Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin touches his bust after unveiling it with Jerry Jones before his enshrinement speech at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. File photo by UPI |
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FRISCO, Texas -- Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin doesn't believe Ezekiel Elliott's six-game suspension will be reduced on appeal.
"Let's be real guys, we are dealing in a situation with social media and all that," Irvin said. "I think it will be very difficult for the NFL to come out with policy and say automatic six games if they find something. And you appeal it and the first time they go six they come back and go three games, four games. I just think you guys would bang them across the head so bad intentionally, especially the national media. I'm not saying that I have any information. I'm not privy to any information. I don't know for sure. I just look at the optics of it and what it smells like to me."
Irvin does know what it's like to be suspended, considering his five-game suspension in 1996 after a no-contest plea to felony cocaine possession. He said the mental and emotional aspect of having the game taken away you and being away for your teammates will be tough on Elliott.
"It is a tough thing," Irvin said. "Zeke plays with intensity. That's what I love about him. And now to try to channel that energy is very, very difficult with all that goes on around you and everybody knowing about it, no matter where you go you feel a certain way, but the most difficult part is sitting home Sunday watching your team play without you. Oh my god, man, oh my god, man, it's very difficult, man, especially if things aren't going right.
"You're sitting there saying, 'Oh man you got to make this call, you should have done this, you shouldn't be doing things, I wouldn't be doing this right now, I would have done this.' It's very difficult. I'll get a chance to chat with him here ... just to talk to him about that, just to be prepared for it and the emotional aspect of it."
Irvin said he hopes Elliott's learns from the experience and returns a better man and better football player.
But he reiterated that the process will be difficult.
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Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin, who helped the Cowboys win three Super Bowls in the 1990s, were on hand for the opening of the Ring of Honor Walk outside the Ford Center at The Star.
It's a hall of fame of sorts for the 21 members of the Ring of Honor.
The living members of the Ring of Honor were there to attend the ceremony, including Aikman, Irvin, Smith, Bob Lilly, Roger Staubach, Chuck Howley, Mel Renfro, Rayfield Wright, Cliff Harris, Don Perkins, Drew Pearson, Randy White, Lee Roy Jordan, Tony Dorsett, Charles Haley and Darren Woodson.
The families of four deceased members -- Don Meredith, Tom Landry, Bob Hayes and Tex Schramm -- were also on hand.
The only Ring of Honor member not in attendance or represented by family was Larry Allen.
"The meaningful thing for those of us that are in it is that it's a small number and you're talking about an organization that has won five world championships and a lot of great players," Aikman said. "And so from that standpoint, it means a lot.
"On the other hand, as I said, I understand that there are some that are very deserving that aren't in, but I know when you go around to some of these other stadiums, there's a lot of names, sometimes it's a bit overwhelming with the number of names and I think that's been one of the neat things for Dallas' history or their Ring of Honor is that there aren't as many names."
