Troy Aikman Doesn’t Need You to Remember His NFL Career
Most NFL analysts would agree that Troy Aikman deserves a mention on any list of the greatest quarterbacks of all time — even if he doesn’t break into the top 10. Yet narrow down this list to Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks, and Aikman earns the No. 1 slot as often as not.
Most former NFL players with a legacy like Aikman’s develop a correspondingly large ego. Yet, according to Haute Living, Aikman is surprisingly at peace with his NFL career. At this point, he’d rather be judged as a person and a father. Let’s look at Aikman’s career, personal life, and his comments about the aging process.
Troy Aikman’s time in the NFL
The Cowboys selected Aikman with the first pick of the 1989 NFL Draft. He would ultimately spend his entire twelve-year career in Dallas, becoming the face of the franchise and earning his place in the pantheon of all-time Cowboy greats. Aikman would also lead his Cowboys squads to three Super Bowl championships in 1992, 1993, and 1995, making them one of the most dominant teams of the decade.
Aikman passed for over 3,000 yards five times in his career, while also coming close in a handful of others. Arguably his best season came in 1992, when he threw for 3,445 yards, with a completion rate of 63.8% and 23 touchdowns. As impressive as his performance was on the field, in terms of raw numbers he often gets overshadowed by other quarterbacks of his era, like Brett Favre, Dan Marino, and Steve Young.
Yet for years Aikman was fond of pointing out that the Cowboys system placed a greater emphasis on the running game, thus limiting his numbers. Also worth noting: Aikman won as many Super Bowl rings as Favre, Marino, and Young combined. At the end of his career, Aikman also racked up 90 wins in a single decade, six Pro Bowl selections, and a Super Bowl MVP award.
Aikman’s personal life
Aikman remained, if not single, then certainly unmarried for virtually all of his playing career. Not surprisingly, he was considered one of the most eligible — and desirable — bachelors in sports. He finally settled down in April 2000, when he married Rhonda Worthey. At the time, Worthey was working as a publicist for the Cowboys.
Aikman and Worthey remained married for 10 years. During that time, they had two daughters: Jordan Ashley Aikman and Alexa Marie Aikman. Aikman and Worthey were divorced in 2011. At the time, reports the New York Daily News, Aikman called the process a difficult decision but acknowledged that it was best for them both.
Six years later, Aikman married again — this time to Catherine Mooty, a fashion retailer. Aikman brought his two daughters to the marriage, while Mooty brought two sons she’d had in her previous marriage to Jeff Mooty, who conveniently enough just happens to be the nephew of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
A new perspective on what’s really important
Once upon a time, Aikman was happy to look back over his football career, even sometimes arguing that he was underrated in the pantheon of all-time greats. According to his profile in Haute Living, however, Aikman has now mellowed-out considerably. He is no longer so eager to try and re-live his past glories, instead remaining steadfastly focused on the present. As Aikman himself described the process:
I’ve just gotten a better sense of what’s important to me. My daughters, my wife, my two stepsons; those are the things that matter most to me. The rest of it is just kind of window dressing.
Aikman also devotes a lot of time to overseeing his various business and broadcasting endeavors. As for his NFL legacy, Aikman seems confident that his accomplishments can speak for themselves, and no longer require any serious effort on his part.
