Ring of Honor

Troy Aikman Troy Aikman

Quarterback,Aikman was the projected number-one overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft, held by the Cowboys. The proud franchise had fallen on hard times, going a woeful 3-13 in 1988. On February 25, 1989, new owner Jerry Jones shocked the sports world by firing the beloved Tom Landry—the only head coach the Cowboys ever had, replacing him with Johnson, who, to no one's surprise, took Aikman. Johnson did not develop Aikman along slowly, but instead threw into him into action immediately. He stumbled to an 0-11 record (155 of 293 for 1,749 yards, 9 TDs, 18 INTs) as the Cowboys went 1-15. Fans and sportswriters, still reeling from Landry's firing, publicly disparaged the team's "savior." But things were going to get better sooner than most people expected. Aikman proved resilient, and, in 1990, led the Cowboys to the brink of the playoffs. He also started having more help from his teammates, as Johnson showed an uncommon ability for evaluating talent, selecting Emmitt Smith. Dallas was 7-7 with 2 weeks to play before Aikman suffered a season-ending injury. Dallas would lose its final 2 games, but fans were taking notice of the blond-haired, blue-eyed leader of "America's Team." Advertisers began to capitalise on his good looks and prominent position, and Aikman began to appear in commercials and quickly became a national celebrity. In 1991, the Cowboys made it to the playoffs and Aikman was selected to the first of six consecutive Pro Bowls. In 1992, Aikman set career highs in completions (302), passing yards (3,445), and touchdown passes (23), and led the Cowboys to Super Bowl XXVII at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena against the Buffalo Bills. Aikman completed 22 of 30 passes for 273 yards with 4 TDs as Dallas outplayed Buffalo, 52-17. He was named Super Bowl MVP. The next year, With Aikman having one of his best seasons posting a 99.0 passer rating, Dallas defeated the Bills again for a second-straight Super Bowl title. It was widely expected that the team might win the Super Bowl at the end of the 1994 season, becoming the first team to win three consecutive titles. However, Jones and Johnson began having disputes regarding their own personal responsibility for the team's success. Jones fired Johnson, and hired Barry Switzer. Despite the turmoil, the Cowboys almost returned to the Super Bowl, but were beaten 38-28 in the NFC Championship game by the San Francisco 49ers. The 1995 Cowboys won a record-tying 5th Super Bowl (on January 28, 1996) beating the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Aikman threw for over 3,300 yards in the regular season. That August, a book was published alleging that Aikman was a racist, and which also suggested that Switzer planted rumors that Aikman was gay because he thought Aikman was trying to get him fired. It was around this time that Sports Illustrated carried a lengthy article about Aikman's "search for the perfect woman," and Aikman became more visible dating female celebrities. In 1997, Aikman became the first quarterback in Dallas history to have three straight 3,000-yard seasons. However, the team missed the playoffs. Switzer suffered the first losing season of his coaching career. His off-the-field woes exacerbated a bad situation, and Switzer quit following the season. Revolving-door personnel changes plagued the Cowboys for the rest of Aikman's tenure. His pass protection failed him repeatedly as the team, stymied by the newly-enacted salary cap, began a decline. On December 10, 2000, Washington Redskins linebacker Lavar Arrington sacked Aikman with such force that his head literally bounced off the turf leaving a dent in his helmet; it was his tenth concussion, and the one that would end his career. The Cowboys finished the season 5-11. After he was waived a day before he was due a $7 million/7-year contract extension, Aikman asserted he could still play, but found no interested teams. He announced his retirement on April 9, 2001. He ended his career as the Cowboys' all-time leading passer (32,942 yards). His 90 wins in the 1990s is the most by any quarterback in any decade, and his 61.5 percent completion rate is fourth best of all time.



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