Tony Romo

Romo before the 2008 Pro Bowl
No. 9     Dallas Cowboys
Quarterback
Personal information
Date of birth: (1980-04-21) April 21, 1980 (age 32)
Place of birth: San Diego, California
Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Weight: 226 lb (103 kg)
Career information
College: Eastern Illinois
Undrafted in 2003
Debuted in 2004 for the Dallas Cowboys
Career history
Dallas Cowboys (2003–present)
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
3× Pro Bowl selection (2006, 2007, 2009) College awards and honors Ed Block Courage Award (2011)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2011
Pass attempts 2,592 Pass completions 1,672 Percentage 64.5 TD-INT 149-72 Passing yards 20,834 QB Rating 96.9 Stats at NFL.com
Stats at pro-football-reference.com

Antonio Ramiro "Tony" Romo (born April 21, 1980) is a professional American football quarterback in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys. Romo's career passer rating - at 96.9 - ranks second-best all time. Tony Romo didn't play in the regular season in 2003, 2004, or 2005. He replaced the Cowboys' previous starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe during a game against the New York Giants in the 2006 season.

Early years[link]

Romo was born in San Diego, California, while his father was serving in the United States Navy. His family returned to its home in Burlington, Wisconsin.^[1] Romo's athletic ability was evident even at an early age when he was selected for the Little League All-Star team.^[2]

Romo started as quarterback for the Burlington Demons beginning as a junior (1996 season). During his junior season, he led the Demons to a SLC Conference record of 7–2 and the WIAA^[3] playoffs. In the 1996 playoffs, Romo and the Demons defeated Greenfield^[4] 17-6 before trouncing Badger^[5] 41–16. Romo came within one game of the state championship game but fell short in a last-minute 16-15 loss to Cudahy.^[6] After the 1996 season, he received Honorable Mention in the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-State Team.

Before his senior year of high school, BHS was realigned into the new SEC Conference along with the larger Racine and Kenosha metro schools. In the 1997 season, Romo and the Demons finished with a 3–6 record, though he earned several honors, including the All-Racine County football team, Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-State first team honors, as well as honors by the Racine Journal Times^[7] 1997 Player of the Year.

Romo was a multi-sport athlete during high school, and in addition to being a member of the football team, he also was a starter on the BHS varsity basketball team; he also played golf and tennis.

College career[link]

Romo played college football at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois. As a sophomore in 2000, Romo ranked second in Division I-AA in passing efficiency, completing 164 of 278 (59%) passes for 2,583 yards and 27 touchdowns. After the season, he was honored as an All-America honorable mention, an All-Ohio Valley Conference member, and the OVC Player of the Year. As a junior, he led Division I-AA in passing efficiency, completing 138-of-207 passes for 2,068 yards and 21 touchdowns. He was selected to the AP All-America third team, All-Ohio Valley Conference first team and the OVC Player of the Year.

On December 19, 2002, Romo was the first player in Eastern Illinois and Ohio Valley Conference history to win the Walter Payton Award, given annually to the Nation's top player at the NCAA Division I-AA level. He finished his career holding school and conference records with 85 touchdown passes. His last college game was a playoff loss to Western Illinois University. He was second in school and third in conference history with 8,212 passing yards. He was also second in school history with 584 completions and 941 attempts. As a senior, he set school and conference records for completions with 258 in 407 attempts for 3,418 yards, ranked him second in conference and third in school history for a season. He threw for 34 touchdowns and scored one rushing touchdown. Romo's 3,149 yards in total offense as a senior ranked third in school and conference history. Along with the Walter Payton Award, Romo earned consensus All-America honors. He was also selected All-Ohio Valley Conference and was named OVC Player of the Year for the third straight year.

