Troy Aikman
| Troy Aikman | |
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Position (s): Quarterback |
Jersey number (s): 8 |
| born November 21, 1966 in West Covina , California | |
| Career information | |
| Active : 1989 - 2000 | |
| NFL Draft : 1989 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st | |
| College : Oklahoma & UCLA | |
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| Career statistics | |
| TD - INT | 165-141 |
| Yards | 32,942 |
| QB rating | 81.6 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
| Stats at pro-football-reference.com | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
| College Football Hall of Fame | |
Troy Kenneth Aikman (born November 21, 1966 in West Covina , California ), nickname : "Roy" or "The Godfather" is a former American American football player on the position of quarterback . He played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys , which he led to three Super Bowl victories, and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame .
Player career
High school
Aikman's family moved from California to Henryetta , Oklahoma . Aikman played there in high school football when he was twelve, but initially played in the position of fullback , although he had already played quarterback in California. In the second year he was able to move to the position of quarterback, as he was able to throw a football 65 yards from a standing position . Aikman was calm in person during the game and was therefore also called "Iceman" by his trainer. He was appointed to the selection team at high school.
college
Troy Aikman had to choose between baseball and American football from an early age . Immediately after high school, where he'd played baseball, he had an offer from the New York Mets . Aikman chose a career as a football player, however, as he was offered a scholarship by his future head coach Barry Switzer in 1984 after a training camp .
Aikman played two years college football in 1985 and 1986 for the Oklahoma Sooners , the college team of the University of Oklahoma . In Oklahoma Aikman ran on as starting quarterback , but lost this position due to an injury to Jamelle Holieway . The Sooners won the NCAA championship with Holieway in 1985 . Since the Sooners' head coach, Barry Switzer, was forced to change the game system with Holieway as quarterback - more emphasis was placed on the running game - and Holieway got along well with the new system, Aikman no longer saw a future with the Sooners and moved in 1986 for three years to the UCLA Bruins , the team of the University of California, Los Angeles , after he had previously turned down an offer from the University of Miami .
The Bruins placed more emphasis on the passing game in their game system, which Aikman accommodated. After he was banned in the first year due to his move and thereby extended his college studies to five years, he was able to play as starting quarterback for the Bruins in 1987 and 1988. In 1987 he and his team won the Aloha Bowl 20:16 against the University of Florida team . On January 2, 1989, he won another bowl game, this time the Bruins played in Dallas in the Cotton Bowl and won against the University of Arkansas 17: 3. During his college days in California, Aikman, who stood out for his confident game design, threw a total of 41 touchdown passes and had the third-highest quarterback rating in the history of the American College Sports Association (NCAA).
NFL
In 1989 , Aikman was selected by the then worst team in the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys , as the first player in the 1989 NFL Draft . The Cowboys' new owner, Jerry Jones , who sacked legendary trainer Tom Landry shortly after Aikman was signed, established Jimmy Johnson as the team's new head coach. Through a clever purchasing policy and by giving up older players, such as running back Herschel Walker , in return for draft rights from other teams, they succeeded in gradually strengthening the cowboys with young, success-hungry players. Running back Emmitt Smith , wide receiver Alvin Harper , fullback Daryl Johnston , tight end Jay Novacek and offensive tackle Erik Williams were drafted as rookies or signed by other clubs . In addition, wide receiver Michael Irvin, who was already playing with the Cowboys, managed to overcome a cruciate ligament tear . He grew to be one of the best passport recipients in NFL history. Quarterback Aikman, who suffered a serious shoulder injury in the first season and had to be replaced by Steve Walsh at times , had an excellent offensive line and several outstanding ball carriers and pass receivers. After the defense was also greatly improved, the foundation for the team's success was laid. She became one of the dominant football teams of the 90s and had one of the most successful quarterbacks in NFL history in Troy Aikman.
Aikman and his team won the Super Bowl three times - in the final of the 1992 season in Super Bowl XXVII against the Buffalo Bills with 52:17, in the final of the season 1993 in Super Bowl XXVIII again against the team from Buffalo with 30:13 and in Final game of the 1995 season in Super Bowl XXX with his new head coach and former college coach, Barry Switzer, against the Pittsburgh Steelers at 27:17. In this game alone, he got four touchdowns without a single interception .
1994 was also a very successful year financially for Aikman. With an annual earnings of $ 1 million , he was one of the worst paid regular quarterbacks in the league. The owner of the Cowboys, Jerry Jones, who planned for a long time with Aikman, then extended the contract until the end of the millennium and guaranteed Aikman an income of 50 million US dollars. Eleven million of these were immediately paid out to him as hand money.
Despite his outstanding sporting achievements, Aikman's career was not undisturbed. So the injuries increased. Concussions in particular made life difficult for him. Ultimately, it was such an injury that contributed to the quarterback's premature retirement in 2000. LaVar Arrington , linebacker of the Washington Redskins , had hit him so hard that he had to hurt from the board. After that final concussion, he ended his career.
In his professional career, Aikman made 165 touchdown passes in 141 interceptions during the regular season . He achieved a space gain of 32,942 yards . There are also nine touchdowns that he could run himself. In the play-offs he got 24 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. 63.7% of his passes were caught by his own players in play-off games. At the time of his retirement, Troy Aikman held a total of 47 Dallas Cowboys pass records (some together with other players).
Honors (selection)
From 1991 to 1996, Aikman played six times in the Pro Bowl and was voted All-Pro three times . Aikman was voted Super Bowl MVP in his first Super Bowl . He was inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor after his career . He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006 for his accomplishments . In 1999 he was named to the UCLA Hall of Fame . He was named one of the top 100 football players of all time by The Sporting News . Aikman received numerous awards as a football player in high school and college. Aikman was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 2010. He is a member of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame .
After the career
Aikman remained loyal to his sport even after his professional career. He moderates and analyzes several sports programs on radio and television . He was also the owner of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Racing team with Roger Staubach until 2009 . Aikman has been a co-owner of the San Diego Padres since 2009 .
The country music fan Aikman is married and has three children, including a step-daughter from the first marriage of his wife. Aikman is socially committed, tries to keep children from smoking through lectures, and has its own foundation dedicated to promoting children and young people.
Individual evidence
literature
- Jens Plassmann: NFL - American Football. The game, the stars, the stories (= Rororo 9445 rororo Sport ). Rowohlt, Reinbek near Hamburg 1995, ISBN 3-499-19445-7 .
- Ron St. Angelo, Norm Hitzges: Greatest Team Ever. The Dallas Cowboys Dynasty of the 1990s. Thomas Nelson, Nashville TN 2007, ISBN 978-1-4016-0340-3 .
- Dallas Cowboys. Media Guide 2000. (Self-published by the Dallas Cowboys).
Web links
- Homepage and Foundation of Troy Aikman
- Troy Aikman's injuries ( memento from August 30, 2003 in the Internet Archive )
- Troy Aikman fan club ( August 31, 2003 memento in the Internet Archive )
- Troy Aikman at the UCLA Bruins
- Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach racing team
- Troy Aikman in the Texas Sports Hall of Fame
- Troy Aikman in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Aikman with the cowboys
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Aikman, Troy |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Aikman, Troy Kenneth |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American football player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 21, 1966 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | West Covina , California , USA |