‘Terrified’ Michael Irvin, father of UM TE, asks for prayers as he’s tested for cancer
Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver and former University of Miami great Michael Irvin’s Instagram post on Wednesday that he was tested for throat cancer this past week had football fans around the nation worried and praying along with him.
The diagnosis has not yet been revealed, but the situation has to have hit especially hard for the current Miami Hurricane who bears his name.
UPDATE: Michael Irvin reveals he’s cancer free after scare. ‘You all covered and encourage me’
Irvin, 53, is the father of redshirt junior tight end Michael Irvin II, who like his dad is from Fort Lauderdale and graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School.
“We reached out to Mike Sr. and we’ve reached out to Mike [II] to let them know we’re there for both of them,’’ UM coach Manny Diaz said Saturday after the sixth session of spring practice. “Because this is a family. Mike Sr. was at our first two practices, so we all had a chance to see him. When one of us is ill we all feel it in this family. It is important to me for all of our guys to know that anything that happens to them, that we’re there behind them.’’
Here’s the post:
“Spent Sun & Mon in Spent Sun & Mon in LA at UCLA medical Health (Ronald Reagan Hospital) doing health test,’’ the elder Irvin posted March 27 on Instagram. “I would not usually do this but this I need to share. Growing up in the ghetto of Ft Lauderdale the one thing you have to conquer to get out is FEAR. I did!
“As a football player the no fear gift served me well as a blessing and an asset on the field but sometimes off the field it’s been a curse and a liability. This past football season after the @dallascowboys beat the @Saints i was so elated and hyped I lost my voice and the problem persisted for almost 2 months. After visiting some of the best throat Doctors they thought it to be wise to take a deeper look at the situation. So we schedule and performed a throat biopsy.
“To give background I share with you that I loss my father at the young age of 51. He had throat 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. will continue to pray for your fams protection and prosperity as well. May God Bless us all.’’
The younger Irvin, listed as 6-3 and 240 pounds, underwent knee surgery last August for a medial collateral ligament injury in his right knee and spent the regular season rehabilitating. He made his first 2018 appearance in the Pinstripe Bowl. He played in 12 games in 2017, catching nine passes for 78 yards. As a freshman, Irvin II played mostly on special teams.
“He’s doing really well,’’ Diaz said of Irvin II. “In fact, he might have been our highest graded tight end in our last practice. Strain — the word. Because he shows on some plays, even playing without the ball in his hands, going and straining on a block, on a perimeter running play. Those are the things that you can start to build a career around. He’s a guy I’d say from when he first got here has made large improvements and even coming back this spring is carrying himself in a different manner than he did last fall.’’
Irvin Sr. was a receiver at UM from 1985 to 87 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007. He won three Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys.
SPRING GAME UPDATE
The UM spring game is staying at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on April 20, Diaz said Saturday.
Diaz was asked about the game in light of the Rolling Stones announcing that they have postponed their originally scheduled concert on April 20 at Hard Rock Stadium because Mick Jagger needs medical treatment.
“We’re so far down the road going to Orlando,’’ Diaz said. “And to be quite honest, we really want to use that trip with the new staff as a dress rehearsal for the opener to really get a feel of what it’s going to be like getting up there, in the same locker room, and just really making that as close to a dress rehearsal as possible for Aug. 24.
The Hurricanes face the Florida Gators at Camping World Stadium in the season opener on Aug. 24.
▪ Saturday’s session ended the second week of spring practice. Diaz mentioned defensive tackles Jon Ford and Nesta “Jade’’ Silvera and receiver Jeremiah Payton, offensive lineman Zion Nelson and defensive end Jahfari Harvey as players who have impressed him. The latter three players are early enrollees, fresh out of high school.
▪ Diaz said about 200 people showed for UM’s coaches clinic Saturday, which resulted in no media viewing.
“We had a great turnout today,’’ Diaz said of the clinic. “We changed the way we practiced a little bit. It was a little more of a demonstration practice, showed them a lot of our individual drills, a lot of what we do and let those guys have a chance to take notes and watch and bring things back to their teams.
“We’re obviously so indebted to the high school coaches, especially down here in South Florida, who do more with less than anybody in America. Anything we can do to show those guys how much we appreciate them is our pleasure.’’
Diaz said Saturday afternoon the high school coaches will meet with his new staff “and get on the chalkboard... so they can make their teams better in the fall.’’
▪ Diaz said in spring he likes to have first-team players practice against other first-team players in 11-on-11 drills. “Fall is usually a different deal. Sometimes you can mix it up and do both. To be quite honest, I don’t even know who our 1s are, except for a couple guys, and who our 2s are. There are a lot of different guys going up against a lot of different guys.’’
This story was originally published March 30, 2019 at 1:14 PM.