During homecoming weekend on October 17, 2009, Eastern Illinois University retired Romo's No. 17 jersey and inducted him in to EIU’s Hall of Fame. Romo is the first Eastern Illinois player to have his number retired. He said of the event, "It was such an honor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame here, and with the jersey ceremony, it holds a special place in your heart."^[8][9]

Awards and honors[link]

• 3× All-OVC (2000–2002)
• 3× OVC Player of the Year (2000–2002)
• 3× All-American (2000–2002)
• Walter Payton Award (2002)

NFL career[link]

Dallas Cowboys[link]

Romo attended the 2003 NFL Combine, but, despite intriguing some scouts, went undrafted by any NFL team during the 2003 NFL Draft. Throughout the draft, Romo was assured by Sean Payton of the Cowboys' interest (Romo was also intensely pursued by former Denver Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan),^[10] and shortly afterwards was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Cowboys. Romo entered the 2003 training camp third on the Cowboys' depth chart behind Quincy Carter and Chad Hutchinson. In 2004, the Cowboys released quarterback Chad Hutchinson and signed veteran quarterback Vinny Testaverde and traded a third round draft pick to the Houston Texans for quarterback Drew Henson. Romo faced being cut from the roster until Quincy Carter was released following allegations of substance abuse. After Vinny Testaverde's tenure in Dallas ended in 2005, the Cowboys signed veteran quarterback Drew Bledsoe, the eighth starting quarterback for the Cowboys since 2000.

One of Romo's early career highlights was in 2004, when (as the third string QB) he rushed for the winning touchdown with six seconds left in a preseason game against the Oakland Raiders. Elevated to the Cowboys' #2 quarterback in 2005, Romo had strong showings in the 2005 and 2006 pre-seasons. In the 2006 off-season, Sean Payton (now head coach of the New Orleans Saints), offered a third round draft pick for Romo, but Jerry Jones refused, asking for no less than a second round draft pick. Romo eventually took over the starting quarterback role from Drew Bledsoe during half time against the New York Giants on October 23, 2006.

2006 season[link]

Romo began the season as a backup to starter Drew Bledsoe. He took his first regular season snap at quarterback in a home game against the Houston Texans on October 15. His first NFL pass was a 33 yard completion to Sam Hurd. His only other pass of the game was a two-yard touchdown pass, his first in the NFL, to Terrell Owens.^[11]

One week later on October 23, 2006, Romo replaced Drew Bledsoe for the start of the second half of a game against the New York Giants. His first pass was tipped and intercepted. His game stats in only his second NFL appearance were: 14 completions on 25 attempts for 227 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions (one of which was returned for a touchdown). Two days later, on October 25, Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells announced that Romo would be the Cowboys starting quarterback for the October 29 game against the Carolina Panthers on NBC Sunday Night Football, in Week 8 of the 2006 season. Romo led the Cowboys to victory in his first game as a starter, 35–14. In that game, Romo was Sunday Night Football's "Rock Star of the Game."

On November 19, 2006, Romo led the Cowboys past the Indianapolis Colts, the NFL's last unbeaten team. Romo completed 19 of 23 passes as the Cowboys topped the Colts 21–14. Four days later, Romo helped the Cowboys win in a Thanksgiving Day NFL game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by the score of 38–10. Romo went 22-29 with 306 yards and five touchdown passes with no interceptions.^[12] For his performance, he was awarded FOX's Galloping Gobbler award as the Thanksgiving Day MVP.

Romo aided the Cowboys in clinching a playoff spot, the second since Bill Parcells became coach in 2003. He concluded the 2006 regular season with 220 completions on 337 pass attempts for 2,903 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, with a passer rating of 95.1.

On January 6, 2007, the Dallas Cowboys traveled to Qwest Field to play the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC wild card playoff round. With the Cowboys down 21-20 and 1:19 left on the clock, Dallas attempted a 19-yard field goal. Romo botched the hold for the kicker by dropping the snap as he attempted to set it down. Romo then tried to run into the end zone for an impromptu touchdown, but was tackled at the one-yard line by Seattle defensive back Jordan Babineaux. Seattle took over on their own one yard line. It is unusual for a starting quarterback to be the team's holder since the backup quarterback or punter normally performs that task. Romo had the job because he had begun the season as the backup quarterback. Romo finished the 2006 season ranked seventh in the NFC in passing yards (2,903) and touchdown passes (19).

Romo played in the 2007 Pro Bowl after Drew Brees went down with an elbow injury and Marc Bulger was taken out. Romo threw one touchdown and one interception. Romo was the NFC's holder in the game.

