Tom Leppert
Mayor of Dallas
In office June 25, 2007[1] – February 25, 2011
Preceded by	Laura Miller[2]
Succeeded by	Dwaine Caraway[3]
Personal details
Born	(1954-06-15) June 15, 1954 (age 58) New York City, New York
Political party	Republican[4]
Spouse(s)	Laura Leppert[5]
Children	Christian Catherine Ryan[5]
Residence	Dallas, Texas[5]
Alma mater	Claremont McKenna College (B.A.)[1] Harvard Business School (M.B.A.)[1]
Occupation	Businessman
Religion	Southern Baptist[5]
Signature
Website	Official website

Tom Leppert (born June 15, 1954) is an American politician who served as mayor of Dallas, Texas from 2007 to 2011, and who worked as CEO of the Turner Corporation. Leppert announced in February 2011 that he would run for the United States Senate election in Texas, 2012.^[6][7]

Early Life, Education, and Early Career[link]

Leppert is a graduate of Claremont McKenna College, where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in economics with cum laude honors in 1977 and served as Student Body President.^[1] He then went on to attend Harvard Business School, where he received a M.B.A. with Distinction in 1979.^[8][9]

Leppert served as a White House Fellow in the Reagan Administration in 1984 and 1985.^[1][8] He was one of 13 fellows chosen from 1,247 applicants by President Ronald Reagan in 1984.^[10] During his fellowship, Leppert worked for the secretary of the Treasury and on the White House staff.^[9]

On May 17, 2008, Leppert received an honorary doctorate from his undergraduate alma mater, Claremont McKenna College, for which he serves as a trustee.^[11] Leppert told graduates to "know your principles" and encouraged them to write them down. "This may sound simple and obvious, but over the course of a lifetime, it may be one of the most difficult promises you ever keep. I know I am confronted by this each and every day. Simply stated, using generic terms like honesty and integrity are not near enough[...] People rarely get in trouble or lose their compass in one fell swoop... it is a series of small compromises, missteps that lead to a landslide... and a lost sense of self."^[12] In the same speech, Leppert called his visit to Auschwitz a "single day [that] changed the way I looked at the world."

Leppert is a member of First Baptist Church Dallas and was formerly a member of the Dallas Country Club (prior to resigning in December 2006 due to his concern that the club’s tradition of refusing membership to black applicants could become an issue during the mayoral campaign).^[5][13] He and his wife Laura have two sons and a daughter.^[5] Leppert grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. Leppert was a member of the youth leadership organization DeMolay International and rose up the ranks of Arizona DeMolay to become State Master Councilor (State President) in 1972-1973. He was inducted into the DeMolay International Hall of Fame in 2010.^[14] He attended college at Harvard University, where upon graduation in 1979, worked in Los Angeles, Washington, DC, and New York before moving to Dallas between 1986 and 1989; in 1989, he moved to Honolulu, where he resided until 1999 (when he became CEO of the Turner Corporation). Upon joining Turner, he relocated to the Park Cities (an affluent suburb of Dallas) and moved the holding company's headquarters to Dallas.^{[15][16] [17]} He moved to Dallas in 2003.^[18]

Business career[link]

Leppert was chairman and CEO of the Turner Corporation (a subsidiary of German construction company Hochtief AG) prior to being elected mayor of Dallas.^[17] Turner Construction Company (a subsidiary of Turner Corp.) is currently the largest commercial builder in the United States.^[17] Leppert credits himself with earning more profits for the company during his seven year tenure than in the company's previous 97 years combined, and moving a related holding company headquarters (employing 15 people, including Leppert) from New York City to Dallas; Turner Construction continues to be headquartered in New York.^[17][19]

During his career, Leppert also held positions at McKinsey & Co., Trammell Crow Company, Bank of Hawaii, and Castle & Cooke Properties, Inc.^[8]

Leppert was elected to the Board of Directors of Washington Mutual (at the time, the largest savings and loan association in the United States) in 2005; as part of his election, he was also named to the Board of Directors' Governance and Audit committees.^[20][21] During Leppert's time on the Board of Directors, Washington Mutual collapsed — the largest bank failure in American financial history. ^[22][23][24]

Awards[link]

