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Michael Irvin II shares father's name and passion for the Hurricanes, but will write his own story

The Saint Thomas Aquinas tight end has been living in his father's shadow his whole life, but look for him to step out into the limelight

By Blain Bradley
247Sports

6-foot-2, 220 pound tight end Michael Irvin Jr. has been bleeding green and orange since the day he was born.

The son of former Hurricane great, and NFL Hall of Famer, Michael Irivin, Jr. is ready to show what he is made of in Coral Gables. Despite putting up eye popping numbers (according to pops, Jr. snagged "something like 22 passes" against the IMG Academy), there have been plenty of haters.

Many feel that Irvin Jr. is simply living off his father's great career and name, but that is far from the truth. At his core, Irivin Jr. is a competitor, a go-getter and hard worker who is motivated by his critics.

Those who say Jr. is riding his father's coattails, don't understand the  deep appreciation he has for his father's accomplishments. However, the young tight end doesn't expect to get by on them. A name doesn't suit up, go under the lights and make big play after big play. That's what a true athlete does, no matter what the name is.

Irvin Jr. knows that his father is his biggest critic. The standard is set high for Irvin Jr. to carry on and represent not only his father, but also the Hurricanes at the highest level and most respectable level. According to his father, Michael Jr. was "brainwashed" at a young age to attend UM. Every time his father strapped up the helmet and donned The U, fans witnessed a spectacle.

The greatest gift in Michael Irvin's eyes would be seeing his son hold a national championship trophy in a Hurricanes uniform. The expectations surrounding Irvin Jr. are lofty, but growing up with such an iconic father, it's just something he's become accustomed to.

During his career at UM, Irvin caught 143 passes, for 2,423 yards and 26 touchdowns. Irvin is the all-time leader in touchdown receptions for the Hurricanes, and also set the record for most consecutive games with a touchdown catch, with 8.

Make no mistake about it, those numbers are ingrained in Irvin Jr.'s head. They are the benchmark, the standard his father has set for him to reach. His production during his time at Miami is solely up to him and how his ability shows on the field. He may not be out of his father's shadow just yet, but Jr. is creeping out and moving forward, showing the world, his haters and Hurricanes fans that he is determined to be his own man.