Gerald Irons Obit

Gerald Irons Obituary

 

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It is with great sadness that The Family of Gerald D. Irons, Sr., announce his peaceful transition from this earth, on April 1, 2021, due to complications of Parkinson's disease. Gerald was born in Gary, Indiana the youngest of seven. He attended the University of Maryland - Eastern Shore. He was drafted to the NFL as a Linebacker for 10 years, 6 years with the Oakland Raiders and 4 years with the Cleveland Browns. During his tenure with the Oakland Raiders, he completed his MBA at The University of Chicago. He was voted Cleveland Browns Team Captain and received several Golden Helmet Awards. Gerald was named an "Oakland Raiders Legend" and is listed among the "100 Greatest Cleveland Browns" of all time. He was named to the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 2013. Upon retirement he worked 32 years with The Woodlands Development Company, as Vice President of Business Development. He was an Elder and Founding Member of Impact Church of The Woodlands, Texas. The CISD named a school in honor of his twenty-two years of service on the school board. Gerald is the first NFL player to have a school named in his honor. Gerald and his wife, Myrna, share their story in their book "When Preparation Meets Opportunity". He is predeceased by his parents Earmon J. Irons Sr. and Sycbrathia Irons, sister, Eula Mae Irons-Berry, and brother, Lethenius Irons. He is survived by Myrna, his wife of fifty years; sons, Gerald, Jr., Jarrett (Jazelle) and Grant, and grandson, Gerald Irons, III a student at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point; two granddaughters, Bella, and Zoe. He also leaves to mourn his siblings: Earmon J. (Mable) Irons Jr., Syrathia (Milton) Irons-Thaxton, Evie Lee Irons; Aunt, Dorythal Curtis, sister-in-law, Leslie Wise and a host of nieces, nephews, and other relatives. Visitation will be Thursday, April 15, 2021 from 4-6 pm at Impact Church of The Woodlands, 5401 Shadowbend Place, The Woodlands, TX 77381. A Celebration of Life will be held at a future date.

Irons was born on May 2, 1947, in Gary, Indiana, the youngest of seven children. He attended Gary Roosevelt High School (originally Theordore Roosevelt High School), where he met his future wife Myrna Wise, graduating in 1966. He played on Gary Roosevelt's football team four consecutive years, as well as on its basketball team. As a senior, Irons was a muscular 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 200 lb. (90.7 kg). He was honorable mention at tackle on the Northwestern Indiana High School conference football coaches' 1965 All-Star team, selected for the Chicago Tribune.

Irons received a football scholarship to attend the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (known as Maryland State College at the time), part of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in business administration in 1970. He was on the dean's list in college. He played on the Hawks football team at defensive end, linebacker, offensive guard and on special teams, seldom leaving the field of play; originally playing under head coach Sandy Gilliam through his junior season (1968).

As a freshman and sophomore in 1966-1967, his teammates included, among others, future Hall of Fame tackle and Oakland Raider teammate Art Shell (1970-75). Even as a freshman, he was considered a leading player on the Hawks' defense, along with Shell. As a sophomore, he was honorable mention on The Baltimore Sun's All-State Small College Football Team at middle guard. As a junior, he was selected first-team All-CIAA at defensive end. In 1969, he was first-team on the Baltimore Sun's All-State College Team at linebacker.

During his time in college, he was captain of the football team, Student Government Association vice-president, and a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and joined the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

Irons had been accepted into the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, at the time he was drafted to play professional football in 1970. He pursued both. While playing professional football six months a year, over six off-seasons he attended graduate school, earning a Master's Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Chicago in 1976 (while still playing in the NFL). His academic focus was on marketing, with additional concentrations in accounting and personnel management. Married and with children, during his last two years of study at the University of Chicago Irons attended night classes, while working during the day at a bank.

He attended Cleveland Marshall College of Law at night, while playing linebacker with the Cleveland Browns for four years, completing one year of law school.

The Oakland Raiders selected Irons in the third round of the 1970 NFL draft, 76th overall. Irons played for the Raiders from 1970 to 1975, during which time the Raiders were in the playoffs five of six seasons. He played under Hall of Fame head coach John Madden. He became the team's starting right linebacker in 1972, with two interceptions and two quarterback sacks; and started every Raider game through the 1975 season. The Raiders won first place in the American Football Conference's (AFC) West Division from 1972 through 1975. Over his six-year Raider career, Irons started 56 games, with seven interceptions, nine sacks and two fumble recoveries.

The most famous game in which he played occurred in the AFC's divisional round playoff game between the Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers on December 23, 1972, known as the "Immaculate Reception" game. The Raiders appeared in control of the game with less than 30 seconds to play, when the Steelers' Franco Harris caught the ball as it was floating toward the ground, which had been knocked into the air by Raiders' safety Jack Tatum after Tatum hit the intended receiver, John "Frenchy" Fuqua. Harris ran in for the game-winning touchdown, which was upheld after a long discussion by the game officials. Harris' catch and score came to be known as the immaculate reception. Irons was on the field for the Raiders' defense when this occurred. Earlier in the game, Irons had made a key tackle on scrambling Steelers' quarterback Terry Bradshaw preventing a first down; forcing the Steelers into a long field goal attempt that Steelers' kicker Roy Gerela missed.

In April 1976, the Raiders traded Irons to the Cleveland Browns for a second round draft choice. Irons became the Browns starting right linebacker, and started every game during his first three years in Cleveland. During those three years, he had six interceptions, 5.5 sacks and one fumble recovery. In a December 20, 1977 game against the New York Giants, Irons returned an interception for a touchdown, the only one of his career.

In 1979, Irons last year in the NFL, he was replaced at starting right linebacker by second year player Clay Matthews Jr., who went on to a 19-year career in the NFL. Irons also was assigned to play special teams. While Irons enjoyed football, he was not embittered by taking on a reserve or diminished role. He believed that football was only a small part of life, and that it was ludicrous for a player to think the NFL could not go on without them, as all players are just "passing through". Irons made the effort to explain the change in his role to his young sons, and the boys view of their father did not change or alter their lives.