Troy Aikman facts for kids

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Troy Aikman

Aikman in 2011

No. 8

Position:

Quarterback

Personal information

Born:

November 21, 1966 (age 58)
West Covina, California, U.S.

Height:

6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)

Weight:

220 lb (100 kg)

Career information

High school:

Henryetta
(Henryetta, Oklahoma)

College:

Oklahoma (1984–1985)
UCLA (1986–1988)

NFL Draft:

1989 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1

Career history

Dallas Cowboys (1989)

Career highlights and awards

3× Super Bowl champion (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX)
Super Bowl MVP (XXVII)
Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year (1997)
6× Pro Bowl (1991–1996)
NFL completion percentage leader (1993)
PFWA All-Rookie Team (1989)
Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor
National champion (1985)
Davey O'Brien Award (1988)
Consensus All-American (1988)
Second-team All-American (1987)
Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year (1987)
First-team All-Pac-10 (1987)
UCLA Bruins No. 8 retired

Career NFL statistics

Passing attempts:	4,715
Passing completions:	2,898
Completion percentage:	61.5%
TD–INT:	165–141
Passing yards:	32,942
Passer rating:	81.6

Player stats at PFR

Pro Football Hall of Fame

College Football Hall of Fame

Troy Kenneth Aikman (born November 21, 1966) is a famous American former football quarterback. He played for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Dallas Cowboys.

Before joining the NFL, Troy played college football for the UCLA Bruins. He had first played for the Oklahoma Sooners before transferring. In his senior year, he won the Davey O'Brien Award, which goes to the best college quarterback.

The Dallas Cowboys picked Troy as the very first player in the 1989 NFL draft. During his time with the Cowboys, he was chosen for six Pro Bowls. He also led the team to win three Super Bowls! He was even named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of Super Bowl XXVII. This was the Cowboys' first Super Bowl win in over ten years.

Troy Aikman was honored for his amazing career. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006. Two years later, in 2008, he also joined the College Football Hall of Fame. After he stopped playing in 2000, Troy became a color commentator for NFL games on TV. He worked for NFL on Fox for many years and then joined Monday Night Football in 2022. He and his announcing partner, Joe Buck, have worked together longer than any other NFL broadcast team. Troy has also been involved in other businesses, like owning a NASCAR team and being a part-owner of the San Diego Padres baseball team.

Early Life
College Football Journey
- Starting at Oklahoma
- Moving to UCLA
Playing for the Dallas Cowboys
Career Stats
- Regular Season Stats
- Playoff Stats
Life After Football
See also

Early Life

Troy Aikman was born on November 21, 1966. He spent his early childhood in West Covina, California. When he was 12, his family moved to Henryetta, Oklahoma.

In Henryetta, Troy played both football and baseball at Henryetta High School. He was a very talented athlete and earned "All-State" honors in football. He even won the Oklahoma high school state championship in typing in 1983!

College Football Journey

Starting at Oklahoma

After high school, the New York Mets baseball team offered Troy a contract. But he chose to play football instead. He went to the University of Oklahoma and played for coach Barry Switzer.

In 1984, Troy became the first freshman quarterback to start for Oklahoma since World War II. In 1985, he led the Sooners to several wins. This included a victory over #17 Texas. However, he broke his ankle in a game against the Miami Hurricanes. This injury ended his season.

After Troy's injury, the team's offense changed. Another quarterback, Jamelle Holieway, became the starter. Because of this, Troy decided to transfer to another college.

Moving to UCLA

Troy transferred to the UCLA. The UCLA football program, led by coach Terry Donahue, was a better fit for a passing quarterback like Troy. He had to sit out one year because of college transfer rules. But after that, he led the UCLA Bruins to an impressive 20 wins and only 4 losses over two seasons.

As a junior, Troy was named the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year. He threw for 2,525 yards and 17 touchdowns. He led the Bruins to a 10-2 record. They also won the 1987 Aloha Bowl against the Florida Gators.

In his senior year, Troy threw for 2,771 yards and 24 touchdowns. He won the 1988 Davey O'Brien Award, becoming the first UCLA player to do so. He was recognized as an All-American. He also finished third in the voting for the 1988 Heisman Trophy. The 1988 season ended with a big win for the Bruins. They beat the Arkansas Razorbacks in the 1989 Cotton Bowl Classic. This game was played in Dallas, which was a hint of Troy's future.

