Football fans that are extra critical of the Dallas Cowboys tend to assume that the stars just so happened to align during a time the Cowboys were ascending into greatness regardless of who their quarterback was throughout the 1990s. However, despite the Cowboys having Hall of Fame talent like Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith on their side, Troy Aikman was just as crucial to that team's success as much as any other star was on that Dallas Cowboys' offense. In 1984, Troy Aikman went to the University of Oklahoma to play football despite being contract offers from the New York Mets. Aikman became the first true freshman to start at quarterback for the Sooners since World War II. After suffering a broken ankle in his second season with the Sooners, Aikman transferred to UCLA to finish playing football. As a senior, Aikman won the Davey O'Brien Award and led the Bruins to a victory in the 1989 Cotton Bowl Classic against the Arkansas Razorbacks.
After winning with two prestigious football institutions, Troy Aikman was drafted 1st overall in 1989 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys where he would play his entire twelve-season career. As a starter, Aikman finished his rookie season with a winless record of 0-11, but despite his adversities as a young quarterback, the Cowboys kept faith in Aikman which allowed him to start at the position for all twelve years of his career, the longest streak held by any Dallas Cowboys quarterback. Within those years, Aikman was able to become a 6x Pro Bowler and 3x Super Bowl Champion (XXVII, XXVIII, and XXX). Aikman was named Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl XXVII for his four touchdown and 273 passing yard performance. Surprisingly, Aikman was never named First-Team All-Pro during his entire NFL career.