Leppert received the Torch of Conscience award from the Dallas-based Southwest region of the American Jewish Congress in 2006,^[25] the Russell H. Perry Free Enterprise Award from Dallas Baptist University for achievement in free enterprise and service to the community in 2009,^[9] and the Distinguished Business Leader award from the Dallas chapter of the Texas Association of Business in 2010.^[26] He was also named a 2007 "Business Person of the Year" finalist by the Dallas Business Journal,^[27] and "CEO Of The Year" by D Magazine in 2008.^[28]

Mayor of Dallas[link]

Leppert defeated city councilman Ed Oakley in a runoff election June 16, 2007, winning with 58 percent of the vote.^[29] Some attribute his win to unexpected support from leaders within the African American community of the traditionally Democratic southern section of the city and his appeal to Republicans.^{[citation needed][who?]}

While the office of mayor is officially non-partisan, like all municipal offices in Texas, Leppert is a Republican who participates in party fundraising events.^[30][31]

After his first year in office, Leppert's runnoff election opponent (Oakley) praised him for his leadership and for delivering on his campaign promises: "There's no question: Tom's done an excellent job. He's delivered on his priorities."^[32] Shortly before Leppert’s resignation, however, Oakley had second thoughts and publicly wondered whether Leppert was more interested in his own advancement than the city’s.^[33]

Political positions and actions[link]

In his inaugural address, Leppert stated that his first order of business would be to “reach out to everybody [and] include everybody from everywhere" and he emphasized a need to change the City Council’s tone, stating: “rather than punishing business, City Hall needs to start promoting business.” As he did during the mayoral campaign, Mr. Leppert made education a theme of his inaugural address, proclaiming: “when a big issue like underperforming schools is holding back an entire city and hindering our growth, then it is everyone's problem." With respect to crime, he said the council must use two objectives by which to judge its crime-fighting performance: lowering Dallas' typically high crime-rate ranking among the nation's largest cities, and building confidence and trust in all Dallas neighborhoods for police and fire personnel. Finally, he firmly restated his commitment to enact the Trinity River Corridor plan, calling the project "a once-in-a-generation opportunity, and it will be the catalyst that puts Dallas on the world stage, if we seize the moment and get it done."^[34]

Two years into his term, Leppert had won support from a core coalition of Dallas City Council members (Dwaine Caraway, Dave Neumann, and Ron Natinsky), who voted with Leppert more than 92 percent of the time, a rate roughly equal to his record of being on the winning side of council roll call votes.^[35] Indeed, Caraway even went so far as to declare that he "would take a bullet" for the Mayor during a heated debate over the Trinity River Project.^[36]

Leppert donated his mayoral salary to a scholarship fund for students from low-income families.^[37]

In his campaign for Texas Senator in 2012, Leppert ran ads that characterized his opponents as "empty suits".

Crime reduction[link]

Leppert ran on the pledge of reducing crime and increasing the number of police officers in the city of Dallas. He helped add 200 new police officers to the city's ranks,^[32] which resulted in a drop in crime rates each year Leppert was in office—including a 10% reduction in 2010.^[38][39]

Economic development and jobs[link]

In January 2008, Mayor Leppert embarked on a trade mission to Monterrey, Mexico, to promote Dallas's medical, educational, and corporate institutions. Another part of the trip's agenda was to lobby on behalf of an inland seaport in the Dallas area. Leppert was joined by more than a dozen officials from city government, the Dallas Independent School District and various health care and commercial institutions in the largest mission of its kind in years. One of the agreements reached on the trip include a plan for an MD/PhD program in Mexico provided by UT Southwestern Medical School.^[40][41] Leppert also stated that Mexican President Felipe Calderón would be visiting Dallas on his next visit to the United States.

Following his trip to Mexico, Leppert led a trade mission to China and signed "friendship city" agreements with major industrial cities such as Dalian and Qingdao.^[42] Leppert also oversaw the negotiation of business deals with Chinese officials, such as advocacy of investment in the Dallas Inland Port and the placement of a Chinese telecommunication firm's U.S. headquarters in Dallas.^[43]

Leppert is also credited with persuading AT&T to relocate to Dallas as well as encouraging the start-up of a new $15 million call center that plans to ultimately employ 300 workers.^[44][45]

Convention center hotel[link]

