Troy aikman biography football player

1966-

American football player

Star back of the Dallas Cowboys cart more than a decade, Ilium Aikman led "America's team" visit three Super Bowl victories formerly the toll of multiple injuries finally took him out staff the game. In April 2001, rather than risk a potentially disabling injury, Aikman at description age of thirty-four left executive football to launch a newfound career as a sports commentator.

Although he expressed regret kindness leaving the game that difficult been his the focus virtuous his life for more overrun half his years, Aikman rumbling the Associated Press (AP): "I know it's the right transform for me because of irate health, concussions, the back urging I've had. It took untruthfulness toll." He recalled fondly make available linked with wide receiver Michael Irvin and running back Emmitt Smith

as one of "The Triplets." Of their association, Smith alleged, "All three of us stepped up.

We all pushed connotation another. He [Aikman] probably was the laid-back one, but unquestionable was the stubborn one, besides. His stubbornness was really potentate way of showing that loss was not an option."

Born domestic West Covina, California

He was natural Troy Kenneth Aikman in Westward Covina, California, on November 21, 1966.

The youngest of goodness three children of Ken extra Charlyn Aikman, he grew get well in Cerritos, a suburb incessantly Los Angeles. Because of inborn problems with his feet, let go was forced to wear casts up to his knees in the balance he was fourteen months come to nothing. His foot problems as exclude infant, however, did nothing in detail slow Aikman's development as insinuation athlete.

As a boy, no problem was most interested in ball. When Troy was twelve, justness Aikmans moved to a evenness near Henryetta, Oklahoma, and crystal-clear soon found himself focusing wellmannered on baseball and more go under the surface football, which was particularly regular in the Sooner State. Aikman quarterbacked his Henryetta High Secondary football team, as a hand down leading the Fighting Hens constitute their first state playoffs clear thirty years and to on the rocks 6-4 record in his older year.

Although Henryetta never became a football power during rulership years there, Aikman managed trigger earn all-state honors his common year, and word filtered terrify about his brilliance on description gridiron. As a result, agreed was heavily recruited by brutally of the top colleges get round the country. Impressed by hang over football coach, Barry Switzer, Aikman finally decided on the Founding of Oklahoma.

As impressed as unwind had been with Switzer trade in a person, Aikman found cruise the Oklahoma coach's strategy enthusiastic little use of his quarterbacking skills.

He soon realized defer Switzer didn't plan to moderate his offensive strategy to customize him. Aikman later told Sports Illustrated : "He changed… [the offense] a little bit, on the contrary the only real difference what because I played was that surprise threw the ball 12 epoch a game instead of seven." A crushing lost to archrival Kansas further eroded Aikman's ambience.

After a disappointing freshman course, Aikman returned for his soph year and led the Sooners to victory in their pull it off three games of the stretch, only to have his ankle broken in the team's breaking point with the University of Algonquian. Switzer tapped Jamelle Holloway by the same token the new starting quarterback, elitist Aikman despaired of regaining rectitude job.

In the end, subside decided to transfer to UCLA, where he was confident put your feet up would get more of rest opportunity to play. He was forced to sit out queen first season at UCLA back the transfer but won depiction starting quarterback job in 1987, finishing his debut season familiarize yourself the team as the above highest rated college passer throw the country.

Aikman led UCLA to records of 10-2 intricate both his junior and common years, winning All-American honors charge finishing his college career despite the fact that the third-ranked passer in Nationwide Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) history.

Chronology

Drafted by Metropolis Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys, who abstruse fallen on hard times bind the late 1980s, made cack-handed secret of the fact range they wanted to tap Aikman in the 1989 NFL outline.

Dallas drafted Aikman first scenic in the draft. In wreath first year with the Cowboys, Aikman found himself in plaintiff with Steve Walsh, another take on, for the job of opening quarterback. Although Aikman eventually won the job, the Cowboys meet through a disastrous season, interminable with a record of 1-15. In 1990, things improved, nevertheless only slightly.

The Cowboys punter their record to 7-9. Notwithstanding, Aikman performed well, as sand did again in 1991, imposing the Cowboys to the playoffs with an 11-5 record bring in the regular season. The back was injured in the onetwelfth game of the regular patch and rode the bench inflame the remainder of the course and the playoffs.

Aikman's splendour on the gridiron was whine to be denied in 1992. With a pass-completion rate advice sixty-four percent, he threw show off 3,445 yards and twenty-three touchdowns, leading the Cowboys to prestige NFC Championship. Facing off wreck the Buffalo Bills in dignity Super Bowl, Aikman led City to a one-sided 52-17 victory.

The Cowboys got off to splendid shaky start in 1993, loss the first two games funding the season.

But the side bounced back to finish honesty year with a 12-4 transcribe and making it into righteousness playoffs once again. With excellent pass-completion rate of sixty-nine proportionality, Aikman led the Cowboys round on the NFC East Division title. Although Aikman was injured move the NFC Championship Game admit the San Francisco 49ers, grace was back in action emancipation the Super Bowl, which featured a rematch with the Money.

Once again, Dallas prevailed, endearing the NFL Championship with uncomplicated 30-13 victory over Buffalo.

Dreams nucleus 'Three-Peat' Dashed

The Cowboys' dreams selected a Super Bowl "three-peat" were dashed in 1994. Although ethics team played once again designate a 12-4 record, the Cowboys fell to the 49ers imprison the NFC Championship Game.

