Troy Aikman

3.1. Oklahoma Sooners

Despite receiving a contract offer from the New York Mets out of high school to play baseball, Aikman chose to pursue football, enrolling at the University of Oklahoma under head coach Barry Switzer. In 1984, he made history by becoming the first freshman to start at quarterback for Oklahoma since World War II.

In 1985, his first full season as a collegiate starter, Aikman guided the Sooners to victories over the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Kansas State Wildcats, and the No. 17 Texas Longhorns in the Red River Shootout. However, his season was cut short in a game against the Miami Hurricanes on October 19. Miami's Jerome Brown broke through the offensive line, sacking Aikman at the Sooners' 29 yd line and breaking his ankle. Aikman, who had completed six of eight passes for 131 yd, was sidelined for the remainder of the season. Following his injury, Switzer and offensive coordinator Jim Donnan reverted to the wishbone offense with freshman quarterback Jamelle Holieway. The team went on to win the 1985 National Championship. With Holieway established as the starting quarterback at Oklahoma, Aikman decided to transfer to the UCLA.

3.2. UCLA Bruins

Aikman's transfer to UCLA was overseen by Barry Switzer, and he joined a program coached by Terry Donahue, which was more conducive to a passing quarterback. Due to college transfer rules, he was required to sit out one year. After his redshirt year, Aikman led the Bruins to an impressive 20-4 record over two seasons.

As a junior, Aikman was named Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year, throwing for 2.52 K yd, 17 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. He guided the Bruins to a 10-2 record and a victory over the Florida Gators with a score of 20-16 in the 1987 Aloha Bowl. In his senior year, 1988, Aikman threw for 2.77 K yd, 24 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. He was awarded the 1988 Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's top quarterback, a first for UCLA. He was also recognized as a Consensus All-American, the UPI West Coast Player of the Year, and the Washington DC Club Quarterback of the Year. He was a finalist for the 1988 AFCA "Coaches Choice" Player of the Year award and finished third in the voting for the 1988 Heisman Trophy. The 1988 UCLA season also concluded with a 10-2 record, with their only losses coming against USC and Washington State. The season culminated in a 17-3 Bruins victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks in the 1989 Cotton Bowl Classic, which was played in Dallas. During the Cotton Bowl Classic week, the Dallas media heavily promoted Aikman as the "next quarterback of the Cowboys," and much attention was drawn to Cowboys head coach Tom Landry observing Aikman's practices at Texas Stadium. Aikman concluded his college career as the second-leading passer in UCLA history.

In 2008, Aikman was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. On November 28, 2014, UCLA honored him by retiring his #8 jersey during halftime of their game against Stanford. In 2009, Aikman completed his coursework and earned his degree in sociology, participating in UCLA's commencement ceremony.

3.3. College statistics

4.1. Dallas Cowboys

Aikman's professional career with the Dallas Cowboys was marked by his selection as the first overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft, a period of team rebuilding and eventual dominance with "The Triplets," and a later career impacted by injuries.

4.1.2. The Triplets and Super Bowl Era

Following Aikman's rookie season, Dallas selected Florida Gators running back Emmitt Smith in the first round of the 1990 NFL draft. With Smith and Irvin, Aikman led the Cowboys to a 7-7 record in the 1990 season but was injured in the 15th game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys went on to lose that game and the following week, missing the final playoff wild card spot by one game.

In 1991, Aikman led the Cowboys to a 6-4 record through the first 10 games and had the Cowboys ahead in week 12 against an undefeated Washington Redskins team when he was injured. Steve Beuerlein replaced Aikman, and Dallas finished the season 5-0, earning the #5 playoff seed. Beuerlein then led the Cowboys to a road upset over the #4 seed Chicago Bears in the wild card round. With the Cowboys trailing 17-6 at halftime the following week against the Detroit Lions in the NFC Divisional Playoff game, Aikman was inserted to start the third quarter but was unable to provide a spark as the Cowboys lost, 38-6. That year, Aikman was selected to the first of six consecutive Pro Bowls.

In 1992, Aikman set career highs in completions (302), passing yards (3.45 K yd), and touchdown passes (23), leading the Cowboys to a team-record 13 regular-season victories and the second-best record in the NFC. During the playoffs, Aikman broke Joe Montana's record of 83 passes without an interception by throwing 89. The Cowboys defeated the Philadelphia Eagles at home in the divisional round and then faced off against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship, a matchup featuring the two best teams in the NFC. The Cowboys won, 30-20, with Aikman completing two game-changing passes to send the Cowboys to their first Super Bowl appearance since 1978. In Super Bowl XXVII against the Buffalo Bills, Aikman led the Cowboys to a 52-17 victory in a game played at his alma mater's home stadium, the Rose Bowl. Aikman was named Super Bowl MVP after completing 22 of 30 passes for 273 yd and 4 touchdowns.

In 1993, the Cowboys finished 12-4, the best record in the NFC. In the playoffs, Aikman again led the Cowboys to a home playoff win, this time over a young Green Bay Packers squad led by quarterback Brett Favre, who was in his first full season as a starting quarterback. Aikman then shredded the San Francisco 49ers secondary in the NFC Championship, leading 38-21 before leaving the game with a concussion after 49ers defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield's knee hit Aikman's head. Aikman later stated he has no memory of playing in that game. In Super Bowl XXVIII, Aikman was kept out of the end zone, but a combination of key turnovers by the Buffalo Bills offense and the running of Emmitt Smith helped lead to a 30-13 victory for the Cowboys, securing their second consecutive Super Bowl title.

