Ever since Tim Irvin was a boy, he's had some high expectations to live up to. As the nephew of former Dallas Cowboy and Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, Tim has dealt with the pressure of living up to his family name. Up until now, the 5-foot-9 athlete out of Miami has done more than enough to hold his own in the Irvin history book.
Tim, the 19th-ranked athlete in the country, projects to play safety or cornerback in Will Muschamp's defense for the foreseeable future. While he may not wow anybody with his size, his play on the field has left an impression on scouts.
"I think he's going to be a really good fit for what (Auburn) wants on defense," said Jason Caldwell of AuburnTigers.com. "He's got good cover skills and is physical enough that he can step in and help out on run defense in the box."
With Irvin's family pedigree, being physical comes second nature.
"He's a football player, he likes to play big, he likes to hit big," said Allie Davison of Rivals.com. "His uncle, Michael Irvin, had that legendary pop on the field, and he was Travaris Robinson's number one guy that he wanted to flip because he had that same pop. He's a little smaller, but he overcompensates for that with good speed and great ball-handling skills."
If Robinson hadn't come home to the Plains, Tim said he likely wouldn't have considered Auburn. He nearly went to Florida, where Robinson was serving under Muschamp. But Texas swooped in late, gaining his commitment on national television during the U.S. Army All-America Bowl on Jan. 3. Robinson was officially announced as Auburn's cornerbacks coach earlier that day, and during the telecast, an Auburn hat was among the selections on Irvin's table.
A few weeks later, Tim visited Auburn and flipped his commitment that weekend, enrolling in classes on that Wednesday.
"The key to recruiting is building relationships," said Westminster Christian head coach -- and Tim's uncle -- Sedrick Irvin. "You get a kid that's comfortable with you, and that's the key. I told (Tim) that you need to go where you're comfortable, and you need a person where you can close the door and talk to them. That guy for him throughout the entire recruiting process was (Robinson)."
Now that Tim is on campus, he can participate in spring practice to get his feet wet, potentially giving him a better shot at earning early playing time this fall. While newer freshmen will be getting acquainted with the intricacies of Auburn's system and playbook, Tim will have already had a full set of spring practices under his belt, which could lead to increased opportunities, such as taking over for departed punt returner Quan Bray, later this year.
"He'll be on campus in the spring, but it's tough to (earn reps) as a freshman when you're learning the defense, and you've got to get adjusted and all those things, but he'll have a chance to work on some of those things this spring," Caldwell said. "I think he'll have a chance to return some kicks as well, because it probably helps him out to have a head start."
Tim's decision to leave his home in Miami and to flip from Texas, where his uncle Michael lives just up the road, led him to a new family in Auburn.
Now it will be up to the members of that family to show him he belongs.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