In 2008, Troy Aikman was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. In 2014, UCLA honored him by retiring his #8 jersey.

Playing for the Dallas Cowboys

Rookie Season and Early Years

The Dallas Cowboys chose Troy Aikman as the first overall pick in the 1989 NFL draft. The Cowboys had a new owner, Jerry Jones, and a new coach, Jimmy Johnson. Troy won the starting quarterback job.

Troy's first NFL game was a tough loss. He finished his rookie season in 1989 with no wins as a starter. However, he did set an NFL rookie record by throwing for 379 yards in one game.

The famous trio (pictured) of Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin won three Super Bowls. They are known as "The Triplets."

After Troy's first season, the Cowboys drafted running back Emmitt Smith. With Troy, Emmitt, and wide receiver Michael Irvin, the Cowboys formed a powerful group known as "The Triplets." In 1990, Troy led the Cowboys to a 7-7 record before getting injured.

In 1991, Troy helped the Cowboys start strong. He was chosen for the first of his six straight Pro Bowls.

Super Bowl Champion

The 1992 season was incredible for Troy. He set new personal bests for completions, passing yards, and touchdown passes. He led the Cowboys to a team record of 13 regular-season wins. In the playoffs, the Cowboys beat the Philadelphia Eagles. Then, they faced the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game. The Cowboys won, sending them to their first Super Bowl in many years.

In Super Bowl XXVII, Troy led the Cowboys to a huge 52-17 victory over the Buffalo Bills. He was named the Super Bowl MVP for his outstanding performance.

Troy Aikman's jersey from the 1995 season, displayed at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In 1993, the Cowboys had the best record in the NFC. Troy led them to another playoff win against the Green Bay Packers. He then played a great game against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship. The Cowboys won Super Bowl XXVIII against the Buffalo Bills, making it back-to-back championships!

In 1995, Troy passed for over 3,300 yards. The Cowboys again had the best record in the NFC. They faced the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship and won. This led them to their third Super Bowl in four years. The Cowboys won Super Bowl XXX against the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-17.

Later Years and Retirement

In 1996, Troy helped the Cowboys win another NFC East Division title. They won their first playoff game but lost in the next round.

The 1997 season was tougher. Troy became the first Cowboys quarterback to have three straight 3,000-yard seasons. However, the team finished with a losing record and missed the playoffs.

In 1998, Troy led the Cowboys back to the NFC East title and the playoffs. But they were upset in the first round. The 1999 season was Troy's last playoff appearance. It was also the final season that "The Triplets" (Aikman, Irvin, and Smith) played together.

The 2000 season was Troy's last as a professional football player. He suffered several concussions during the season. His final game was against the Washington Redskins. He was hit and suffered his tenth and final concussion.

Troy announced his retirement on April 9, 2001. He ended his career as the Cowboys' all-time leading passer with 32,942 yards. He had 94 career wins, with 90 of them coming in the 1990s. This was the most wins by any quarterback in a decade until Peyton Manning and Tom Brady later surpassed him.

Troy later shared that his retirement was also due to ongoing back issues. He had wanted to play for the San Diego Chargers after leaving the Cowboys, but it didn't work out.

Career Stats

Regular Season Stats

Legend
	Won the Super Bowl
	Led the league
Bold	Career high
Underline	Incomplete data

