Raiders defensive tackle on playing in Dallas: 'I hated going to work for the Cowboys'

Defensive tackle David Irving, who played for the Las Vegas Raiders last year after being reinstated into the league, spent the first four seasons of his professional career with the Dallas Cowboys.

In a recent interview, Irving told The Athletic that he didn’t enjoy his time with Dallas at all.

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"I hated going to work for the Cowboys," Irving said.  "A Cowboy is all hardy har har and all this America's Team stuff. I belong in Las Vegas with the Raiders.

"You've got some real people here who can appreciate a unique specimen like myself," Irving continued. "I am a bit different on and off the field, and they understand that. I am comfortable here … not only that, man, but I see a team here with a bunch of good, young players that have been missing a little leadership."

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Irving, who quit in 2019 after the NFL suspended him for violating its substance-abuse policy for the third time in three years, was given a second chance with the Raiders. When he announced that he was quitting on Instagram, Irving took a video of himself smoking what appeared to be marijuana. In 37 career games, Irving had 12.5 sacks, which included a career-high of 7 sacks in 2017.

When Irving was reinstated by the NFL, he signed with the Raiders last October. 

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Irving played just 40 snaps in two games for Las Vegas. He had four tackles with no sacks and one pressure before injuring his knee in Week 11. Irving will look to bounce-back in 2021 with Raiders defensive line coach Rod Marinelli, who was the defensive coordinator for the Cowboys when he was in Dallas.

"I see this as my team and my defense and I am going to put in the work," Irving said. "And I am going to back that s--t up."