Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin is one of the most-liked television personalities today. He's loud, opinionated, and one of the best football minds NFL Network has to offer. "The Playmaker" is a five-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time Super Bowl champion, plus he had an All-American college football career with the Miami Hurricanes. All those accolades pale in comparison to his next battle, though.
Irvin announced in an Instagram post that he spent several days at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles undergoing tests for potential throat cancer. Irvin revealed that after losing his voice watching Dallas' 13-10 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football last season, he spent almost two months unable to recover his voice. That led doctors to conduct a preliminary throat biopsy to test for the potential existence of cancer.
"This [demon] has chased and vexed me deep in my spirit all my life. So saying I am afraid this time is a big big understatement. I AM TERRIFIED!! My Faith tells me whenever you face great fear you go to your greatness power. Mine is God. I am asking all who will. Could you please send up a prayer to help my family and I deal with whatever the results may be? Thanks for your thoughts and prayers in advance. I will continue to pray for your fams protection and prosperity as well. May God Bless us all."
— Michael Irvin, via Instagram
Irvin's father, Walter, died of throat cancer while Michael was attending St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Irvin also lost his brother to stomach cancer back in 2006. His father's death nearly led Irvin to give up football altogether before Pearl Irvin, his mother, enlisted the help of St. Thomas Aquinas' head coach George Smith to keep him on the field.
A record-setting collegiate and NFL career followed the wide receiver, and Irvin was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007.
Former teams Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith were among the thousands who responded in support of Irvin on Instagram, along with multiple NFL football players and personalities, including Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
UPDATE: After receiving his results from doctors, Irvin announced that all of his tests have come back negative, and the Pro Football Hall of Famer is cancer free! He thanked everyone for their thoughts and prayers in an Instagram post.
