Troy Aikman

Troy Kenneth Aikman (/ˈeɪkmən/; born November 21, 1966) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. After transferring from the Oklahoma Sooners, he played college football for the UCLA Bruins and won the Davey O'Brien Award as a senior. Aikman was selected first overall in the 1989 NFL draft by the Cowboys, where he was named to six Pro Bowls and won three Super Bowls. He was also named MVP of Super Bowl XXVII, the franchise's first title in over a decade. Aikman was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.

After retiring in 2000, Aikman served as the color commentator of NFL on Fox from 2001 to 2021 and has served as the color commentator of Monday Night Football since 2022. He and his partner play-by-play announcer Joe Buck are the longest tenured announcer pairing in NFL history. Aikman was a co-owner of the now defunct NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team Hall of Fame Racing from 2005 to 2009, along with fellow former Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach, and is also a part-owner of the San Diego Padres in Major League Baseball (MLB).

Aikman was born on November 21, 1966. He spent the first part of his childhood in Cerritos, California. At age 12, Aikman's family moved to Henryetta, Oklahoma, where he played football and baseball at Henryetta High School, earning All-State honors. Aikman also won the 1983 Oklahoma high school state championship in typing.

The New York Mets offered Aikman a contract out of high school, but instead of playing baseball he chose to play football and attended the University of Oklahoma under head coach Barry Switzer.

In 1984, he became the first freshman to start at quarterback for Oklahoma since World War II. In 1985, his first full season as a collegiate starter, Aikman led the Sooners to wins over Minnesota, Kansas State, and No. 17 Texas in the Red River Shootout before losing to the Miami Hurricanes as he left the game with a broken ankle. He also lost to his future teammate Michael Irvin and head coach Jimmy Johnson, who also scouted him when he was the head coach of Oklahoma State.

On October 19, Miami's Jerome Brown broke through the offensive line, sacked Aikman at the Sooners' 29-yard line, and broke Aikman's ankle. Aikman, who had been six of eight passing for 131 yards, would be out for the season. Switzer and offensive coordinator Jim Donnan were forced to switch back to the wishbone offense under freshman quarterback Jamelle Holieway. The team went on to win the 1985 National Championship. With Holieway established as the starting quarterback at OU, Aikman decided to transfer to UCLA.

Barry Switzer oversaw Aikman's transfer to UCLA, which was coached by Terry Donahue and more effective for a passing quarterback. He had to sit out a year due to college transfer rules but went on to lead the Bruins to a 20–4 record over two seasons.

As a junior, Aikman was named Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year, throwing for 2,525 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. He led the Bruins to a 10–2 record and the 1987 Aloha Bowl, where they beat the Florida Gators by a score of 20–16.