Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame back in 2017, but the Arkansas-raised oil maverick says that never would've been the case had it not been for Michael Irvin.
Irvin was selected with the 11th overall pick out of Miami in 1988, just one year before Jones purchased the organization, and he credits the Playmaker for being the driving force of the dynastic Dallas teams that lifted the franchise back to relevance.
And because of that, Jerry says he always defers to Michael when it comes to what decisions should and shouldn't be made regarding getting the Cowboys back on track.
Jerry Jones: 'I wouldn't have a gold jacket [without] Michael Irvin'
In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Jones heaped praise upon the all-time great receiver for instilling the type of attitude and fiery desire that led to three Super Bowls in a four-year span from 1992-1995.
"Let me say this," Jerry said. "What I'm for is for whatever Michael Irvin is for. I have a gold jacket. I wouldn't have the gold jacket had Michael Irvin not played for the Cowboys, in a manner of speaking."
"To be involved and be around the winning mentality or that winning physicality — when Michael says it, I listen," Jerry added.
Irvin played every season of his NFL career with "America's Team" and brought unrivaled passion to making the Cowboys a winner — something he still does to this day with his alma mater "the U." But it's been 30 years and counting since Dallas' last championship and Irvin's influence only goes so far.
Michael Irvin talks Bill Belichick's HOF snub
Appearing on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" earlier this month, Michael Irvin was asked about another all-time great that was denied a gold jacket upon first entry — and that would be longtime Patriots coach and six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick.
"That really disturbed me. It really did," Irvin admitted. "Like, I don't understand it. They're punishing people for what they call 'breaking the rules' and that's exactly what [the Hall of Fame href="https://thespun.com/news/michael-jordan-gave-bubba-wallace-some-advice-before-daytona-500"] is doing — breaking the rules. My mom used to always say, 'Two wrongs don't make a right, baby.' So, they gotta stop being wrong."
Irvin was inducted in 2007 alongside fellow greats like Thurman Thomas and Bruce Matthews but even Michael had to wait. Now it's just a matter of how long Belichick, Kraft and potentiallyTom Brady might have sit around before hearing a knock on their door.