2007 season[link]

Romo began the 2007 season with four touchdown passes and an additional touchdown rush, the first of his career, defeating the New York Giants 45–35 in the Cowboys' first game of the regular season, His 345 passing yards in Week 1 led the NFL. In Week 2, Romo threw for 186 yards and two touchdowns beating the Dolphins in Miami, ranking him seventh in passing yards and tied for second with six touchdown passes.^[13] Romo added 329 passing yards and two touchdown passes in the Cowboys' Week 3 34–10 win in Chicago. The following week, he passed for 339 yards and three touchdowns in a 35–7 win over the St. Louis Rams. He also ran for an additional touchdown. This brought his season totals to 1199 passing yards with 11 passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns.

In Week 5 of the season on Monday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills, Romo threw five interceptions (four in the first half, two of which were returned for touchdowns), and lost a fumble. He is the second person in the history of Monday Night Football to throw five interceptions in a winning effort. The first person was his QB coach Wade Wilson. Nonetheless, he threw for 4,211 yards (third in the NFL) and 36 touchdown passes during the regular season (second only to Tom Brady). His 97.4 passer rating was good enough for fifth in the NFL behind Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, David Garrard, and Peyton Manning.

On October 29, Romo reached an agreement to a six-year, $67.5 million contract extension with the Cowboys.^[14]

On November 29 against the Green Bay Packers, in a game between 10–1 teams, Romo threw four touchdown passes (bringing his season total to 33), breaking Danny White's (29) record from 1983. On December 22 against the Carolina Panthers, Romo became the first Cowboys' quarterback to pass for more than 4,000 yards in a season. Finally on December 30 against the Washington Redskins, Romo broke the Cowboys' season completions record with his 335th completion, a short pass to Jason Witten. The Cowboys finished the season with a 13-3 record.

In the Cowboys' January 13, 2008 Division playoff game against the New York Giants, Romo was unable to lead his team to a come-from-behind victory. On 4th down with less than half a minute and no timeouts left, Romo threw the ball into the endzone, but it was intercepted by Giants cornerback R. W. McQuarters, ensuring that the Cowboys were eliminated from the playoffs with a 21–17 loss.

2008 season[link]

Tony Romo at the AT&T National

On September 7, 2008, Romo led the Cowboys to a 28–10 win over the Cleveland Browns in their season opener. Romo completed 24 of his 32 passes for a total of 320 yards and one touchdown. After the game, Romo required 13 stitches for a large gash on his chin that occurred during the 3rd quarter when linebacker Willie McGinest hit Romo in the chin with his helmet.^[15]

On September 15, 2008, Romo led the Dallas Cowboys to a 41–37 win against the Philadelphia Eagles in the second game of the 2008 season. Romo completed 21 of his 30 passes for a total of 312 yards and three touchdowns.^[16] The 54 combined points scored by the Cowboys and Eagles in the first half were the second most scored in a half during a Monday Night Football game.^[17]

Romo and the Cowboys would win their third straight before losing to the Washington Redskins, falling to 3–1. Following a win against the Cincinnati Bengals, Romo was injured in a loss to the Arizona Cardinals. The Cowboys, under Brad Johnson, went 1–2 the next three games, falling to the St. Louis Rams, beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and losing to the New York Giants.

In what became a de facto third playoff game for Romo shortly prior to its start, on December 28, 2008, Romo and the Cowboys failed to compete against the Philadelphia Eagles in a 44–6 loss.^[18] Romo committed three turnovers in the game and went 21/39 for 183 yards and no touchdowns.^[19] The loss dropped Romo's combined record in December to 5–8 and again raised questions concerning Romo's performance in games of consequence.^[20]

2009 season[link]

Tony Romo vs. Kansas City Chiefs - 2009

Romo led the Cowboys to a 34–21 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their season opener. Romo completed 16 of his 27 passes for a then-career high 353 yards along with three touchdowns.^[21]

Romo and the Cowboys were defeated in week 2 against the New York Giants in the Cowboys home opener at their new Cowboys stadium. Romo completed 13 of 29 passes for 127 yards and one touchdown. He also threw three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown for the Giants. The loss led the media as well as other former Cowboys, including Pro Football Hall of Fame member Tony Dorsett, further criticizing Romo and his performances in big games.

