When it comes to handling character issues involving elite players, the Dallas Cowboys have a somewhat dubious record. To maintain their superstars’ playing status, they have occasionally tried to hide the situation.
That was never more true than in the late 1990s after a potentially lethal event involving Michael Irvin. A teammate was stabbed in the neck by the wide receiver!
Jeff Pearlman discussed some of the most bizarre stories from his tenure as a sports reporter on the Going Deep With Chad and JT podcast. He talked about his encounter with John Rocker, the insane closer for the Atlanta Braves. He described Barry Bonds’ haughty demeanor when interacting with the media.
The wildest story, however, involved Michael Irvin. It’s one that Pearlman’s reported on before but somehow gets forgotten as the years pass.
Michael Irvin stabbed a guy
“Everett McIver was an offensive lineman for the Cowboys,” Pearlman stated. He went to have his hair trimmed. “Seniority,” said Michael Irvin. Every offensive lineman is saying, “F— that, don’t get up.”
Michael Irvin snatches the barber’s scissors, stabs him in the neck, and pulls it along as they begin a pushing match. There is blood all over the place. The scene is insane.
Michael Irvin was on probation at the time. He would have gone to jail if that had been revealed. The Cowboys paid Everett McIver well and never reported it.
You have a lot to unpack. It’s obviously not ideal for Irvin to stab a teammate during training camp. It’s a story in and of itself, considering the possible outcomes of the shanking (arrest, death).
Perhaps, however, the cover-up is even more of a headline. Instead of reporting a top player for assault with a lethal weapon, the Dallas Cowboys would rather to keep him from playing. In addition to keeping him in the locker room with the player he assaulted, they honored him by inducting him into the Hall of Fame ten years later.
Unfortunately, success was not greatly aided by the shadiness. In the NFL Playoffs, the 1998 squad was defeated in the wildcard round. It has been thirty years since the Cowboys won an NFC Championship or a Super Bowl. These days, Irvin spends his time on the Miami Hurricanes sidelines acting weird.
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