Michael Irvin — arguably the Miami Hurricanes’ best wide receiver of all time — will serve as the team’s honorary captain in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game between No. 14 Miami and No. 1 Alabama on Saturday in Atlanta.
Reigning Heisman Trophy winner and Philadelphia Eagles wideout DeVonta Smith will be the Crimson Tide’s honorary captain for the matchup.
Irvin and Smith will join the team captains at midfield for the pregame coin toss before the game’s 3:30 p.m. kickoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Irvin, a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native and St. Thomas Aquinas alum, played at UM under Jimmy Johnson from 1985-1987, helping lead Miami to its first national title under Johnson with a victory over the Oklahoma Sooners in 1987.
He was twice named an All-American with Miami, finishing with 143 receptions, 2,423 yards and 26 touchdowns across his three-year career with the Hurricanes. Irvin was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.
A first-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1988 NFL draft, Irvin went on to have an illustrious 13-year NFL career — all with the Cowboys. He won three Super Bowls and was named to the NFL’s All Decade Team in the 1990s after finishing his professional career in 1999 with 11,904 receiving yards, 750 receptions and 65 touchdowns.
Irvin, a five-time Pro-Bowl selection and three-time All-Pro receiver, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007.