Romo was quoted as saying, "We came out stale" against a Denver Bronco team that thoroughly shut down his teams passing and running attacks. But he was successful in completing a 53 yard pass to Sam Hurd at the end of the second half but failed on the following three plays to get the ball in the end zone which would have taken the game into overtime. He was quoted as saying, "we need to get better."

In a December road game against the division rival New York Giants, Romo passed for a career high 392 yards, along with three touchdown passes in a losing effort.

After several kicks were missed by kicker Nick Folk due to bad holds by punter Mat McBriar, Romo resumed holding duties for the first time since the 2006 in their 13th game of the season, versus the San Diego Chargers ^[22]

In week 15, Romo led the Cowboys to a win against an undefeated team late in the season for the second time in his career. In 2006, he won against the 10-0 Colts, and on 19 December 2009, he defeated the 13-0 Saints at New Orleans, throwing for 312 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.

Romo finished the 2009 season as the first quarterback in team history to take every snap for a full season. He also passed his own mark for single season passing yardage, with 4,483 yards, and became the first Cowboys quarterback to throw 20+ touchdowns and less than ten interceptions in a season. His eight 300 yard games was also a team record, surpassing his own record from 2007. His 1.6% interception percentage tied a team record, and his career interception percentage is now the lowest in franchise history.^[23]

The Dallas Cowboys became the NFC East division champions with their season finale shutout of the Philadelphia Eagles, the second division title in Romo's three full seasons as the starting quarterback.

Romo had a 104.9 passer rating in a 34-14 win of the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the playoffs, earning the first play-off win in 13 years for the Dallas Cowboys, and his own first career post-season win.

However the following week in the NFC divisional rounds against the number two seed Minnesota Vikings, Romo had three fumbles (losing two), an interception and was sacked six times in the 34-3 loss.

2010 season[link]

In Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans, Romo threw for a career-high 406 yards and three touchdowns. However, he threw two costly interceptions in the 4th quarter, resulting in 34-27 loss at Cowboys Stadium. Romo and the Cowboys were desperate for a win with a record of 1-3 and last in the division. They played against the Minnesota Vikings, who also had a 1-3 record and were in need of a win. Romo threw for over 200 yards and 3 TDs but also threw 2 costly interceptions. The Cowboys went on the lose the game by a score of 24-21.

During the October 25, 2010 Monday Night Football game against the New York Giants, Romo suffered a broken left clavicle. The injury occurred during the second quarter, when Romo was driven to the turf by Giants linebacker Michael Boley.^[24] He was placed on Injured Reserve on December 21, 2010 and replaced by veteran John Kitna.

Records and honors[link]

• 2006 Pro Bowl
• 2007 Pro Bowl
• 2009 Pro Bowl

NFL all-time records[link]

Career[link]

• #2 All-Time Career Passer Rating: 96.9
• #4 All-Time Yards Per Attempt: 8.1

Dallas Cowboys team records[link]

Career[link]

• Games with 3+ touchdown passes: 24 (Previously held by Danny White with 20)
• Games with 300+ yards passing: 32 (previously held by Troy Aikman with 13)
• Lowest career interception percentage: 2.78% (minimum 16 starts; previously held by Aikman)

Season[link]

• Games with 300+ yards passing: 8 (2009)
• Passing TDs: 36 (2007); previously held by Danny White with 29
• Passing yards: 4,483 (2009); only Cowboys' quarterback to throw for more than 4,000 yards in a season (2007. 2009)
• Completions: 347 (2009); previously held by Romo with 335
• Consecutive games with a TD pass: 20 (2010–11); previously held by Danny White

Game[link]

• On Nov 23, 2006, Romo threw 5 TD passes in a game, a record he shares with Troy Aikman.
• On Nov 13, 2011, Romo completed a team record 88.5% of his passes in a home game against the Buffalo Bills.

Injuries[link]

During the 2008 season, Romo broke the little finger on his right hand (throwing hand) during overtime in an early season loss to the Arizona Cardinals.^[25] He missed the following three games with the injury.

Shortly after the Cowboys 2008 Season-ending loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Romo collapsed in the visiting team showers from an apparent rib injury.^[26]

During the October 25, 2010 Monday Night Football game against the New York Giants, Romo suffered a broken left clavicle. The injury occurred during the second quarter, when Romo was driven to the turf by Giants linebacker Michael Boley.^[24]

In the first quarter of a game against the San Francisco 49ers, Romo took a hard hit that fractured a rib and punctured his lung.^[27] He was replaced for two possessions by back-up quarterback Jon Kitna, but returned to lead the team to an overtime victory. He played the next six games with a kevlar vest for extra protection on the injury.

