TO THE CHAPTER INVISIBLE
Gerald D. Irons 1962-2020 Retired NFL Player, Businessman and Community Leader
Aaron Williams
R etired NFL football player Gerald Irons was a beloved member of The Woodlands community, located north of Houston, TX, for over forty years. His involvement in his community over the years was admired and recognized. Brother Gerald D. Irons, Sr. (Gamma Xi 1969) entered the Chapter Invis- ible on April 1, 2021, due to complica- tions of Parkinson's disease at age 73. The NFL franchise Las Vegas Raiders released a statement after Irons' pass- ing expressing their condolences to the Irons family. University of Maryland-Eastern Shore (UMES) Director of Athlet- ics on the passing of alumnus Gerald Irons "Our thoughts and prayers are with Gerald's wife Myrna and the rest of the Irons family during this difficult time. Gerald was a true Hawk. He was proud to have played here, to have worn the maroon and grey, and proud to be a member of our hall of fame. I consider it a personal treasure that I was able to call him a friend. His commitment to education shone throughout his life. He
carried the banner high for our Univer- sity, and he organized many activities in the Houston area promoting UMES and other HBCUs as an option for youth." Gerald Dewayne Irons was born on May 2, 1947, in Gary, IN, the young- est of seven. While a college student at the Maryland State University (now the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore), Irons was Student Government Vice President, captain of the Football Team, and a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Playing for the Hawks football team, Irons was a two- way player who never left the field. On offense, Irons played guard while playing defensive end and special teams. Iron earned a B.A. from UMES in business administration in 1969. According to Davidson, "He (Irons) was the epitome of a scholar-athlete. When he was drafted by the Raiders as a student at Maryland State, he missed the first part of training camp to gradu- ate because he had vowed to one of his business professors that he would finish the course and his degree."
The NFL Oakland Raiders drafted Irons in the third round, 76 th pick over- all, in the 1970 NFL Draft. Irons played ten seasons for the Raiders and the Cleveland Browns. Irons played outside linebacker for six seasons for some outstanding Oakland Raiders teams, led by Hall of Fame coach John Madden, that went to the NFL playoffs five of his six seasons. Irons played in two of the NFL's most memorable games in its his- tory. The “Immaculate Reception” play- off game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1972 playoffs. Irons was in cover- age during the Immaculate Reception play and was six feet from the point where teammate Jack Tatum and Steeler running back John Fuqua collide, caus- ing the ball to rebound to Franco Harris. In the NFL Films video of the play, Har- ris, after catching the ricochet ball, runs behind Irons and toward the end zone to win the playoff game. Irons also played in the "Sea of Hands" game against the Miami Dolphins in 1974. While playing for the Raiders, Irons earned an MBA degree from the prestigious Booth
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