Story Published: Oct 28, 2009 at 12:15 AM MDT
Story Updated: Oct 28, 2009 at 12:23 AM MDT
The former NFL star narrowly advanced through Tuesday's elimination episode that saw the exit of both actress Melissa Joan Hart and snowboarder Louie Vito.
Hart and her partner, Mark Ballas, were eliminated after a low score on Monday's show. Vito and his professional dancer, Chelsie Hightower, lost in a dance-off with Irvin and his partner, Anna Demidova.
"That's the game," said Hart, who starred on "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch." "It's tough. I was hoping to make it one more week."
On Monday's show, Vito dropped Hightower twice. In the judges eyes, he didn't further distinguish himself Tuesday with a slipshod performance to the song "I Fought the Law."
"This is a lot harder than it looks," said Vito. "Everyday I got out there and danced, I was proud of myself just for getting out there."
Irvin, the Hall of Fame receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, managed to make it through despite several weeks of low scores. He has become a fan favorite, and judges mostly praised his crowd-pleasing samba to Charles Wright's Motown hit "Express Yourself."
Seven celebrity contestants remain on the ABC show: Irvin, entertainer Donny Osmond, model Joanna Krupa, singers Mya and Aaron Carter and TV personalities Mark Dacascos and Kelly Osbourne. Two more will be eliminated next week.
The contest show has been one of the most-watched programs on TV. Last week's episode drew more than 21 million viewers. On Tuesday, the much-celebrated young country star Taylor Swift also stopped by to sing several songs.
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ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co.