chapter after his presidential pardon, Irvin’s comment serves as a reminder of how far both Cowboys legends have come from their darkest days.