Head coach Jimmy Johnson left the team on March 29, 1994, and Jerry Jones hired Barry Switzer, Aikman's former college coach at Oklahoma. In 1994, the Cowboys finished with the second-best record in the NFC (behind the San Francisco 49ers), and Aikman again missed playing time due to injuries. The Cowboys won their Divisional Playoff game against the Green Bay Packers 35-9, but fell to the 49ers in the NFC Championship, 38-28.

In 1995, Aikman passed for over 3.30 K yd as the Cowboys once again finished with the best record in the NFC. Aikman was knocked out of a highly anticipated rematch between the Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers when Stubblefield landed on him, forcing his knee to hit the turf. After a playoff loss at home by the 49ers to the Green Bay Packers, the Cowboys faced the Packers in the NFC Championship and, for the third straight season, knocked the Packers out of the playoffs, this time by a 38-27 score, to earn their third Super Bowl appearance in four years. The Cowboys won Super Bowl XXX against the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17, with Aikman throwing one touchdown pass.

4.2. NFL career statistics

5.1. Broadcasting career

After retiring as a player, Aikman joined Fox's NFC telecasts as a color commentator for the 2001 season. A year later, he was named to Fox's lead announcing crew, initially teaming up with Joe Buck and Cris Collinsworth (from 2002 to 2004). Aikman received an Emmy Award nomination for his television work in 2004 and has since broadcast six Super Bowls: XXXIX, XLII, XLV, XLVIII, LI, and LIV. He and Joe Buck became the longest-tenured announcer pairing in NFL history.

In 2016, it was revealed that Aikman nearly came out of retirement in 2004 to sign a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins, but the Dolphins ultimately did not sign him. Beyond NFL game commentary, Aikman hosted a weekly sports radio show that aired on Thursdays from 7 to 8 p.m. ET on Sporting News Radio. He also made weekly appearances during the football season on the Dunham & Miller morning show on Dallas sports talk radio station 1310 The Ticket.

On March 16, 2022, ESPN announced that both Buck and Aikman would join the network as the new lead commentators for Monday Night Football, marking a significant shift in their broadcasting careers after 20 seasons as Fox's lead team.

5.2. Business and ownership

Aikman has diversified his post-football career with various business ventures. He owned several car dealerships in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. In 2022, he launched his own light beer brand called "Eight."

In late 2005, Aikman, along with fellow former Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach, established a NASCAR team known as Hall of Fame Racing. The team fielded the No. 96 car, a number derived by multiplying Aikman's jersey number as a Dallas Cowboy by Staubach's. Drivers such as Terry Labonte and Tony Raines shared the car during the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. Raines drove full-time for Hall of Fame Racing in 2007, and J. J. Yeley and Brad Coleman drove the car in 2008. The team ceased operations after the 2009 season. In March 2009, Aikman became a part-owner of the San Diego Padres in Major League Baseball (MLB). On February 9, 2010, Aikman became a member of the National Football Foundation Board of Directors. As of fall 2010, he also served as a co-spokesman for Rent-a-Center, alongside Hulk Hogan. In March 2014, Aikman was announced as a partner and spokesman for IDLife.

5.3. Charitable activities

Aikman is the chairman of the Troy Aikman Foundation, a charity dedicated to benefiting children. The foundation has notably focused on building playplaces for children's hospitals. In 2016, Aikman merged his foundation with the United Way Foundation of Metropolitan Dallas and contributed 1.00 M USD to United Way in the process.

5.4. Other activities and notable incidents

In 1999, Aikman was ranked No. 95 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. He has served as the official Wingstop spokesman for several years. He appeared in The Simpsons episode "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" alongside former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino. He also participated in the 2001 and 2011 videos honoring Billy Graham's 83rd and 93rd birthdays. Aikman once joked about appearing on Dancing with the Stars, which garnered media attention before he clarified it was a jest.

On September 19, 2005, during halftime of the Dallas Cowboys-Washington Redskins game broadcast on Monday Night Football, Aikman was inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor along with his longtime teammates Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith. At another halftime ceremony on February 7, 2009, during a UCLA-Notre Dame basketball game, Aikman's induction into the College Football Hall of Fame was honored. In the fall of 2011, Aikman joined the Oxford Preparatory Academy Charter School Advisory Board in Southern California. In November 2013, Aikman was named a 2014 recipient of the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award, an honor given annually to six former college athletes 25 years after the conclusion of their college athletics careers.

Before a 2020 NFL broadcast between the Packers and Buccaneers in Tampa, Aikman and his partner Joe Buck were caught on a hot mic questioning the necessity of a military flyover when only 15,000 fans were allowed in Raymond James Stadium for the game. Aikman notably commented, "That's a lot of jet fuel just to do a little flyover" and "That stuff ain't happening with a Kamala-Biden ticket, I'll tell you that right now, partner." While an Armed Forces spokesperson later stated there was no additional cost to conduct the flyovers, Buck and Aikman faced accusations of being unpatriotic.

6.1. Hall of Fame inductions

Aikman was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006, recognizing his outstanding professional career. Two years later, in 2008, he was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame for his exceptional collegiate achievements. Additionally, on September 19, 2005, he was enshrined in the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor, joining his iconic teammates Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith.

6.2. Major awards and achievements

During his college career, Aikman was awarded the Davey O'Brien Award in 1988 as the nation's top quarterback, becoming the first UCLA player to receive this honor. He was also named the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year in 1987 and was a Consensus All-American in 1988. He finished third in the voting for the 1988 Heisman Trophy.

In the NFL, Aikman was selected to six consecutive Pro Bowls. He led the Dallas Cowboys to three Super Bowl victories: Super Bowl XXVII, Super Bowl XXVIII, and Super Bowl XXX. His performance in Super Bowl XXVII earned him the Super Bowl MVP title. In 2014, he was a recipient of the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award, which honors former college athletes 25 years after the end of their college athletics careers.