The very best of Michael Irvin.

During his career, Michael Irvin established himself as arguably the best Cowboys receiver in history and one of the best in the NFL, setting or coming close to almost every Dallas receiving record, and making a few NFL marks as well.

During his career, he also got into a number of scrapes involving the team, the league, and the law. And, the end of his career was hard to watch, when he suffered that frightening spinal injury in Philadelphia and was promptly heckled by gutless Eagles fans.

It’s fitting to describe the rollercoaster of his career with the famous opening from Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities - ‘It was the best of times, and it was the worst of times….’

But, today is a day to celebrate his achievements, and there certainly were many.

His first three seasons were anything but spectacular, partly because his development was blighted by an ACL tear in the 1989 seasons that caused him to miss nearly a full year of action.

But, when he took off, he played like no other Cowboys receiver ever had. So, here’s to you, Mr. Irvin - the top eight moments from #88.

1. HIs first 100-yard game came on December 11th in his rookie year in ‘88, when he caught six passes for 149 yards and three TDs in a win over the Redskins. The win was one of only three that season for Dallas, in what was Tom Landry’s 29th and final season as coach.

2. In Week 7 of the 1990 season vs. Tampa Bay, Irvin caught the game-winning touchdown pass in Dallas’ 17-13 win only two weeks after returning from his ACL injury.

3. Following his spectacular, breakout 1991 season, Irvin played in his first Pro Bowl. Jerry Rice caught the game-winning touchdown for the NFC late in the fourth quarter, but it was the first-timer who would win the MVP award, with his eight-catch, 125-yard, one touchdown performance. It was the first of five consecutive Pro Bowls for Irvin.

4. In Week 3 of the 1992 season, he had possibly the best game of his career against the Cardinals. Troy Aikman was only 14 of 21 for 263 yards, but eight of those completions and 210 of those yards were to Irvin, who also went into the end zone three times in a 31-20 win at home.

5. Irvin helped break open a close game in the second quarter of Super Bowl XXVII against the Bills. Irvin caught the second of Troy Aikman’s three first-half TD passes, a 19-yarder, with just under two minutes remaining in the half. After Thurman Thomas fumbled just seconds later, Irvin was in the end zone again after hauling in an 18-yard scoring pass from the Super Bowl MVP. Those two quick scores took it from a 14-10 score to a 28-10 halftime lead for the Cowboys, on the way to a 52-17 romp that secured Dallas’ first title in 15 seasons (Super Bowl XII - a 27-10 win over the Broncos) and started a run of three titles in four seasons.

6. Dallas’ bid for a third straight NFC championship were stopped by San Francisco in the 1994 NFC title game, but Irvin wasn’t. He had a monster 12-catch, 192-yard performance in the 38-28 loss.

7. The entire 1995 season was full of moments. That season, he set team single-season records for catches (111), yards (1,603), career records for receptions, yards, 100-yard games, and consecutive games with a catch, an NFL record for 100-yard games (11), and tied another NFL record with seven straight 100-yard games. Herman Moore, Jerry Rice, Cris Carter, Isaac Bruce, Robert Brooks, and Carl Pickens all had excellent seasons, so their individual numbers might trump his, but they don’t overshadow his achievements by any means. It was the best year for any Dallas receiver, and week in, week out Irvin came to play, and he was one of the prime reasons why the Cowboys were the NFL’s best again.

8. Against Washington in Week 7 of the 1997 season, Irvin surpassed the 10,000 yard mark. That was one of few highlights in a 6-10 season, Barry Switzer’s last in Dallas.

I could have probably expanded the list to 88 highlights, but I think these eight are the best of the bunch.

T.O. might threaten some of Michael’s receiving records this season if he can stay healthy, but even if he tops his individual numbers, it’ll be hard for him to put together a season as unforgettable as that 1995 season.