Year	Team	Games			Passing									Rushing					Sacked		Fumbles
Year	Team	GP	GS	Record	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/A	Lng	TD	Int	Rtg	Att	Yds	Y/A	Lng	TD	Sck	SckY	Fum	Lost
1989	DAL	11	11	0−11	155	293	52.9	1,749	6.0	75	9	18	55.7	38	302	7.9	25	0	19	155	6	—
1990	DAL	15	15	7−8	226	399	56.6	2,579	6.5	61	11	18	66.6	40	172	4.3	20	1	39	288	5	—
1991	DAL	12	12	7−5	237	363	65.3	2,754	7.6	61	11	10	86.7	16	5	0.3	9	1	32	224	4	—
1992	DAL	16	16	13−3	302	473	63.8	3,445	7.3	87	23	14	89.5	37	105	2.8	19	1	23	112	4	—
1993	DAL	14	14	11−3	271	392	69.1	3,100	7.9	80	15	6	99.0	32	125	3.9	20	0	26	153	7	—
1994	DAL	14	14	10−4	233	361	64.5	2,676	7.4	90	13	12	84.9	30	62	2.1	13	1	14	59	2	3
1995	DAL	16	16	12−4	280	432	64.8	3,304	7.6	50	16	7	93.6	21	32	1.5	12	1	14	89	5	2
1996	DAL	15	15	10−5	296	465	63.7	3,126	6.7	61	12	13	80.1	35	42	1.2	10	1	18	120	6	6
1997	DAL	16	16	6−10	292	518	56.4	3,283	6.3	64	19	12	78.0	25	79	3.2	13	0	33	269	6	5
1998	DAL	11	11	7−4	187	315	59.4	2,330	7.4	67	12	5	88.5	22	69	3.1	23	2	9	58	3	1
1999	DAL	14	14	7−7	263	442	59.5	2,964	6.7	90	17	12	81.1	21	10	0.5	7	1	19	130	8	2
2000	DAL	11	11	4−7	156	262	59.5	1,632	6.2	48	7	14	64.3	10	13	1.3	5	0	13	91	2	2
Career		165	165	94−71	2,898	4,715	61.5	32,942	7.0	90	165	141	81.6	327	1,016	3.1	25	9	259	1,748	58	21

Playoff Stats

Legend
	Super Bowl MVP
	Won the Super Bowl
Bold	Career high
Underline	Incomplete data

Year	Team	Games			Passing									Rushing					Sacked		Fumbles
Year	Team	GP	GS	Record	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/A	Lng	TD	Int	Rtg	Att	Yds	Y/A	Lng	TD	Sck	SckY	Fum	Lost
1991	DAL	1	0	—	11	16	68.8	114	7.1	25	0	1	63.0	2	0	0.0	0	0	3	26	2	—
1992	DAL	3	3	3−0	61	89	68.5	795	8.9	70	8	0	126.4	9	38	4.2	19	0	7	43	1	—
1993	DAL	3	3	3−0	61	82	74.4	686	8.4	35	5	3	104.0	7	28	4.0	12	0	7	28	0	0
1994	DAL	2	2	1−1	53	83	63.9	717	8.6	94	4	4	87.3	2	11	5.5	9	0	5	35	0	0
1995	DAL	3	3	3−0	53	80	66.3	717	9.0	47	4	1	106.1	8	6	0.8	9	0	4	25	0	0
1996	DAL	2	2	1−1	37	65	56.9	343	5.3	23	1	4	51.0	3	4	1.3	2	1	3	26	1	0
1998	DAL	1	1	0−1	22	49	44.9	191	3.9	19	1	3	37.0	1	0	0.0	0	0	4	27	1	0
1999	DAL	1	1	0−1	22	38	57.9	286	7.5	45	0	1	70.7	0	0	—	0	0	1	8	0	0
Career		16	15	11−4	320	502	63.7	3,849	7.7	94	23	17	88.3	32	87	2.7	19	1	34	218	5	0

Life After Football

Becoming a Sports Commentator

After retiring as a player, Troy Aikman became a color commentator for Fox's NFL telecasts in 2001. A year later, he became part of the main announcing team with Joe Buck. Troy has received an Emmy Award nomination for his TV work. He has also helped broadcast six Super Bowls.

Aikman in 2016.

Troy also hosts a weekly sports radio show. He appears on a Dallas sports talk radio station during football season.

Other Ventures and Honors

Troy is the chairman of the Troy Aikman Foundation. This charity helps children, especially by building play areas for children's hospitals. He has also been a spokesman for companies like Wing Stop and Rent-a-Center.

In 2005, Troy was inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor. This honor was shared with his longtime teammates Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith. In 2006, Troy was one of six players inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In 2009, Troy's induction into the College Football Hall of Fame was celebrated. He also announced that he had finished his college degree in sociology from UCLA.

In 2010, Troy joined the Board of Directors for the National Football Foundation. In 2013, he received the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award. This award is given to former college athletes 25 years after their college sports careers end.

Hall of Fame Racing

In 2005, Troy Aikman and another former Cowboys quarterback, Roger Staubach, started a NASCAR team. It was called Hall of Fame Racing. The team competed in the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and continued until 2009.