David Irving (American football)

David Ja Rodd Irving (born August 18, 1993) is an American football defensive tackle who is a free agent. He also played for the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa State University.

David Irving
David Irving in a game vs the Washington Redskins in 2017
Free agent
Position:Defensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (1993-08-18) August 18, 1993
Compton, California
Height:6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Weight:290 lb (132 kg)
Career information
High school:San Jacinto
(San Jacinto, California)
College:Iowa State
Undrafted:2015
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career NFL statistics as of 2020
Total tackles:60
Sacks:12.5
Pass deflections:12
Forced fumbles:5
Fumble recoveries:1
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Early years

Irving grew up in Compton, California, but moved to San Jacinto as a youth and attended San Jacinto High School, where he played defensive tackle and tight end as a senior, recording 76 tackles (15 for loss), 7 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries, 19 receptions for 298 yards and 4 touchdowns.

He accepted a scholarship from Iowa State University. He became a starter after switching from defensive end to defensive tackle as a junior, while posting 8 starts, 19 tackles (4.5 for loss) and 2 sacks. He missed the entire 2014 season after being dismissed from the team following an incident at the VEISHEA festival.[1] He finished his college career with 32 games (8 starts), 44 tackles (7.5 for loss), 3 sacks, one forced fumble, one interception returned for a touchdown, 8 passes defensed and 3 blocked kicks.

Professional career

Kansas City Chiefs

Irving was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Kansas City Chiefs after the 2015 NFL Draft.[2] He was waived on September 5 and signed to the practice squad.[3]

2015 season

On September 29, 2015, he was signed by the Dallas Cowboys from the Chiefs practice squad, to replace a released Davon Coleman.[4] He was used as a backup defensive tackle and had 14 quarterback pressures (sixth on the team) in limited opportunities.

He blocked a field goal in the seventh game of the season against the Seattle Seahawks. He suffered a left wrist fracture in the fifteenth game against the Buffalo Bills and was placed on the injured reserve list on December 30.

2016 season

On October 16, 2016, in a 30-16 win against the Green Bay Packers Irving was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week, when he forced three fumbles, recovering one, had a sack, and batted down a pass.[5] Irving played only 19 snaps in the game.

He was ejected from a game against the Cleveland Browns on November 6.[6]

In the fourth quarter of the week 15 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Irving had two tackles, one and a half sacks, 2 of his 5 quarterback pressures, a pass defended and a play where he hit quarterback Jameis Winston's arm just as he was releasing a pass that ended up being intercepted. Irving's play also led to Tampa Bay personnel and coverage changes that created opportunities for other Cowboys players, including rookie defensive tackle Maliek Collins sacking Winston with one minute left to play, which set up a game-sealing interception by cornerback Orlando Scandrick.[7]

In the 2017 Divisional playoff game against the Green Bay Packers, Irving claims that in the final snap of the game the officials missed a holding call committed by guard T.J. Lang against him. During that play, Aaron Rodgers made a completion to Jared Cook with Cook's maintaining his feet a few inches inbounds from the sidelines. That completion set up a 51-yard Mason Crosby field goal to win the game with only three seconds on the clock.[8]

2017 season

On March 6, 2017, Irving re-signed with the Cowboys.[9] On May 23, it was announced that Irving would be suspended four games due to violating the league's performance enhancing drugs policy.[10] He dropped his appeal and was officially suspended the first four games of the 2017 season.[11] After joining the team, he was moved from defensive end to the three-technique defensive tackle position. He suffered a concussion in the twelfth game against the Washington Redskins, which was complicated by the fact that he kept playing through it. The lingering symptoms he experienced afterwards forced the team to declare him inactive for the rest of the season.

Despite missing the first four games because of his suspension, and the final four because of a concussion, Irving still accrued seven sacks (second on the team), 19 quarterback pressures, 12 tackles (3 for loss), 6 passes defensed and one forced fumble. At the time of his concussion in Week 13, Irving was leading all defensive tackles in the NFL in sacks.[12]

2018 season

On March 14, 2018, the Cowboys placed a second-round restricted free agent tender on Irving.[13] On June 15, it was announced that due to violating the NFL's Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse, Irving would again be suspended for the first four games of the regular season.[14] The Cowboys placed Irving on the reserve/did not report list on July 25 to start training camp, as he dealt with his off-field issues.[15] He was added to the active roster on October 6 after serving his four-game suspension.[16] Irving played in two regular season games, both in October, registering four tackles and one sack.[17] He suffered a high ankle sprain during practice on November 1, and did not play again.[18]

On March 1, 2019, Irving was indefinitely suspended by the NFL for again violating the league's policy on substances of abuse.[19] A few days later, he announced that he was quitting football because he was opposed to the NFL's drug policy, specifically with regards to marijuana.[20] He was conditionally reinstated by the NFL on October 16, 2020,[21] and he worked out for the Las Vegas Raiders the next day.[22]