In December 2008, Leppert began lobbying the Obama administration for $386 million in Community Development Block Grant funds to be awarded by the federal government for the purpose of building a new convention center hotel in downtown Dallas (a project that had been on Dallas' drawing board for nearly two decades), stating: "Let's use this as an opportunity. Most of the economy in the country is in metro areas. Let's make sure we use this (stimulus) money much as we did back in the 1930s, so that when we come out we have a much stronger economy and we’re in a much better position.”^[46]

Following the federal government's failure to approve Leppert's request for stimulus funds, in February 2009 he announced plans to seek an alternate form of financing.^[32][47] He argued that if Dallas didn't build the hotel, it would fall further behind other cities in the competition for convention and tourism business, and that larger conventions wouldn't even consider Dallas because it doesn't have a hotel attached to its convention center.^[48][49] He also argued that, because it would attract more visitors to Dallas, the building of the hotel would lead to a broadening of Dallas' tax base and an increase in jobs and sales tax revenue to the city.^[32][48] In May 2009, he successfully lobbied the City Council to approve spending $42 million to purchase land on which the proposed hotel would be located.^[50]

The project was financed with $388.2 million in federally-subsidized revenue bonds issued under the Obama administration's Build America Bonds program (which means that the federal government reimburses the city 35% of the interest associated with the issue) and $91.7 million in conventional hotel revenue bonds ($479.9 million total). Repayment is anticipated to come from a combination of $249.1 million in direct subsidies from the federal government (associated with the Build America Bonds), $212.9 million in pledged state and city occupancy and sales taxes associated with the property's operation, and the remainder from hotel net operating income.^{[32][48][49][51][52]} In addition, the bonds are further backed by a “Moral Obligation Pledge” from the City of Dallas to cover any shortfalls.^[53] The hotel broke ground in 2009 and is projected to open in 2012.^[47]

In an effort to reinforce the success of the hotel, Leppert led the City Council to lobby Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) to change the alignment of a proposed light rail line through downtown; under Leppert’s plan, the line would be diverted from the center of downtown to stop at the hotel and would include a subway segment that would travel beneath the convention center to an underground station at City Hall before rejoining the original alignment. DART staff, however, reported that, at $824 million, the proposed realignment would be more expensive than all other options being considered, exceeding the cost of the cheapest alignment by $315 million. They also pointed out that the Federal Transit Administration makes the final call on where the route should go, and the hotel alignment had been shown to attract fewer riders, at higher costs, than other options. Nevertheless, Leppert continued to serve as a strong advocate for the realignment, stating: “The hotel alignment serves downtown's transportation needs and supports the public and private investment in our city's core.” ^[54]

Education[link]

On February 21, 2008, Leppert unveiled The Every Child Ready to Read @ Dallas program. This program was part of Leppert's larger plan to improve Dallas's education system which was unveiled in 2007.^[37]

Ethics and open government[link]

In December 2007, Leppert released his ethics plan that would ban city council members from accepting free tickets to events, and modernize the city's campaign finance disclosure system by creating a searchable, online campaign finance database and requiring electronic filing of campaign finance reports for political candidates in the city.^[32][55] In March 2008, the city council approved Leppert's electronic electronic campaign finance filing system proposal.^[32]

In November 2009, the city council passed a series of four ethics reforms championed by Leppert that:^[56]

• Required lobbyists to register with the city
• Limited campaign contributions from developers
• Required disclosure of gifts to council members over $50
• Required two city council members to "second" major zoning cases and certify they have reviewed the details of the zoning case before the matter can be voted on

Love Field no-bid concessions contract extensions[link]

Leppert ignited a controversy when he opposed no-bid concessions contract extensions with current Love Field food vendor Star Concessions Ltd. and newspaper and book vendor Hudson Retail Dallas during a March 3, 2010, city council meeting. Leppert insisted that the contracts should be opened to public bidding instead.^[57] Leppert demanded that city staff—who backed the extensions—appear before the full council and explain why the concessions contracts weren't opened to public bidding.^[57]

On February 22, 2010, the city council's Transportation and Environment Committee had previously voted to extend contracts with the existing concessions for through 2026 with an additional 3-year option and exclusive rights to 54 percent of vending space in a new terminal scheduled to open in 2014, instead of opening the contract up to public bidding^[57]

In an April 26, 2010, editorial, The Dallas Morning News called the lack of transparency and fiduciary responsibility "troubling".^[58] The Dallas Morning News noted that the situation was complicated by the fact that the concessions operators were partially owned by two elected officials—State Representative Helen Giddings and U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson.^[58]