Personal life[link]

Romo is an avid amateur golfer, and attempted to qualify for the 2004 EDS Byron Nelson Championship and the 2005 U.S. Open, but failed. During the offseason, when not training, he plays golf around Dallas. He failed to make the cut in qualifying for Byron Nelson in 2008.

Romo is also a frequent guest on national sports radio programs. During the 2006 and 2007 seasons, he was the co-host of "Inside The Huddle", a one-hour player commentary show that aired on local talk radio in Dallas along with linebacker Bradie James. Romo was replaced for the 2008 season by (then) Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens. The show is broadcast on the KLLI radio station in Dallas.

In November 2007, Romo began dating singer and actress Jessica Simpson. On December 16, 2007, Simpson attended a Dallas Cowboys-Philadelphia Eagles game at Texas Stadium, in which Romo had a bad performance in the loss to the Eagles.^[28] Further controversy erupted before the playoff game against the New York Giants when pictures surfaced of Romo (along with teammates Jason Witten and Bobby Carpenter) at a resort in Cabo San Lucas with Simpson.^[29]

On July 13, 2009, People reported that Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson had called it quits. A source close to the pop star told the magazine that Romo broke up with Simpson on July 9, 2009—the night before her 29th birthday.^[30]

Romo is a second generation Mexican American on his father's side and is of German and Polish descent from his mother's side.^[31] His grandfather, Ramiro Romo Sr., emigrated from Múzquiz, Coahuila, Mexico, to San Antonio, Texas, as an adolescent. The elder Romo cites Tony's success as an example of the possibilities afforded to immigrants in the United States: "I've always said this is a country of opportunities. If you don't get a job or an education, it's because you don't want to."^[32][33]

In September 2007, Romo's father was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Tony Romo has stated that, while upset about the family crisis, he still must continue to focus on his career.^[34]

In September 2008 Romo signed a 5 year long, $10 million endorsement deal with apparel marketer Starter.^[35]

He began dating former Miss Missouri USA (2008) Candice Crawford in the summer of 2009. On December 16, 2010, the KDAF Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas news station where Crawford works, announced she became engaged to Romo while celebrating her 24th birthday with her family at the restaurant Five Sixty.^[36] They were married on May 28, 2011.^[37]

On October 25, 2011, Romo announced that he and Crawford were expecting their first child in 2012.^[38] On April 9, 2012, the couple welcomed a son, Hawkins Crawford Romo.^[39]

See also[link]

• List of NFL quarterbacks who have passed for 400 or more yards in a game

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tony Romo

• Official website
• Dallas Cowboys bio

Troy Aikman

No. 8
Quarterback
Personal information
Date of birth: (1966-11-21) November 21, 1966 (age 45)
Place of birth: West Covina, California
Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Weight: 220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school: Henryetta High School
College: Oklahoma, UCLA
NFL Draft: 1989 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1
Debuted in 1989 for the Dallas Cowboys
Last played in 2000 for the Dallas Cowboys
Career history
Dallas Cowboys (1989-2000)
Career highlights and awards
6× Pro Bowl (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996) 3× All-Pro (1993, 1994, 1995) 3× Super Bowl champion (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX) Super Bowl XXVII MVP Walter Payton Man of the Year (1997) Davey O'Brien Award (1988) Consensus All-American (1988) Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor Pro Football Hall of Fame (2006 inductee) College Football Hall of Fame (2008 inductee)
Career NFL statistics as of 2000
Pass attempts 4,715 Pass completions 2,898 Percentage 61.5 TD-INT 165-141 Passing yards 32,942 QB Rating 81.6 Stats at NFL.com
Pro Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame

Troy Kenneth Aikman (born November 21, 1966) is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys. During his career he was a six-time Pro Bowl selection, led the team to three Super Bowl victories, and was the Super Bowl XXVII MVP. Aikman was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006^[1] and to the College Football Hall of Fame on December 9, 2008 in New York City.^[2]

