Irvin Gets a Strong Warning

The judge delivered a stern warning to Michael Irvin: one misdeed over the next four years and the Dallas Cowboy star could be looking at 20 years in prison.

State District Judge Manny Alvarez sentenced Irvin to four years deferred adjudication, a $10,000 fine and 800 hours of community service Tuesday, a day after Irvin’s no-contest plea to a felony cocaine possession charge.

Irvin struck the deal with prosecutors as his trial entered its fourth week with testimony from a topless dancer about drug and sex parties involving the wide receiver. Alvarez said he had heard enough evidence to find Irvin guilty on the cocaine charge and warned of stiff punishment if he gets into further trouble.

“If you come back before me . . . I will find you guilty of this offense and you’re looking at 20 years in the penitentiary,” Alvarez told Irvin.

Asked if he understood, Irvin replied, “Yes, sir.”

Irvin appeared subdued at the hearing and left carrying one of his daughters. His wife, Sandi, and two young daughters, Miesha, 6, and Chelsea, 8 months, were with him in court for the first time during the trial.

Later, at the Cowboys’ Valley Ranch headquarters, Irvin apologized to his family and the team’s fans.

“There’s no getting around it,” he said. “I was wrong. I was wrong.

“I’d like to apologize to my family. I shall work on being a better father. I shall work on being a better husband.”

Irvin declined to answer questions from reporters and said he was going to Miami to spend time with his family rather than reporting to the Cowboys’ training camp, which begins today in Austin.

The judge ordered Irvin to spend about seven 40-hour weeks performing such chores as roadside trash pickup or serving meals at an AIDS hospice.

“I didn’t want this probation viewed as a cakewalk,” Alvarez told reporters after the sentencing. “It’s not going to be fun for him.”