On May 21, 2010, The Dallas Morning News reported that Assistant City Manager A.C. Gonzalez said that city staff recommended in June 2007 that all concession space in the renovated airport be opened up for competitive bids, but that plan was opposed by city council members.^[59] On June 9, 2010, The Dallas Morning News reported that airport consultants said that the no-bid plan was unusual and could result in an inferior deal for the city.^[60] According to a June 17, 2010 article in the Dallas Observer, Gilbert Aranza—owner of Star Concessions Ltd.—accused Leppert of hypocrisy given his support for similar no-bid contract extensions during his tenure on the D/FW Airport Board.^[57]

In an apparent victory for Leppert, the city council voted on August 18, 2010, to open all concessions space in the new terminal for public bidding; city staff would attempt to reach a deal with Star and Hudson to operate existing concessions space from 2011 to 2014, otherwise it would also be opened for public bidding.^[61]

Property tax rate increases[link]

During candidate Leppert's 2007 mayoral campaign, he ran a television commercial featuring Dallas Cowboys legend Roger Staubach telling Dallasites, "I hope you'll say 'no' to new taxes by saying 'yes' to Tom Leppert." However, in September of that year he voted with the majority of the Dallas City Council in a successful push to raise taxes, hailing the budget as a good deal for Dallas residents, balancing a modest tax increase against a bevy of improved city services.^[13][62]

In subsequent years, however, Leppert opposed property tax rate increases in the city of Dallas and proposed spending cuts to balance the budget.^{[32][63][64][65][66][67]}

In 2008, despite early calls for another property tax rate increase, Leppert successfully led opposition to prevent another rate increase.^[32][68] Leppert also successfully led opposition to another proposal to increase property tax rates in 2009.^[69]

In 2010, once again, Leppert led the opposition of yet another property tax rate increase proposal.^[70] In response to the estimated $130 million shortfall in the city's $2 billion budget,^[67][70] Leppert crafted a new budget proposal to close the budget gap without increasing taxes.^[65] Despite Leppert's strong objections, the city council voted by a 8-7 majority to pass a 6.5% property tax rate increase anyway—the largest in 20 years.^[67]

Electoral history[link]

After receiving a plurality of votes among a crowded field of candidates in the 2007 Dallas Mayoral Election, Leppert won a spot in a runoff election along with Dallas City Council member Ed Oakley. Leppert was victorious in the runoff election.^[29]

Political future[link]

In late 2008, it was widely rumored that Leppert would run in a potential special election for Kay Bailey Hutchison's United States Senate seat, which she was widely expected to vacate during her run for Texas governor; in a December newspaper interview, Leppert denied he had started to campaign, but he refused to entirely rule out the possibility.^[72] However, Hutchison retained her Senate seat, and her gubernatorial campaign ended when she lost the 2010 Texas Republican primary to incumbent Rick Perry.

Rumors soon circulated that Leppert was considering a Senate run directly against Hutchison in 2012, a possibility he did not refute during an April 2010, interview.^[73]

In January 2011, Leppert announced that he would not seek re-election to the office of mayor in May.^[74] This further fueled speculation that he was planning a run for the now open U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Hutchison.

On February 22, 2011, it was reported that Leppert would announce his resignation from the office of mayor the next day.^[75] The Washington Post noted that this is a necessary first step for his expected run for Senate because Dallas law prohibits the mayor from running for another office while still serving as mayor.^[76]

Leppert resigned his seat as mayor effective at midnight on February 25, 2011. He told The Dallas Morning News that his campaign for the U.S. Senate would begin immediately, with Mike Slanker, former director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, acting as his chief campaign consultant.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Website

David Dewhurst
Dewhurst in 2009
41st Lieutenant Governor of Texas
Incumbent
Assumed office January 21, 2003
Governor	Rick Perry
Preceded by	Bill Ratliff
26th Commissioner of the General Land Office
In office 1999–2003
Governor	George W. Bush (1999-2000) Rick Perry (2000-2003)
Preceded by	Garry Mauro
Succeeded by	Jerry E. Patterson
Personal details
Born	(1945-08-18) August 18, 1945 (age 66) Houston, Texas
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	(1) Tammy Jo Dewhurst (married 1995, divorced 2000) (2) Tricia Hamilton Bivins (married 2009)
Children	Carolyn Dewhurst
Residence	Houston, Texas
Alma mater	University of Arizona
Profession	Rancher
Religion	Presbyterian
Website	Official Web Site
Military service
Service/branch	United States Air Force
Battles/wars	Vietnam War

David Dewhurst (born August 18, 1945) is the 41st and current Lieutenant Governor of Texas, serving under Governor Rick Perry since January 21, 2003. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as Texas Land Commissioner from 1999 to 2003. Dewhurst announced on July 18, 2011, that he was running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Republican U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison in the upcoming 2012 election.

