Michael Irvin suspended for five games
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This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from July 1996.
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Irvin, who makes dlrs 102,647 a game or about dlrs 1.6 million for the season, doesn't plan to appeal the league's decision.
"He said, 'I want to meet this heads up. I accept my responsibility. I was wrong and I'm going to pay the price," team owner Jerry Jones said. "He said he is ready to take his medicine."
The suspension, however, wasn't as bad as the Super Bowl champion Cowboys expected.
"We were surprised to a certain degree because we had heard it might be eight games, so I guess five just fell right into the slot," Cowboys personnel director Larry Lacewell said.
The suspension Wednesday came eight days after Irvin pleaded no contest to felony cocaine possession. He was fined $10,000, received four years' probation and 800 hours of community service.
In a strongly worded letter, National Football League Commissioner Paul Tagliabue called Irvin "an unusually prominent example for good and for bad for young people."
"In my judgment," he wrote, "the impact of your involvement with illegal drugs ... has had an extremely adverse impact on the league, its teams and players generally."
Irvin, 30, one of the best wide receivers in the game, was found March 4 in a hotel room near the Cowboys' workout facilities with two topless dancers. Police said they found drugs in the room.
Irvin will be eligible to play Oct. 13 when the Cowboys are at home against Arizona. His absence will put pressure on cornerback Deion Sanders, the NFL's defensive player of the year two years ago, who has been working out at wide receiver.
"I don't think he should have been suspended," said Dallas guard Nate Newton. "It wasn't like he murdered anybody or anything. I'll tell you this, we can handle it. This team lives off adversity."
