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.
Chefs made their way into celebrity land a while ago. But how many celebrities that weren’t trained as professional cooks are actually whizzes in the kitchen? Here are several that come to mind.
Actress Julia Roberts is confident about her cooking skills. “I’m quite a good cook,” she told E! News. “I’m like a closet home ec teacher…I can really cook anything.” Roberts has said she often cooks fish for herself and her kids. And speaking of her three children, “They think that I’m a good cook,” Roberts told People. “They actually told me that I should open a restaurant.” She also relishes cooking for the holidays, particularly shredded Brussel sprouts. Roberts hasn’t published a cookbook, but we did find recipes attributed to her for peach crisp and banana hemp muffins. Or you can make the same summer salad the actress supposedly eats.
Chrissy Teigen started off as a supermodel. Then her love of cooking filtered into her professional life too. At this point, she’s created recipes for a limited Blue Apron release and also just launched her own home and cooking line at Target named “Cravings,” after the two cookbooks she’s released. Teigen describes cooking as “a time of peace” for herself. So maybe peace out to her tuna melt sandwich or the fried chicken wings that are a favorite of her husband, John Legend.
Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, comes from a cooking Italian family. Her father started his own restaurant in New York and also published a cookbook. And apparently, Lady Gaga has inherited the family’s cooking genes. Her Instagram account occasionally features photos of her culinary activities. Sure, sometimes it’s topless cooking. But other times it’s more poignant like in the post she shared about her bringing food to the family of her dear friend who passed away. Want to try a Gaga/Germanotta family favorite? Check out her recipe for whole wheat pasta with a sweet fennel sauce.