Michael Irvin on CeeDee Lamb: He’s extended Dallas Cowboys’ 88 legacy, now go win title

When Ceedee Lamb surpassed Michael Irvin’s Dallas Cowboys record for catches and yards in a season and finished 2023 as the first player in franchise to lead in the NFL in catches, the only person happier than him was the Hall of Famer and previous record holder.

For Irvin, it was a manifestation of what he saw when Lamb decided to wear the No. 88 jersey as a record and extend a proud Cowboys legacy. It began with Hall of Famer Drew Pearson (from 1973-83), carried on by Irvin (1988-99), who ended his career as the team’s all-time leading receiver, and continued with Dez Bryant (2010-17), who holds the franchise record for touchdown catches, from 2010-2017.

The 88 legacy have their meetings and they communicate frequently on group texts.

All are proud of Lamb, who finished the 2023 regular season-leading all wide receivers in targets (181), receptions (135), yards after catch (680), scrimmage yards (1,862), overall touchdowns (14), 20-plus yard receptions (29) and ranked second in receiving yards (1,749).

But Irvin offered his congratulations with a message and charge.

“He’s extended that 88,” Irvin said to the Star-Telegram. “That is how we see it. That is what we talk about all the time on our group text. Go extend that 88 legacy. That is what Drew told me. I’m happier for him than he is for him. Now,. what I want is this year to finish like my year. Now that will be the greatest glory.”

Irvin’s greatest season came in 1995 when caught 111 passes for 1,603 yards and 10 touchdowns. He finished the year off with the his third Super Bowl title.

The Cowboys haven’t been back to the Super Bowl since.

“I hit him the other night on our group text and said ‘the great seer saw you taking 88 to great heights, new heights, heights never seen before, heights like Super Bowl MVP’, Irvin said. “He said he is going to try to go manifest that.”

For Irvin, Lamb’s greatness was written when he chose to wear 88 as a rookie after initially considering No. 2.

In Irvin’s mind, Lamb has become a cheat code at receiver on the level of Miami Dolphins All-Pro Tyreek Hill.

“It’s so harmonizing and so great,” Irvin told the Star-Telegram. “I asked this man, if he’s prepared for this challenge when he called me. He liked No. 2. I said ‘you can wear No. 2 but when you put 88 on you are given hope to a whole nation, Cowboys nation’. I said, ‘if you’re not prepared to do that, then don’t grab that number’.

“He grabbed that number and delivered. He is like Tyreek. Right, he is the damn system, its not just the passing game. you’re a whole system. None of us ever did that.

“Now go win a title.”