The Rams announced on Thursday that former cornerback LeRoy Irvin has died. He was 68.
A 3rd-round pick in 1980, Irvin wound up serving as a mainstay on the Rams’ defense for a decade. He spent each of his first 10 NFL seasons in Los Angeles before being cut in April 1990. That was followed by a one-year Lions stint to finish his profession.
Irvin was not a full-time starting presence during his rookie season, but he still managed to make a right away impact with respect to ball production (two interceptions, two forced fumbles). That remained a continuing throughout his profession; Irvin posted at the least one interception in 10 of his 11 NFL campaigns, racking up a complete of 35. He added 10 forced fumbles and 13 fumble recoveries along the best way.
Strong defensive play led to a lot of Irvin’s quite a few accolades, but he was also a highly impactful presence within the return game. The Kansas product led the NFL in punt return yards in 1981, posting 207 during a single game against the Falcons. That continues to be an all-time league record to at the present time. Irvin earned first-team All-Pro honors in 1981 for his special teams success, an achievement he would repeat 1985 and again in ’86 (doing in order one in all the few players to receive the distinction at two different positions).
Through much of his Rams tenure, Irvin was a productive figure within the secondary along with his success as a returner. He collected two Pro Bowl nods (1985-86), receiving a second-team All-Pro nod in the primary 12 months of that period. Irvin also worked as a full-time starter during his one-and-done Detroit campaign. In all, he played 170 combined regular and postseason NFL games, going to the playoffs seven times as a member of the Rams.
Irvin and plenty of his former teammates founded an organization called Original Minis which was licensed to sell NFL memorabilia. He departed the business in 2019.