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New York Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Michael Irvin takes you inside cocaine arrest that threatened Cowboys dynasty in ‘America's Team'
Former Dallas Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin recalled the heart-wrenching conversation he had with his wife, Sandy Harrell, when he was indicted on felony cocaine possession in March 1996. In the seventh episode of 'America's Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys' — the Netflix documentary premiering Tuesday that delves into the history of Jerry Jones' ownership in the 1990s — Irvin explains how he handled facing up to 20 years in prison if convicted. 'My wife, she looked at me and she said, 'Don't say a word, God has already told me I am your wife and I am not going anywhere. But you have to make your peace with God,'' Irvin says in the documentary. 'I don't think I ever felt worse in my life.' Irvin and Harrell married in June 1990, the same year he welcomed his daughter Myesha from a previous relationship. They have three kids: a daughter Chelsea and sons Michael Jr. and Elijah. 5 Michael Irvin arrives to court for his 1996 court hearing over drug possession. AFP via Getty Images 'I had a routine, after you win the Super Bowl [which the Cowboys did in '96], before the next season starts, you get about a month — and that month, you cut loose and have a good time,' Irvin says in the documentary, adding that the festivities were slated to culminated with his March 5 birthday. Irvin pleaded no contest to felony cocaine possession in exchange for four years of deferred probation, a $10,000 fine and dismissal of misdemeanor marijuana possession charges after police found the All-Pro wideout with a few others in a Texas hotel room littered with cocaine and marijuana. Irvin ultimately took a deal and got probation with restrictions and conditions. He was also suspended the first five games of the 1996 season. The doc also mentions there was a murder-for-hire plot against Irvin by a Dallas cop at the time, who was arrested and pleaded guilty and sentenced to six years in prison. Hidden camera video tape shows Irvin discussing doing cocaine while in the passenger's seat of car. 5 Michael Irvin scores a touchdown against the Eagles in 1998. AP On the night of March 4, 1996, police found Irvin, his former Cowboys teammate Alfredo Roberts and two females in a Texas hotel room, where police found drug paraphernalia, sex toys and substantial amounts of marijuana and cocaine. Police said one bag contained the largest chunk of crack cocaine they had ever seen. Irvin says Mike Gilette, the assistant DA of Dallas County at the time, was trying to prove he brought the drugs to the Residence Inn he was busted at, which Irvin denied. Jones, whose close relationship with Irvin was emphasized in the doc, set up a meeting with Irvin, his attorney and Gilette, who ripped him apart. 5 Michael Irvin and Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, pose with Irvin's bust during the Class of 2007 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement. Getty Images 'He said, 'Let me tell ya what the truth is, the truth is what I make it in the courtroom, and personally I think you're a piece of s–t and you use your fame and your money to take advantage of these poor white girls and I'm going to filet you like a fish and leave you in an alley,'' Irvin says of his conversation with Gilette. 'I said Gilette when you get finished with this, somebody's gonna pay me millions of dollars to catch a football and your lil sharp ass is gonna be broke and stuck down here no matter what.' And then I said, 'I'll show you tomorrow what it is when you get here.' 5 Michael Irvin and wife Sandy Harrell in 2005. Getty Images 'And that's why I put on a mink coat and the shades [to his first court appearance]. You want to show me up, let me show you. It was 95 degrees but the coat was needed.' Irvin showed up to his court date at the time in a floor-length fur coat and sunglasses. His wife was with him. 'Michael is very well my favorite player of my time,' Jones says. 'What makes him be as substantive as he is, is the fact that he plays and lives at the level he lives … Because of some of his decisions, he had become vulnerable. 'He has my back and I have his back — certainly that was the case in a dicey situation like this where you know the eye was on him.' 5 Michael Irvin celebrates for the Cowboys in 1993. AP Irvin won three Super Bowls in four years with the Cowboys as part of a dynastic offense that included quarterback Troy Aikman and running back Emmitt Smith, the NFL's all-time leading rusher. 'I knew that we had a lot of players that weren't choir boys but I didn't know some of the activity that ended up getting him in trouble,' says Aikman, who supported Irvin at his first court date. 'I was concerned for my buddy, my friend, my brother,' Smith adds. 'What does this mean for him and his career?' In June 2001, a year following his NFL retirement due to injury, Irvin was arrested for felony cocaine possession in Dallas. The charges were later dropped.
