“Slap the point shaving white boy till he cries” – Michael Irvin’s The Longest Yard performance among NFL’s greatest
Michael Irvin is one of the biggest personalities among NFL analysts and those who played in the league. The former wide receiver took his huge personality to the big screen back in 2005, through the film 'The Longest Yard'.
It was Irvin's first major role in any film and he delivered one of the film's most memorable lines. Irvin, who plays the character Deacon Moss, shared a scene with actor Adam Sandler.
The scene is set when Sandler's character asks the inmates to join him on the football team.
Moss (Irvin) says:
“Slap the point shaving white boy till he cries like a baby back b*tch”
Back in May 2005, the former Dallas Cowboys star said he was tested by his role. Irvin spent his whole life portraying himself and then played the character of inmate Deacon Moss.
"I used to wear two parts in the side of my hair. It was my trademark," Irvin said. "I spent the first 38 years of my life making sure as I came up from this little neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale that everyone knew who Michael Irvin was.
He added:
"Now, I had to spend these next six months making sure everyone forgets who Michael Irvin is and that I sell Deacon Moss."
Being an athlete is nothing new to Michael Irvin. His acting looked as though he had done it for a while. The Hall of Famer received praise for his role from his fellow castmates.
Burt Reynolds on Michael Irvin and latter's acting in The Longest Yard
Legendary actor Burt Reynolds, who starred in the original 1974 film and in the 2005 remake, said he wasn't shocked by how convincing Irvin was as Moss. Reynolds was an athlete himself as he was a star running back in the 1950s for Florida State. The actor attributed the former wideout's success in the film to the same work ethic he used to thrive in his NFL career.
"He brought this energy to the picture that was so intense. It was amazing," Reynolds said. "He absolutely wanted to be a good actor so bad and he would do anything to make the shot better, anything."
Irvin played his entire 12-year NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys, winning three Super Bowls and making the Pro Bowl five times. The former receiver was also an All-Pro who had 750 receptions, 11,904 yards, and 65 touchdowns in his career.
He's second all-time in Cowboys history in yards and receptions while having the fourth-most touchdowns in franchise history. Irvin's role in 'The Longest Yard' proved that he is more than just an NFL analyst and a Hall of Famer.
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