Was Our 88/Irvin The First NFL Receiver To Signal “First Down” After A Completion?

[MaineBoy]

My first memory of him doing it was in a road game against the Giants in 1990ish. And I don’t recall seeing any receiver ever do it before him. Was there someone else and I never saw or remembered it ? It sure is done league wide now. Even non-receivers do it now after picking up a first down. Anyone remember ?

 

[big dog cowboy]

 

[tyke1doe]

I thought he was pointing the direction to the White House.
Too soon?

 

[DandyDon52]

I think it might have been billy white shoes johnson did it first.

 

[DandyDon52]

what happened to the lawsuit?

it went away lol.
I did a search and nothing since march 19th.

 

[Qcard]

what happened to the lawsuit?

it went away lol.
I did a search and nothing since march 19th.

so mister innocent didn't win and didn't get to sue them for everything. lmao. gutter mouth at his finest.

Wow.... "Mommy I missed'

Clueless

 

[Typhus]

My first memory of him doing it was in a road game against the Giants in 1990ish. And I don’t recall seeing any receiver ever do it before him. Was there someone else and I never saw or remembered it ? It sure is done league wide now. Even non-receivers do it now after picking up a first down. Anyone remember ?

I just always thought he made a lot of them... he did actuallly.

 

[CouchCoach]

I don't know if he was the first but I do remember Madden reacting to him doing it. He asked Summerall if Irvin had a sign for the pass he dropped on a play right before that.

TD celebrations and dances are one thing but celebrating making a play is childish. And now we have all of the players doing it and my favorite are the DB's when a receiver drops a pass that they really didn't defend and they take credit for it waggling their finger back and forth.

In the ATL-NE SB the DL for ATL were celebrating after plays so much that they ran themselves down and right into Belichick's hands. One DE ran 30 yards down the field in a "look at me" celebration. He was gassed in the second half.

Speaking of Madden, and I was, I saw an interview with him about celebrations and his point was valid. It is a team game and many more are involved in successful plays other than the receiver that makes the catch or the runner that gets the 1st down. And being a former OL and loving the big uglies he had a good point.

Walter Payton handled himself on the field like I wish all of them did. He acted as if he'd always been there and belonged. A hell of a lot better than Emmitt taking his helmet off so the fans could get a better look at him and creating another Cowboys rule.

 

[CouchCoach]

it went away lol.
I did a search and nothing since march 19th.

It sure got quiet and I feel cheated, I was having so much fun in those threads.

We are truly blessed with so many that can watch a silent video and not only interpret all of the actions but the thoughts behind every one of them.

I do not watch anything he is on the NFLN, is he back on the air?

 

[MapleLeaf]

Walter Payton handled himself on the field like I wish all of them did. He acted as if he'd always been there and belonged. A hell of a lot better than Emmitt taking his helmet off so the fans could get a better look at him and creating another Cowboys rule.

To me football is a microcosm of what is happening in democratic society in general. There will always be a fight between the primacy of the individual versus the primacy of the herd.

Which approach is the correct one? I think it comes down to personal opinion. As a football fan what do yo care and want for most? A team player or a exceptionally talented individual?

Who wins more games?

When the going gets rough (extended losing streak/loss of critical game) what do you desire the most?

For me I personally prefer the latter, and care more about the primacy of the herd. I prefer a strong locker room. Don't get me wrong, I like talent. It's just that if you don't have consistent play making talent you aren't worth the hassle of the work it would take to make a team player out of you.

The sad part of the progression of the league is that great Hall of Fame type players like Irvin, who was a serious pain in the butt, and a morally corrupt person as a young man, started a trend due to his exceptional talent and dedication to football that lesser players have now adopted.

The tragedy is the players think it is acceptable to gesticulate on the field after a play, but aren't willing to pay the price on the practice field to be a winning team mate like Irvin did.

 

[CouchCoach]

To me football is a microcosm of what is happening in democratic society in general. There will always be a fight between the primacy of the individual versus the primacy of the herd.

Which approach is the correct one? I think it comes down to personal opinion. As a football fan what do yo care and want for most? A team player or a exceptionally talented individual?

Who wins more games?

When the going gets rough (extended losing streak/loss of critical game) what do you desire the most?

For me I personally prefer the latter, and care more about the primacy of the herd. I prefer a strong locker room. Don't get me wrong, I like talent. It's just that if you don't have consistent play making talent you aren't worth the hassle of the work it would take to make a team player out of you.

The sad part of the progression of the league is that great Hall of Fame type players like Irvin, who was a serious pain in the butt, and a morally corrupt person as a young man, started a trend due to his exceptional talent and dedication to football that lesser players have now adopted.