Currently he works as a television sportscaster for the Fox network. He is a former joint owner of the NASCAR Sprint Cup racing team, Hall of Fame Racing, along with fellow former Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach, and is a part-owner of the San Diego Padres.^[3]

College career[link]

Oklahoma Sooners 1984-1985[link]

The New York Mets offered Aikman a contract out of high school, but instead of playing baseball he chose to pursue football and attended the University of Oklahoma under head coach Barry Switzer.^[4]

In 1985, his first season as a collegiate starter,^[4] Aikman led the Sooners to wins over Minnesota, Kansas State, and #17 Texas in the Red River Shootout before hosting the Miami Hurricanes and his future head coach Jimmy Johnson.

On October 19, Miami's Jerome Brown broke through the offensive line, sacked Aikman on the Sooner 29-yard line and broke Aikman's ankle. Aikman, who had been six of eight passing for 131 yards, would be lost 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.^[5]

UCLA Bruins 1986-1989[link]

Switzer oversaw Aikman's transfer to UCLA, a program under Terry Donahue that was more conducive to a passing quarterback. He had to redshirt one year due to college transfer rules but went on to lead the Bruins to a 20-4 record over two seasons.^[4][5]

As a junior, he was the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year. Aikman led the Bruins to a 10–2 record and the 1987 Aloha Bowl, where they beat the Florida Gators 20-16.^[4][6][7]

As a senior, Aikman won the 1988 Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's top quarterback, a first for UCLA.^[4] He was a Consensus All-American, the UPI West Coast Player of the Year, the Washington DC Club QB of the Year, a finalist for the 1988 AFCA "Coaches Choice" Player of the year award, and he finished third for the 1988 Heisman Trophy. UCLA matched the victory total from the previous season under Aikman, going 10-2 and losing only to USC and Washington State. The 1988 season culminated with a 17-3 Bruin victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks in the 1989 Cotton Bowl Classic, which was played in Dallas.^[4] The Dallas media spent most of the Cotton Bowl Classic week promoting Aikman as the "next quarterback of the Cowboys," and much was made of Tom Landry watching Troy Aikman practice during the Bruins' workouts at Texas Stadium. Aikman finished his career as the number two career passing leader in UCLA history.^[6][7] In 2008 he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.^[8]

Dallas Cowboys[link]

Aikman was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft, by the Dallas Cowboys.^[4] On February 25, 1989, new owner Jerry Jones fired Tom Landry, and replaced him with Jimmy Johnson. A few months later in the NFL's supplemental draft, Johnson drafted Steve Walsh who played for Johnson at the University of Miami. Aikman won the starting quarterback job, and Walsh was traded early in the 1990 season.

Aikman's NFL career started with a 28–0 loss to the New Orleans Saints. The following week, Aikman threw his first touchdown pass, a 65-yard completion to Michael Irvin, but the Atlanta Falcons intercepted two passes and won. In a game against the Phoenix Cardinals he threw for 379 yards to set an NFL rookie record.^[4] He finished 1989 with an 0-11 record as a starter, completing 155 of 293 passes for 1,749 yards, 9 TDs, 18 INTs.

Following his rookie season, Dallas selected Florida Gators RB Emmitt Smith in the 1st round of the 1990 NFL Draft. With Emmitt Smith and WR Michael Irvin, Aikman led the Cowboys to a 7-9 record in the 1990 season, missing the final playoff wild card spot by one game.

In 1991, Aikman led the Cowboys to a 6-5 record in the first 11 games and had the Cowboys ahead in week 12 against undefeated Washington when he was injured. Steve Beuerlein replaced Aikman, and Dallas finished the season 5-0 and earned the #5 playoff seed. Beuerlein went on to lead the Cowboys to a road upset over the #4 seed Chicago Bears in the Wild Card round. Aikman returned for the NFC Divisional Playoff game the following week against the Detroit Lions, but lost, 38-6. Aikman was selected to the first of six consecutive Pro Bowls.^[4]