Las Vegas Raiders

On October 20, 2020, Irving was signed to the Las Vegas Raiders practice squad.[23] He was elevated to the active roster on October 24 and November 14 for the team's weeks 7 and 10 games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos, and reverted to the practice squad after each game.[24][25] He was placed on the practice squad/COVID-19 list by the team on November 18,[26] and restored to the practice squad three days later.[27] He was elevated to the active roster again on November 21 for the week 11 game against the Kansas City Chiefs, and reverted to the practice squad again following the game.[27] He was placed back on the practice squad/COVID-19 list on December 22, 2020,[28] and restored to the practice squad again on December 29.[29]

Career statistics
YearTeamGPGSCombSoloAsstSackFFFRYdsINTYdsAvgLongTDPD
2015DAL 12013880.5000000001
2016DAL 152171254.0410000005
2017DAL 88221397.0100000006
2018DAL 204311.0000000000
Career371056362012.55100000012

[30]

Personal

Following his indefinite suspension from the NFL in March 2019, Irving became an activist for cannabis. He opened a cannabis business with a focus on CBD-related products. Irving co-founded his own cannabis advocacy magazine called Cannabis Passport with John Scannell who originally invented the Worlds First Rolling paper magazine.[31]

References
  1. "Iowa St DL Irving suspended following arrest". USAToday.com. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  2. "2015 Kansas City Chiefs undrafted free agents". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  3. "Chiefs Roster down to NFL-Mandated 53". Chiefs.com. September 5, 2015. Archived from the original on May 18, 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
  4. "Cowboys to sign defensive tackle off Chiefs practice squad". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  5. "David Irving Named NFC Defensive Player Of The Week After Packer Win". DallasCowboys.com. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  6. Sessler, Marc. "Erving, Irving ejected for fighting in Cowboys-Browns". NFL.com. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  7. "Cowboys' David Irving plays like a legend in final quarter". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  8. "Mason Crosby's performance was most clutch by kicker in postseason history". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  9. Archer, Todd (March 6, 2017). "Cowboys tender offer to David Irving". ESPN.com.
  10. Patra, Kevin. "David Irving facing four-game suspension for PEDs". NFL. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  11. Shook, Nick (June 28, 2017). "David Irving suspended four games for PED violation". NFL.com.
  12. Archer, Todd (March 14, 2018). "David Irving looks to go from tease to cornerstone piece of Cowboys". ESPN.
  13. Eatman, Nick (March 14, 2018). "Cowboys Issue 1-Year Restricted Tender Offer to DE David Irving". DallasCowboys.com. Archived from the original on May 23, 2018.
  14. Patra, Kevin (June 15, 2018). "Cowboys DT David Irving suspended four games". NFL.com.
  15. Williams, Charean (July 25, 2018). "Cowboys place David Irving on did not report list and do not expect him at camp". Pro Football Talk. NBC Sports.
  16. Helman, David (October 6, 2018). "Cowboys Make Two Injury Moves Ahead Of Week 5". DallasCowboys.com.
  17. "David Irving: Game Logs". NFL.com. 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  18. Machota, Jon (December 27, 2018). "Why is David Irving still on the Dallas Cowboys' roster?". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  19. Bergman, Jeremy (March 1, 2019). "Cowboys DL David Irving suspended indefinitely". NFL.com.
  20. Patra, Kevin (March 8, 2019). "Cowboys DL David Irving declares he's 'quit' NFL". NFL.com. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  21. "Former Dallas Cowboys DE David Irving reinstated by NFL from indefinite suspension". ESPN.com. October 16, 2020. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  22. Alper, Josh (October 17, 2020). "Raiders bringing in David Irving for a visit". NBCSports.com. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  23. "Raiders sign DE David Irving to practice squad, activate Marcus Mariota from IR". Raiders.com. October 20, 2020.
  24. Williams, Charean (October 24, 2020). "Raiders remove four offensive linemen from COVID-19 list, elevate David Irving". NBCSports.com. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  25. Damien, Levi (November 14, 2020). "Former Cowboys DL David Irving one step closer to seeing first game action for Raiders". USAToday.com. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  26. "Raiders Add 7 Players To COVID-19 List Ahead Of Rematch Vs. Chiefs". CBSLocal.com. November 18, 2020. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  27. Gutierrez, Paul (November 21, 2020). "Las Vegas Raiders activate 7 off reserve/COVID-19 list". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  28. "David Irving: Placed on COVID-19 list". CBSSports.com. December 22, 2020. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  29. Simmons, Myles (December 29, 2020). "Raiders activate Nicholas Morrow from COVID-19 list". NBCSports.com. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  30. "David Irving Stats". NFL.com. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  31. says, Prime Talk Sports Interview | Cannabis Passport (October 2, 2019). "David Irving Spearheads Movement for Cannabis Use in NFL and Beyond". Prime Time Sports Talk. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
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