25 most sought after NFL quarterback draft prospects of all time
By Zach Bigalke
The Dallas Cowboys teams of the early 1990s were a phenomenon, winning three Super Bowl titles in four years between 1992 and 1995. A key piece of the puzzle was landing a solid quarterback who could distribute the ball effectively to the slew of talented receivers and backs on the Cowboys offense.
Sitting with the No. 1 overall pick, the Cowboys had options about who they wanted to bring to Texas to stand under center. They ultimately settled on Troy Aikman. A phenomenon coming out of high school, Aikman opted to play for Barry Switzer at Oklahoma.
In 1984, Aikman became the first freshman since World War II to start a game. Gaining control of the position full-time as he entered his sophomore season, Aikman won his first three games of the year before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in a loss to Miami.
The Sooners turned to Jamelle Holieway and retooled their offense, a shift that led to a national championship. With Holieway established as the title-winning quarterback in Norman, Aikman took his talent to Pasadena and spent two years carving up Pac-10 offenses at the Rose Bowl.
Nearly 5,300 passing yards and 41 touchdowns through the air in two seasons at UCLA put Aikman on the radar of NFL franchises in need of a passer.
Dallas honed in on Aikman and landed their man with the No. 1 overall pick. Thrown to the wolves immediately, the quarterback went 0-11 in his first year as an NFL starter. Modest improvement over the next two years opened the door for the breakthrough in 1992.
Aikman and the Cowboys went 13-3 in the regular season, then ran through the NFC playoffs before taking down Buffalo 52-17 in Super Bowl XXVII. He was names Super Bowl MVP during that first title in the run.
Aikman was at quarterback for all three Super Bowl victories for the Cowboys in the 1990s. His career ended in 2000 after suffering the 10th diagnosed concussion of his 12-year NFL career.
Over the long 1990s, the former Oklahoma and UCLA star threw for almost 33,000 yards and racked up 165 touchdowns through the air. A six-time Pro Bowler, Aikman was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2009.