Troy Aikman Biography

Troy Aikman was born Troy Kenneth Aikman, on November 21, 1966, in West Covina, California, U.S., to Kenneth and Charlyn Bailey Aikman. He was raised in Cerritos, a Los Angeles suburb, before he moved to Henryetta, a small town in Oklahoma, with his family, including his 2 older sisters, Tammy and Terri.

In Henryetta, he excelled in baseball and football. He later became an all-state high school standout. He also bagged the Oklahoma High School State Championship in 1983.

Aikman’s skills in football got him recruited by coaches Barry Switzer (of the University of Oklahoma) and Jimmy Johnson (of the Oklahoma State University). Aikman later chose to join the University of Oklahoma and represented the Oklahoma Sooners football team from 1984 to 1985.

In his first year with the Sooners, Aikman redshirted. Following this, Aikman played as the backup (quarterback) to Jamelle Holieway. In 1985, he appeared in 5 games and completed 10 of 19 passes for 107 yards, along with 2 touchdowns.

In 1986, Aikman was named the starting quarterback for the Sooners when Holieway was kept out due to an injury. Aikman helped the team score a win in the Orange Bowl. That season, Aikman passed for 2,180 yards and 11 touchdowns and bagged All-Big Eight Conference honors.

However, he quit the University of Oklahoma after Switzer brought in the wishbone formation to the Oklahoma offense, ignoring Aikman’s strong passing skills. By then, Holieway had returned as the starting quarterback.

Aikman then joined the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He had to remain away from the field in the 1986 season, since he was a transfer student.

Though his senior season with the UCLA Bruins in 1987 was ruined by injuries, and he could appear in just 6 games, by the end of his college career, he was named a first-team All-Big Eight selection. In his last 2 years at UCLA, he showcased his mettle by leading his team to a 20-4 record and scoring post-season wins in the Aloha Bowl (in December 1987) and the Cotton Bowl (in January 1989).

Aikman was named All-American (1988) and stood third in the polling results for the prestigious Heisman Trophy. He also won the 1988 Davey O'Brien Award

In the 1989 NFL (National Football League) Draft, Troy Aikman was selected by the Dallas Cowboys first overall. By then, he was considered a top prospect in the NFL draft.

In his initial few seasons with the Cowboys, Aikman struggled to make a mark. However, he was the first rookie quarterback who started a season opener for the Cowboys, since Roger Staubach achieved the feat in 1969.

Later, playing under head coach Jimmy Johnson in the early 1990s, both Aikman and the team started improving. Aikman shot to fame with his 3 Super Bowl victories with the Cowboys: in 1992, 1993, and 1995 (Super Bowls XXVII, XXVIII, and XXX).

While in his first and second Super Bowls, he faced the Buffalo Bills, he defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in his third Super Bowl. Aikman thus also became one of 4 quarterbacks to lead his team to wins in 3 Super Bowls.

The best thing about Aikman's career was his consistency. While in 1991 and 1992, Aikman led the league tables in passer rating, he also made it to the top 10 in passer rating in many other seasons. He was named a Pro Bowler 6 times and became the Most Valuable Player (MVP) at Super Bowl XXVII (1992).

Despite being one of the most successful quarterbacks on the field, Aikman was plagued by several injuries throughout his illustrious career. Eventually, multiple health issues, such as concussions, made him retire following the 2000 season.

On April 9, 2001, Aikman officially declared his retirement. In February 2006, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in Canton, Ohio.

Aikman also made it to the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team. Aikman’s #8 jersey was retired by the Dallas Cowboys.

His 45 Dallas Cowboys passing records included the franchise’s career record for completions (2,898), touchdowns (165), passing yards (32,942), and completion percentage (61.3). During his stint with the Cowboys, the team won 6 NFC East titles (1992-1996 and 1998) and moved to 4 NFC Championship Games (1992-1995).

In 1999, Aikman was named to the UCLA Sports Hall of Fame. In 2009, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

In 1992, Aikman established The Troy Aikman Foundation for Children. The organization has improved the lives of countless children and has been involved in services such as building recreation areas in children's hospitals.

Since retirement, he has co-established the beer company Eight, which makes organic and antioxidant-rich beer. He is also the president of Troy Aikman Enterprises and has invested in ventures such as real estate, merchandise sales, and a car dealership.

Following his retirement from professional football at the end of the 2000 season, Aikman became an NFL analyst on FOX. In 2001, he, along with Dick Stockton and Daryl Johnston, formed FOX’s No. 2 team. He was also named TV’s Best Newcomer by Sports Illustrated.

Aikman shot to fame as an analyst for the NFL Europe League seasons, working with Brad Sham. Over the years, he has also worked with Emmy Award-winning announcer Joe Buck and journalist Erin Andrews.

Troy Aikman and Joe Buck are the second-longest broadcast tandem in NFL games, second only to Pat Summerall and John Madden. Moving to the FOX NFL on-air team just before the 2002 season, he later ascended to FOX’s No. 1 broadcast team, with Buck and Cris Collinsworth. Known mostly for his Super Bowl broadcasts, Aikman also bagged multiple Emmy nominations for Outstanding TV Event Analyst for his broadcast work.

Texas Monthly once named Aikman the most eligible bachelor in Dallas. He initially dated American country singer and actor Lorrie Morgan.

On April 8, 2000, he married Rhonda Worthey in Plano, Texas. Worthey is a TV host and a former publicist for the Dallas Cowboys.

The couple had 2 daughters: Jordan Ashley (born in 2001) and Alexa “Ally” Marie Aikman (born in 2002). Worthey also has a daughter named Rachel from a previous marriage. Jordan later joined the Washington and Lee University, while Alexa studied at The Episcopal School of Dallas.

Aikman and Worthey divorced on April 12, 2011. On June 2, 2017, Aikman declared on Instagram that he was engaged to Catherine “Capa” Mooty, a luxury fashion entrepreneur who co-founded the boutique Luxeliner.

Mooty was previously married to lawyer Jerry Mooty (nephew of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones) and has 2 sons with him: Luke and Val. Aikman and Mooty married at the Biltmore Four Seasons in Montecito, California, on September 1, 2017.