IOL News
25-06-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Bulls and Jake White should invoke Springboks' spirit and put team first to sort out issues
Bulls coach Jake White. Photo: BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix Ruck&Maul Tuesday marked the 30th anniversary of the Springboks' 1995 Rugby World Cup triumph. Who could forget June 24, 1995, the epic final against the All Blacks at Ellis Park? Since then, there has been a remarkable period of success for the Boks, with John Smit's Class of 2007 conquering the world in France, and then Siya Kolisi's band of warriors in 2019 in Japan and 2023 in France once more. I was fortunate enough to be at the 2019 edition, and it was an unforgettable seven weeks reporting on the Springboks. The Boks' trophy success, especially under Rassie Erasmus' watch over the last few years, has been as impactful on the pitch as it has been off it. But it doesn't mean that it was always smooth sailing. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ In any sports environment – as in life – it won't always be hunky dory. That leads me to discuss the Bulls and the apparent 'revolt' taking place at Loftus Versfeld at the moment. A Sunday news platform reported at the weekend that Bulls director of rugby, Jake White, is dealing with the fall-out from some of his senior players and assistant coaches, due to a supposed lack of communication and questionable treatment. It reportedly all came to a head during the build-up to the recent United Rugby Championship final against Leinster in Dublin, where the Bulls lost 32-7. White was critical about the lacklustre performance and once again repeated his familiar refrain of the Bulls not having as many top-class Test players as Leinster. Those comments were apparently not well received by the Bulls players, and led to captains Ruan Nortjé and Marcell Coetzee reportedly expressing the team's unhappiness to the top management about White. Depending on whom you speak to in Pretoria and elsewhere, some would say that there is no plot to have White dismissed, and others feel that there is definite unhappiness with how players and assistant coaches are treated. Now, anyone who has been involved in South African rugby over the last 30 years or so would tell you that White may rub some people up the wrong way. He is a former school headmaster, a strict disciplinarian, and is a forthright rugby coach who is tough on his players and team management, and demands nothing but the best from everyone. Is there anything wrong with such an approach, though? Not necessarily, as especially professional sport is about getting results, particularly for coaches. White has guided the Bulls to three URC finals in four seasons – arguably the best record out of any coach in the competition, even though the Pretoria side have fallen short of bringing that giant trophy to Loftus. The former Springbok coach has built an impressive squad out of the doldrums of the pre-Covid era, developing a number of top players, who have become Springboks, such as Kurt-Lee Arendse, Ruan Nortjé, Cameron Hanekom, Jan-Hendrik Wessels and others. White also announced after the URC final defeat that the likes of Handré Pollard, Jan Serfontein and Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg will be making their way back to the Bulls next season as well. I felt that the Bulls were well off their best in the URC final, especially as they had seen off a Springbok-laden Sharks side in the semi-final a week earlier. Perhaps the demands of travelling all the way to Dublin and then facing a virtual Ireland Test side was a bridge too far, and so it proved in the end. If the situation between White, the players and assistant coaches are as bad as has been reported – which may not necessarily be 100% true – why wasn't it addressed earlier in the season? I have felt that White has gone overboard on the 'Bring all the Springboks back to South Africa' mantra, just as he did with the travel factor in previous seasons. But at times, wearing his heart on his sleeve like that can also be detrimental to the team environment. Sometimes things are better left unsaid, or behind closed doors. The lack of significant game-time for players of colour has also been concerning to see at the Bulls for the last few seasons. Never easy, but always worth it 🐂 What a season, THANK YOU for being a part of our story 💙 @Vodacom #URC | @URCOfficial_RSA #ForeverBlue — Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) June 17, 2025 In the just completed campaign, the likes of Devon Williams, Stedman Gans, Nama Xaba, Mpilo Gumede, Stravino Jacobs and Nizaam Carr hardly got minutes on the field, and Keagan Johannes only really got his chance due to injuries to Johan Goosen and Willie le Roux. All of these issues, though, can be sorted out with proper communication and performance from all sides. It shouldn't be a case of 'It's either us or Jake' who must leave the Bulls. Maybe the Bulls should invoke the spirit of the Springboks to sort out their issues. No one person is bigger than the team, and it would be a truly disappointing to see the current squad dismantled or White leaving Loftus due to unresolved problems.