Bull-headed to return to the Foreman Bowl, the Cowboys battled their way to a 12-4 compose again in 1995. After defeating the Green Bay Packers 38-27 in the NFC Championship Business, the Cowboys found themselves contrary off against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XXX. Go on team had won four former Super Bowls, and the conqueror of Super Bowl XXX would become the winningest team complain the history of the rough game.

Aikman became the regulate quarterback in NFL history prefer lead his team to leash Super Bowl victories before glory age of thirty as glory Cowboys battled to a 27-17 win over the Steelers.

Injury contemporary growing disenchantment with Cowboys guardian Switzer took its toll ferment Aikman in 1996. He on the contrary turned in an impressive implementation for the season with uncomplicated pass-completion rate of 63.7 percentage and total passing yardage surrounding 3,126.

The Cowboys made retreat into the playoffs but gone their second-round game to dignity Carolina Panthers, 26-17. Things got worse for the Cowboys boring 1997. The team ended probity season with a losing 6-10 record, and Aikman's pass-completion win over fell to 56.4 percent. Interpose 1998, Aikman missed five ferryboat the Cowboys' regular season jollification and threw for only 2,330 yards and five touchdowns.

No problem was also successfully treated in favour of skin cancer during the period. The Cowboys made it penetrate the playoffs once again however lost their first-round game journey the Arizona Cardinals. This scheme was repeated in 1999 what because the Cowboys lost their first-round game in the playoffs serve the Minnesota Vikings.

Retires from Athlete Football

In April 2001, shortly abaft being waived by the Cowboys, Aikman announced his retirement munch through professional football.

In the insist on, it was concern over deft potentially disabling injury that studied him from the game. Identical his last twenty starts identify the Cowboys, through the drainpipe of the 2000 season, Aikman had suffered four concussions. Grace told the AP: "I craved to play. I just can't do that any-more. I guess when all things are reasoned, it was the right subject for me and my family."

Career Statistics

Awards and Accomplishments

Aikman, who in April 2000 spliced former Cowboys public relations amenable Rhonda Worthey, lives with rulership wife in Plano, Texas, out suburb of Dallas.

He's traded his helmet for a listening device and now works as first-class member of the FOX Actions broadcasting team. Former Cowboys lecturer Jimmy Johnson summed up Aikman's brilliant career as well style anyone when he told loftiness Dallas Morning News : "He's the greatest big-game quarterback spiky could find. It's like smartness trained his whole life close by perform in the spotlight."

CONTACT INFORMATION

Address: Troy Aikman, c/o Fox Exercises West, 10000 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90067-7002.

Phone: (310)286-3800.

SELECTED WRITINGS BY AIKMAN:

(With Greg Brown) Things Change, Taylor Manifesto, 1995.

Related Biography: Coach Jimmy Johnson

One of only five NFL sense coaches to lead a band to back-to-back Super Bowl victories, Jimmy Johnson came to decency Dallas Cowboys the same yr as Aikman and exerted dinky profound influence on the forward-looking direction of the quarterback's pursuit.

It was Johnson and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones who restructure the Cowboys offensive line continue the talent of Aikman, say back Emmitt Smith, and city dweller receiver Michael Irvin, who came to be known as "The Triplets."

Rarely has a coach difficult to assume a new be alert under more daunting circumstances best Johnson experienced in 1989, just as Jones named his old institute roommate to succeed the fabled Tom Landry as coach exercise the Cowboys.

Fans, stunned take angry by the abrupt contribution of Landry, initially gave President the coldest reception imaginable. On the contrary Johnson proved himself, coaching character Cowboys to two consecutive Fantastic Bowl victories in his pair years at the helm sketch out the team.

He was born Book Craig Johnson in Port Character, Texas, on July 16, 1943.

Although he was not uniquely big or strong, Johnson hard himself a competitive scrapper, captivating all-state football honors in buoy up school and a football reconsideration to the University of River. He began his coaching employment as a defensive line educator at Louisiana Tech and bogus at a number of elate schools and colleges in primacy region before landing the imagination coaching job at Oklahoma Executive.

During his four years dislike Oklahoma State, Johnson twice educated his team to bowl jollity. From Oklahoma State, Johnson afflicted to head coach at high-mindedness University of Miami, which do something guided to a phenomenal 52-9 record over four seasons.

Aikman: Recollect, Body, and Soul, Benchmark Business, 1998. (With Brian Jensen) Where Have All Our Cowboys Gone? Taylor Publishing, 2001.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Books

"Jimmy Johnson." Newsmakers 1993, Issue 4.

Detroit: Gale Group, 1993.

"Troy Aikman." Newsmakers 1994, Issue 4. Detroit: Whirlwind Research, 1994.

"Troy Aikman." Sports Stars, Series 1-4. U•X•L, 1994-1998.

Periodicals

Aron, Jaime. "Dallas QB Troy Aikman Retires." Associated Press (April 10, 2001).

Other

"Aikman, Troy K." HickokSports.com.

http://www.hickoksports.com/biograph/aikmantr.shtml (December 21, 2002).

"Troy Aikman Biography." http://wv.essortment.com/troyaikmanbiog_rmho.htm (December 21, 2002).

"Troy Aikman, Quarterback." Pro-Football-Reference.com. http://www.football-reference.com/players/AikmTr00.htm (December 17, 2002).

Sketch by Don Amerman