Aikman, Troy K.
Football
b. Nov. 21, 1966, W. Covina, CA
Aikman played at the University of Oklahoma in 1984 and 1985, then transferred to UCLA. After sitting out a year to regain his eligibility, he was a starter in 1987 and 1988, when was named a consensus All-American and winner of the Davey O'Brien Award as the best college quarterback of the year. In his college career, Aikman completed 401 of 637 pass attempts for 5,436 yards and 40 touchdowns.
Chosen by the Dallas Cowboys as the first pick in the 1988 NFL draft, Aikman became a starter during his rookie year. The 6-foot-4, 222-pounder helped lead Dallas to a 16-4 playoff record and three Super Bowl championships with a combination of accurate throwing and the ability to read defenses.
He won the MVP award for Super Bowl XXVII (1992), in which he completed 22 of 30 passes for 273 yards and 4 touchdowns. He was 19 of 27 for 207 yards, with 1 interception, in Super Bowl XXVII and 15 of 23 for 209 yards and 1 TD in Super Bowl XXX.
During the 2000 season, Aikman suffered two concussions and also developed a back problem, forcing him out of several games. The Cowboys cut him after the season, largely to avoid paying him a $7 million roster bonus, and he retired to become a broadcaster.
Aikman holds all of Dallas's important passing records, most of which had previously belonged to Roger Staubach.