​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Michael Jerome Irvin (born March 5, 1966) is a former American football player for the Dallas Cowboys, and actor. He is also a former broadcaster for ESPN's NFL Countdown and currently an analyst for NFL Network. Irvin was self-nicknamed "The Playmaker" due to his penchant for making big plays in big games during his college career. He played college football at the University of Miami.... see more