Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin has revealed that his wife, Sandy, has Alzheimer’s disease.
Michael and Sandy are both 58 years old and Michael told Clarence E. Hill of the Star-Telegram that Sandy has been suffering from the disease for five or six years and now requires 24-hour care and they have a live-in caretaker.
“If anyone has earned the right to stay in her house, MY WIFE HAS!!!,” Irvin said in a text to the Star-Telegram. “That I shall honor. No matter what it takes.”
Michael and Sandy began dating when he was playing college football at Miami and got married in 1990, after Michael’s second year in the NFL. They will celebrate their 34th anniversary this month.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, younger-onset Alzheimer’s is much less common, but the disease does strike many people in their 50s and even in their 40s.
Michael Irvin played his entire NFL career for the Cowboys. He was their first-round draft pick in 1988 and retired in 1999. He won three Super Bowl rings during his time in Dallas.