Personal life[link]

Dewhurst is a businessman, a rancher, and a community leader in Houston, where he has served on civic and charitable boards. He graduated from Lamar High School in Houston^[1] and earned his bachelor's degree and played basketball at the University of Arizona in Tucson, where he was a brother of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity.

He was previously an officer in the U.S. Air Force, an officer of the Central Intelligence Agency, and worked in the United States State Department. In 1981, Dewhurst and Mr. Ted Law re-established Falcon Seaboard, a Texas-based diversified energy and investments company in Houston that Mr. Law had founded in 1935.^[2] He breeds registered Black Angus cattle and rides cutting horses in American Quarter Horse Association and National Cutting Horse Association competitions.

Dewhurst is worth an estimated $200 million.^[3]

Political career[link]

Land Commissioner[link]

Dewhurst was elected as Commissioner of the General Land Office of Texas in 1998, when the 16-year incumbent, Garry Mauro, waged an unsuccessful campaign for governor against George W. Bush. A self-described "George Bush Republican," he defeated Democratic State Representative Richard Raymond, then of Benavides and thereafter of Laredo. Dewhurst received 2,072,604 votes (57.42 percent) to Raymond's 1,438,378 ballots (39.85 percent). A Libertarian polled the remaining 2.72 percent.

Lieutenant Governor[link]

Electoral history[link]

2002 election[link]

Dewhurst was elected Lieutenant Governor in November 2002, when he defeated former Democratic Comptroller John Sharp of Victoria. He succeeded Bill Ratliff. (Ratliff did not contest the lieutenant governor's position in the primary, opting instead for re-election to his state senate seat.) Dewhurst polled 2,341,875 votes (51.77 percent) to Sharp's 2,082,281 (46.03 percent). (Two minor candidates polled the remaining 2.19 percent.) In that campaign, Dewhurst stressed his interest in public education and opposition to school vouchers.

2006 election[link]

Dewhurst was easily renominated for lieutenant governor in the Republican primary held on March 7, 2006. He defeated Tom Kelly, the same candidate whom he bested for the nomination in 2002. In the November 7, 2006, general election, Dewhurst overwhelmed Democrat Maria Luisa Alvarado, a veterans issues research analyst and the winner of her April 11 runoff primary. He received 2,512,197 votes (58.2 percent) to Alvarado's 1,616,945 (37.4 percent). Libertarian Judy A. Baker polled another 188,956 votes (4.4 percent).

2010 election[link]

Dewhurst filed for Lt. Governor of Texas in the 2010 election.^[4] It was widely assumed that he would run for United States Senate if Kay Bailey Hutchison had resigned.^[5] He was his party's nominee for a third term as lieutenant governor and faced Democrat Linda Chavez-Thompson,^[6] Libertarian Scott Jameson,^[7] and Green Party Herb Gonzales, Jr.^[8] in the November 2, 2010, general election. He was re-elected to a third term on November 2, 2010, having polled 3,044,770 votes (61.80 percent) to the Democrat Linda Chavez-Thompson's 1,715,735 votes (34.82 percent) and took office on January 18, 2011 for a third four-year term, becoming the second Texas Lieutenant Governor to be elected to three four-year terms since Bill Hobby, who held the office for 18 years.

2003 redistricting[link]

In 2003, Dewhurst assisted the Republican leadership, including then U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick, and Governor Rick Perry, in passing a sweeping congressional redistricting bill that increased the number of Republican U.S. House seats in Texas from fifteen to twenty-one in the 2004 elections. The Republican seats dropped to nineteen in the 2006 elections under a modified court redistricting plan. Minority Democrats retain thirteen U.S. House seats from Texas. In his capacity as the presiding officer of the Texas Senate, Dewhurst, in the third consecutive special session called by the governor, allowed the suspension of the custom that two thirds of the body must vote to consider a bill.