The tragedy is the players think it is acceptable to gesticulate on the field after a play, but aren't willing to pay the price on the practice field to be a winning team mate like Irvin did.

Excellent post and I agree, the team concept has waned with the emergence of the individual.

Scoring TD's isn't easy and I agree with those celebrations but the ones when they're just doing their job really grate on me.

However, in their defense, the TV analysts have made it about the individual so much that some of these players feel the need to defend their reputation on the field. The reason they have done this is because they do not have enough to talk about and feel the need to fill the time.

I wish the younger fans here could go back and experience the games when they were presented with one play-by-play announcer or even the early days when guys like Brookshire would not reduce it to individual play. In fact, that was basically forbidden to call a player out during a game. And some of these guys like Aikman are uncomfortable doing it today, the best he can do is "he is not having a good game".

The individual part of the game that I do enjoy and should be emphasized are these mismatches. Can you imagine being a 5'10" 190lb CB covering guys like DK Metcalf and Mike Evans or a 6'0" Safety covering Gronkowski?

 

[jazzcat22]

I can't remember what HC said it, it may have been the Eagles coach in the playoffs, or may when they play the Steelers in the SB, or a late season game with playoff implications.

He said he told the defense whatever you do, do not let Michael Irvin score. Because he celebrates way too much and it fires up the team.

So of course who scores the 1st TD of the game. Michael, and they go on to win.

 

[MS17]

I can't remember what HC said it, it may have been the Eagles coach in the playoffs, or may when they play the Steelers in the SB, or a late season game with playoff implications.

He said he told the defense whatever you do, do not let Michael Irvin score. Because he celebrates way too much and it fires up the team.

So of course who scores the 1st TD of the game. Michael, and they go on to win.

I've always preferred players who'd just hand the ball to officials, shake hands with teammates and walk off (after a TD). Michael would celebrate and gain attention upon 1st downs or big plays. attention being the operative word. Seemed silly to me, but that's me.
Whatever happened to that culture in the NFL, when a John Unitas would say, "Talk is cheap. Let's play."

 

[JayFord]

I don't know if he was the first but he darn sure made it popular and i LOVED IT!

I used to do it with him as a kid right in my room

 

[jazzcat22]

I've always preferred players who'd just hand the ball to officials, shake hands with teammates and walk off (after a TD). Michael would celebrate and gain attention upon 1st downs or big plays. attention being the operative word. Seemed silly to me, but that's me.
Whatever happened to that culture in the NFL, when a John Unitas would say, "Talk is cheap. Let's play."

Emmitt said that was the advice his dad told him. Once you get in the end zone, act as if you been there before. Don't do any out rages celebrations. and that was what he did.
Until he took off his helmet, for which they put a rule in about it.
I think that was ok to take it off, it was not to draw attention to himself. He did not do it like that.

The only time he took it off with great emotion was in SB 28, and I think that was out of some emotional frustration from several things leading up to that. It pumped up the team even more.

I don't like the over celebrations either, but I did not see it as an attention getting thing from Michael either. It was spur of the moment type stuff. He did not plan anything out, not like the TO's did.

 

[Cowboys5217]

Irvin used to fire me up with his play and celebrations.

 

[Captain-Crash]

Get off your high horse

negative, how'd that he's going to own the hotel work out? lmao...

 

[DandyDon52]

I don't know if he was the first but I do remember Madden reacting to him doing it. He asked Summerall if Irvin had a sign for the pass he dropped on a play right before that.

TD celebrations and dances are one thing but celebrating making a play is childish. And now we have all of the players doing it and my favorite are the DB's when a receiver drops a pass that they really didn't defend and they take credit for it waggling their finger back and forth.

In the ATL-NE SB the DL for ATL were celebrating after plays so much that they ran themselves down and right into Belichick's hands. One DE ran 30 yards down the field in a "look at me" celebration. He was gassed in the second half.

Speaking of Madden, and I was, I saw an interview with him about celebrations and his point was valid. It is a team game and many more are involved in successful plays other than the receiver that makes the catch or the runner that gets the 1st down. And being a former OL and loving the big uglies he had a good point.

Walter Payton handled himself on the field like I wish all of them did. He acted as if he'd always been there and belonged. A hell of a lot better than Emmitt taking his helmet off so the fans could get a better look at him and creating another Cowboys rule.

The nfl and goodell are encouraging the celebrations and run to the endzone crap.
They think it makes the game more entertaining ! lol

 

[DandyDon52]

It sure got quiet and I feel cheated, I was having so much fun in those threads.

We are truly blessed with so many that can watch a silent video and not only interpret all of the actions but the thoughts behind every one of them.

I do not watch anything he is on the NFLN, is he back on the air?

I dont think he is.

 

[bigdnlaca]

He was letting people know he likes straight lines...