In 1992, Aikman set career highs in completions (302), passing yards (3,445) and touchdown passes (23), and led the Cowboys to a team record 13 regular season victories and the second best record in the NFC. During the playoffs, Aikman broke Joe Montana's record of 83 passes without an interception by throwing 89.^[4] The Cowboys defeated the Eagles at home in the Division Playoffs and squared off against the 49ers in the NFC Championship, a matchup that featured the two best teams in the NFC. The Cowboys won 30-20, with Aikman completing 2 game changing completions to send the Cowboys to their first Super Bowl appearance since 1979. In Super Bowl XXVII against the Buffalo Bills, Aikman led the Cowboys to a blowout victory, 52–17.^[4] Aikman was named Super Bowl MVP after completing 22-of-30 passes for 273 yards and 4 TDs.^[4]

In 1993, Dallas finished 12–4, the best record in the NFC. In the playoffs, Aikman again guided Dallas to home playoff victory, this time over a young, upstart Green Bay Packers squad led by QB Brett Favre, who was in his first full season as a starting QB. Aikman then shredded the 49ers secondary in the NFC Championship 38-21, before leaving the game with a concussion after 49ers DT Dana Stubblefield's knee hit Aikman's head. In Super Bowl XXVIII, Aikman was kept out of the endzone, but a combination of key turnovers by the Bills offense and the running of Emmitt Smith helped lead to a 30-13 victory for the Cowboys.

Following Super Bowl XXVIII, Aikman spoke of still feeling the ill effects of the concussion he suffered against the 49ers in the NFC Championship. Aikman spoke afterwards how he did not remember anything about Super Bowl XXVIII, let alone playing in the game.^[4]

Head Coach Jimmy Johnson left the team on March 29, 1994, and Jerry Jones hired Barry Switzer, Aikman's former college coach at Oklahoma. The Cowboys finished with the 2nd best record in the NFC, (behind the 49ers) and Aikman again missed playing time due to injuries. Dallas won their Divisional Playoff game against Green Bay 35-9, but fell to the 49ers in the NFC Championship, 38-28.

In 1995, Aikman passed for over 3,300 yards passing as the Cowboys once again finished with the best record in the NFC, with the 49ers having the second best record. Aikman was knocked out of a highly anticipated rematch between Dallas and San Francisco when 49ers DT Dana Stubblefield landed on Aikman, forcing his knee to hit the turf. After a stunning playoff loss at home by the 49ers to the Packers, the Cowboys hosted the Packers in the NFC Championship and, for the third straight season, knocked the Green Bay Packers out of the playoffs 38-27 to earn their 3rd Super Bowl appearance in the last four years. Dallas won Super Bowl XXX against the Pittsburgh Steelers 27–17, with Aikman throwing one TD pass.

In 1996, despite offensive troubles, Aikman again helped lead Dallas to another NFC East Division title and a home game for the Wild Card playoff round, a 40-15 drubbing of the Minnesota Vikings. The following week, Dallas fell in the Divisional Playoffs to Carolina 26-17, and the Cowboys wouldn't win another playoff game for thirteen years.

In 1997, Aikman became the first quarterback in Cowboys' history to have three straight 3,000-yard seasons, but the team finished 6–10 and missed the playoffs for the 1st time since 1990. Switzer suffered the first losing season of his career, and resigned at the end of the season.

1998 was a rebound year for Aikman and Cowboys, and despite missing five games, Aikman again helped lead Dallas back to the NFC East title and the playoffs. Dallas was stunned at home in the Wild Card game as the #6 seed Arizona Cardinals won 20-7.

The 1999 season started off with a bang for Aikman and the Cowboys as they squared off against the Washington Redskins. Aikman fired a career high 5 TD passes, including the game winner in OT to beat Washington. 1999 also marked the final playoff appearance for Troy Aikman, and the final season the big three (Aikman, Irvin, and Emmitt Smith) would play together. Dallas finished 8-8 and lost in the Wild Card playoff game at Minnesota, 27-10.

The 2000 season was Aikman's final season as a professional football player. Aikman suffered from several concussions during the season, and a revolving door at QB took place between Aikman and former Eagles QB Randall Cunningham. Aikman's final game was at home against the Washington Redskins. He was hit by linebacker LaVar Arrington and suffered the tenth and final concussion of his career.