Dewhurst's leadership on redistricting brought him into legal conflict with his former land commissioner opponent, Richard Raymond, the only elected official to have been a plaintiff in the 2006 U.S. Supreme Court review of the constitutionality of the redistricting plan. Dewhurst and Raymond have also sparred over education policy.

Legislation[link]

Childhood legislation[link]

He is known by his "Texas Children First" initiative^{[citation needed]} which is part of cracking down on child sexual predators in Texas and throughout the United States. The initiative includes extending statute of limitations on child sex crimes and leading the passage of Jessica's Law. David Dewhurst is also attempting to pass legislation that would allow for the death penalty to be imposed on second time violent child predators. This bill has received some controversy as it has been asserted by some that the death penalty for anything other than murder is unconstitutional.^{[citation needed]} No one has been executed in the US for a crime other than murder since 1964.^[9]

Voter ID bill[link]

Democrats used the Senate's rules to help defeat a voter identification bill, supported by Dewhurst and the Republican majorities, in 2009.^[10]

TSA inspection bill[link]

Dewhurst has been accused by state senator Dan Patrick of helping to stop a bill that would have made the TSA's pat downs of airplane passengers a felony in Texas.^[11]

Controversies[link]

Condemnation of play[link]

In March 2010, a student performance of the play Corpus Christi by Terrence McNally, in which Jesus and the disciples are portrayed as being gay, was canceled at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas following a condemnatory statement by Dewhurst. The university had received many complaints about the play's scheduled performance as a class project for a directing class, but in a letter posted on the university's website on March 11, President F. Dominic Dottavio, citing freedom of speech, declared that the play would be performed.^[12] The day before the performance, Dewhurst issued his statement saying, "No one should have the right to use government funds or institutions to portray acts that are morally reprehensible to the vast majority of Americans," and the performance was cancelled by the professor, who cited safety concerns. A subsequent statement by Dewhurst praised the university for canceling the performance, whereas the professor claimed to have acted on his own. Dewhurst's statement also claimed that whereas he is "a strong defender of free speech, we must also protect the rights and reasonable expectations of Texas taxpayers and how their money is used. A play that is completely contrary to the standards of decency and moral beliefs of the vast majority of Texans should not be performed using any state resources, especially by an institution of higher learning."^{[13] [14] [15]}

2012 United States Senate race[link]

On July 18, 2011, Dewhurst addressed his supporters in an online video on his campaign website, announcing his candidacy for the vacant U.S. Senate seat for the Republican nomination. His rivals include former Mayor of Dallas Tom Leppert, ESPN college football analyst Craig James and former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz.

As the campaign drew close to the May 29th Election Day, Lt. Gov. Dewhurst launched an attack on rival Ted Cruz claiming that Cruz was soft on illegal immigration and supported "amnesty" for illegal aliens.^[16][17] Dewhurst's attack drew counter-attacks from border security activists in Texas, who criticized Dewhurst for using his position as Lieutenant Governor to block immigration reform proposals.^[18][19]

References[link]

External links[link]

	Texas portal
	Biography portal

• Official Website of the Lieutenant Governor of Texas
• Dewhurst for U.S. Senate campaign Web site

v t e Governors and Lieutenant Governors of Texas Governors J. P. Henderson Wood Bell J. W. Henderson Pease Runnels Houston Clark Lubbock Murrah Hamilton Throckmorton Pease Davis Coke Hubbard Roberts Ireland Ross Hogg Culberson Sayers Lanham Campbell Colquitt J. Ferguson Hobby Neff M. Ferguson Moody Sterling M. Ferguson Allred O'Daniel Stevenson Jester Shivers Daniel Connally Smith Briscoe Clements White Clements Richards Bush Perry Lieutenant Governors Horton Greer Henderson Dickson Runnels Lubbock Clark Crockett Stockdale Jones J. W. Flanagan Campbell D. W. Flanagan Fountain Pickett Hubbard Sayers Storey Martin Gibbs Wheeler Pendleton Crane Jester Browning Neal A. B. Davidson Mayes Hobby, Sr. Johnson L. Davidson T. W. Davidson Miller Witt Woodul Stevenson J. L. Smith Shivers Ramsey P. Smith Barnes Hobby, Jr. Bullock Perry Ratliff Dewhurst

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