LeRoy Irvin, a cornerback and special teams player who made two Pro Bowls with the Rams in the 1980s, has died, the team said Thursday. He was 68.
Irvin holds the Rams record for most non-offensive touchdowns (11 — five interception returns, four punt returns and one fumble recovery return). He also is tied with Janoris Jenkins and Ed Meador for most pick-sixes in team history.
“We mourn the loss of Rams Legend LeRoy Irvin,” the team wrote on X. “We extend our condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time.”
No further details were provided. Freelance sports journalist Eric Geller reported on X that Irvin died Wednesday after a long battle with throat cancer.
Born Sept. 15, 1957, in Fort Dix, N.J., Irvin played running back at Glen Hills High School in Augusta, Ga. He told Sports Collectors Daily in 2023 that he patterned his running style after O.J. Simpson.
“That parlayed into my pro career,” Irvin said. “When I moved to defensive back in college, I always prided myself on being a great runner which led to me being a great punt returner.”
As a senior at Kansas in 1979, Irvin led the Big Eight Conference with 27 punt returns for 321 yards and two touchdowns. He also intercepted five passes that season. In four years with the Jayhawks, Irvin had 42 punt returns for 454 yards and two touchdowns to go with 10 interceptions.
Selected by the Rams in the third round of the 1980 draft, Irvin played in L.A. for 10 seasons before spending his final season with the Detroit Lions in 1990.
In an NFL record that still stands today, Irvin recorded 207 punt return yards during a 37-35 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Oct. 11, 1981. Two of his six punt returns that day went for touchdowns, of 75 and 84 yards.
Irvin finished his career with 35 interceptions for 676 yards, and 147 punt returns for 1,457 yards. After retirement, he worked as a coach, broadcaster and businessman.
“Devastated to hear about the passing of my brother, teammate, and Rams legend Leroy Irvin,” his former Rams teammate and business partner Eric Dickerson wrote on Instagram.
“Leroy wasn’t just a lockdown corner and a fierce competitor on the field; he was a true friend and a great man who always brought incredible energy. Rest in peace, my brother. Sending my thoughts and prayers to the Irvin family and all of Rams Nation.”
