Photo Courtesy of Seahawks.com
The amount of criticism, hatred and insecurity in Irvin’s off-field stuff is very, very overrated.
Question the Mt. SAC teammates and coaching staff and they will tell you otherwise.
Question the West Virginia players and coaching staff and they will tell you otherwise.
When Bruce and I went to Appleby’s one early Friday at 50G (football building at Mt. SAC) to converse and do our interview (see full storyHERE), I didn’t know what to expect from a large 6-foot-4-inch 235-pound beast.
But as we proceeded to our interview, what I discovered from this intimidating presence was a somewhat shy but open-minded gentle individual.
Contrary to what happened in Irvin’s past – those days are and have been a distant memory.
Irvin’s time at Mt. SAC was positive and uplifting. Nothing of what the media are saying and are wondering today has ever been known during Irvin’s junior college days.
Did people know that Irvin would leave right after football practice (on some nights) to go to study hall and/or the library to study and catch up on his studies?
Did people know that when defensive coaches were instructing and training other players, that Irvin was on his own training himself and practicing on his speed?
Did people know that amongst his teammates, Irvin was a mild-mannered, humble guy who was never the talker, but the observer and the watcher?
As I was assembling this huge feature story together, I had a talk with Mounties football coach Robert Jastrab and asked him some questions regarding Irvin and Jastrab expressed his happiness and was real proud and appreciative of what Irvin has accomplished.
In fact, it was rather shocking to see Jastrab almost shed a tear seeing how well Irvin was doing at Mt. SAC. It showed how much Irvin has changed to better his life. Jastrab was never one to really show that kind of happiness of a player.
It showed how much Irvin has grown from his past and how much he wanted to leave the past behind him. At the time, Irvin wanted to get through Mt. SAC and move on to a four-year school.
Irvin was like one of the guys, but more quiet and more to himself. The amount of adversity Irvin had faced while at Mt. SAC is a lot more than what people can imagine.
With the financial strain of tuition and non-residential payments, the time away from family, the hard practice days and continuous late study nights in the library … and also the aggravations he went thru that normal everyday people deal with … there was no time for Irvin to have ‘off-the-field issues’.
90% of the media who blasted Irvin’s ‘baggage’ don’t know him on a personal level and are way too quick to jump conclusions on his wrongdoings.
Most of what Irvin did wrong in his past was from a very young age. Irvin has grown out of that and clearly has moved on from it.
As a reporter who followed him throughout 2009, Irvin is nowhere near an ‘issue’ and all that happened in the past is rightfully behind him.
His days at Mt. SAC was nothing but positive, humble and of good character.
My days sitting around talking and chatting with him was just like when two friends talk to one another–normal.
I never seen/heard him raise a voice at anyone.
I never seen him fight or rob anyone or engage in any criminal activity.
I never seen him having any sort of violent tendencies.
I never seen him in any negative manner — and I have practically lived and wandered around campus and on the field.
Again, all the troubles Irvin went through was from a young age. The media is blowing up his negativity way too much.
Irvin gets a horrible bad rap from his past and he is not that man no more.
Irvin deserves everything good that has come to him.
He changed his life for the better … most definitely worked his ass off to be at West Virginia … and flourished to become a 1st round draft pick with the right people who recognized his game.
Kudos to Pete Carroll and the Seahawks for recognizing Irvin.
If I know Bruce, he is going to work to give the Seahawks a big season and he will do it.
From where he’s been to where he’s at …. he has turned his life around successfully and he will continue to.
The only conclusion to make about Mr. Irvin …
is that he’s a winner and he’ll continue to be.