During the 2001 offseason, Aikman was waived a day before he was due a $70 million/7-year contract extension, and ultimately announced his retirement on April 9, after failing to find another team. He ended his career as the Cowboys' all-time leading passer (32,942 yards). 90 of his 94 career wins were in the 1990s and were the most by any quarterback in any decade until Peyton Manning surpassed him in the 2000s with 115 wins. Presently, Aikman is third on that list, also trailing Tom Brady (97).^[4][9]

Post-retirement activities[link]

After his retirement as a player, Aikman joined Fox's NFC telecasts as a color commentator for the 2001 season. A year later, he was named to the network's lead announcing crew, teaming with Joe Buck and (from 2002–2005) Cris Collinsworth. Aikman received an Emmy Award nomination for his television work in 2004 and has helped broadcast three Super Bowls (XXXIX, XLII and XLV) to date.

Aikman also hosts a weekly sports radio show which airs on Thursday from 7 to 8 p.m. ET on Sporting News Radio, and appears weekly during the football season on the Dunham & Miller morning show on Dallas sports talk radio station 1310 The Ticket. He was a public spokesman for Acme Brick throughout his career. He is also the chairman of the Troy Aikman Foundation, a charity to benefit children that has recently focused on building playplaces for children's hospitals. The Agency Sports Management & Marketing handles Aikman's marketing activities, where Jordan Bazant is his lead agent.

Aikman, who in 1999 was ranked No. 95 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, has been the official Wing Stop spokesman for several years. He appeared in the Simpsons episode "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" alongside former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino, he participated in the 2001 and 2011 videos honoring Billy Graham's 83rd and 93rd birthdays, and he was invited to be on Dancing with the Stars but turned it down.

On September 19, 2005, at halftime of the Cowboys-Redskins game (broadcast on Monday Night Football), Aikman was inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor with his longtime teammates Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith. On August 5, 2006, Aikman was one of six players inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. When he accepted the honor, the ever-modest Aikman commented that he was merely a beneficiary of the Cowboys' system and being paired with subsequent Hall-of-Famers Irvin and Smith.

At another halftime ceremony, this one on February 7, 2009 at the UCLA-Notre Dame basketball game, Aikman's induction into the College Hall of Fame was honored. Aikman announced he had completed course work to finish his degree in sociology. He participated in UCLA's 2009 Sociology Department commencement ceremony with current quarterback Kevin Craft and former linebacker Marcus Reece, who also came back to finish his college education. Former UCLA quarterback John Sciarra was keynote speaker at the ceremony.^[10]

On February 9, 2010, Aikman became a member of the National Football Foundation Board of Directors.

As of fall 2010, Aikman is a co-spokesman for Rent-a-Center, along with Hulk Hogan.

In fall 2011, Aikman became a part of the Oxford Preparatory Academy Charter School Advisory Board in Southern California.

Hall of Fame Racing[link]

In late 2005, Aikman together with another former Cowboys quarterback, Roger Staubach, established Hall of Fame Racing with Terry Labonte and Tony Raines co-driving the #96 DLP HDTV Chevrolet in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series in 2006 (the race car's number was derived by multiplying Aikman's Cowboy jersey number 8 by Staubach's jersey number 12). Raines drove for Aikman full time in 2007, and J.J. Yeley and Brad Coleman drove the car in 2008. He has invited some of the current and former Dallas Cowboys players Drew Bledsoe, Terry Glenn, Roy Williams, and others to test drive NASCAR race cars at Texas Motor Speedway.

Personal life[link]

Aikman, once named the most eligible bachelor in Dallas by Texas Monthly, dated country singer Lorrie Morgan,^[11] and there were rumors of him dating Sandra Bullock and Janine Turner. He married former Cowboys publicist Rhonda Worthey on April 8, 2000, in Plano, Texas.^[12] Rhonda is a reality tv star and is a cast member for The Real Housewives of Dallas She has a daughter, Rachel Worthey, from a previous marriage and together they have two daughters, Jordan Ashley Aikman born August 24, 2001, and Alexa Marie Aikman born July 30, 2002. The couple announced their separation on January 24, 2011. ^[13]

References and notes[link]

External links[link]

• Troy Aikman at the Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Troy Aikman on Twitter
• Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor profile
• Troy Aikman at the Internet Movie Database
• Troy Aikman 2007 Interview on Sidewalks Entertainment
• Videos of Troy Aikman at UCLA on mReplay
• Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Aikman, Troy