Class (Act) of 2007

Michael Irvin's Hall of Fame speech was definately one for the ages.

The best thing about a guy like Michael Irvin is the fact that he's completely human. The same Michael Irvin on the field is the same Michael Irvin off the field and in front of the camera.

Alot of guys today (probably due to the insane media scruitiny they face, the prevelance of personal and team PR, etc.) are strictly corporate line players.

Mike Irvin always shoots from the hip. He talks first and thinks about it later. Sometimes for good, sometimes for bad, but at least its real. Sometimes athletes are judged more by what happens off the field than what happens on the field.

On the field he was clearly one of the best players in the history of the game. Yet, it might've been some of his off the field problems that kept him out of the Hall last year. Not only is it wrong to judge his play by his off the field problems, he's clearly learned from his mistake and has become a role model and a hero for anybody who's ever hit rock bottom.

The full video of his speech can be found here.