Raiders outside linebacker Bruce Irvin won a Super Bowl ring when he played for the Seahawks, but another accomplishment this offseason meant just as much to him.
Irvin got his degree from West Virginia, and he sees that as just as much of an achievement as his Super Bowl ring.
When kids come up to him, they can say that his dad was a good football player and he can stop them and say he was a good football player but he also got his associate’s degree, got his bachelor’s degree, Irvin said. He wasn’t only a football player. He put education up there right along with his job. It was bigger than me. It was for my son and his kids and generations after me.
Considering his $8.6 million salary and his struggles with injuries (he was healthy last year, but Aaron Rodgers wasn’t), he was wise to approach the offseason that way. He was recently spotted in a walking boot, but the team’s apparently convinced he’ll he ready for the regular season.
He probably needs to be, since the Packers aren’t particularly deep at the position, filling in with a bunch of rookies this offseason after getting rid of Nelson.
You can see things changing [around here], Cobb said. You can see the vibe changing a little bit, and that’s a good thing. Change is inevitable with time, and it’s part of the game. I think that’s the only constant thing you have in life is change. You just have to be able to adapt to that change.
And at least for the moment, he hasn’t become part of that change.