Many descriptions fit the entire Dallas Cowboys team of the 1990s.

They were bold. They were flashy. They were boisterous. They were tough. They were strong. And, of course, they knew how to win. At the end of the day, they were one of the best in NFL history.

Fittingly enough, all of those portrayals also work in describing Michael Irvin, arguably the heart and soul of the franchise for more than a decade. Picked in the 1988 draft, the last under head coach Tom Landry, Irvin was one of the few talented players Jimmy Johnson inherited the next year.

Reunited with Johnson and the former University of Miami staff, Irvin eventually developed into one of the league's top players. Playing receiver in the 1990s wasn't easy, especially with Jerry Rice hogging most of the attention and the accolades, but Irvin's value was hard to overlook, especially with his ability to rally the Cowboys as their emotional leader. And it started long before game day, as his teammates have attested that Irvin was by far the best practice player they've ever seen, setting a high standard that would be carried into battle.

Irvin's back-to-back touchdowns in Super Bowl XXVII broke open the game against the Buffalo Bills, giving the Cowboys their first title in 15 years. As part of the "Triplets," he joined Emmitt Smith and Troy Aikman in leading the Cowboys to two more Super Bowl victories as well.

In 1991, Irvin topped the NFL in receiving yards, his 1,523 leading to a first-team All-Pro nod and the first of his five straight Pro Bowls. He then capped that run with 1,603 receiving yards in 1995, which still stands as the Cowboys' single-season record.

Unfortunately, Irvin's career ended on a rainy day at the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 10, 1999, when he suffered a neck injury that led to his retirement after the season. While he ranks among the top five in most receiving categories in franchise history, including catches, yards and touchdowns, he is first in all three of those categories for the postseason. Irvin's 87 playoff receptions for 1,315 yards is unmatched, and he's tied with Drew Pearson with eight touchdowns each in the playoffs.

In 2005, Irvin joined Aikman and Smith as inductees into the Ring of Honor. Then in 2007, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.