Canton, Ohio ? Of the six players about to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Michael Irvin was the only one to make headlines off the field. Irvin knows that’s not a good thing.

The Dallas Cowboys receiver recognizes that his troubles easily could have kept him from the shrine in Canton, where he will be inducted Saturday.

“Mistakes will cost you. That’s the reality,” Irvin said. “You have to pay the price for your mistakes, but, also, don’t give up. Keep going and try to overcome that. I like that it worked out the way it worked out.”

The way it worked out, Irvin was voted into the hall in his third year of eligibility, joining former “Triplet” Troy Aikman, his quarterback with the Cowboys. In a few years, the third part of that memorable offensive juggernaut, all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith will make it, too.

Irvin knows he made it difficult on himself, his teammates and NFL fans.

“I don’t know if (his stats) gets overlooked, but sometimes the good stuff may get overshadowed,” Irvin said. “Whether I like it or not, I made those bad decisions and you’re going to take all those things into account when you’re dealing with me.”

A few weeks after the Cowboys won their third Super Bowl, police found Irvin, marijuana, cocaine and strippers in a hotel room for his 30th birthday party. He pleaded no contest to felony cocaine possession and was put on probation for four years.

It was one of several run-ins with police. And Irvin wondered if he’d burned his chance for making the hall.

Irvin was the top receiver on those three championship teams, and he made the league’s All-1990s team. As a rookie in 1988, he led the league with a 20.4-yards per catch average, and he had 11 100-yard receiving games in 1995, setting an NFL record.

“I never coached a player who had as much passion for the game as Michael Irvin,” said Jimmy Johnson, his coach for much of Irvin’s career. “He also was the guy who I knew at crunch time I could depend on to come through with a key play.”

The other inductees – Thurman Thomas, Bruce Matthews, Roger Wehrli, Charlie Sanders and Gene Hickerson – all were exemplary players for, in the most part, one franchise.