Troy Aikman's Real Name: Troy Kenneth Aikman

Quick answer: The quarterback is known professionally as Troy Aikman. Britannica and Encyclopedia.com both give the name Troy Kenneth Aikman and place the birth on November 21, 1966, in West Covina, California.

Real name and early life

Britannica lists him as also known as Troy Kenneth Aikman, born November 21, 1966, in West Covina, California. Encyclopedia.com independently says he was born Troy Kenneth Aikman in West Covina, California, on November 21, 1966. Both accounts say he grew up in Cerritos, a suburb of Los Angeles, and later moved to Henryetta, Oklahoma. Britannica says he was an all-state high school standout there, then attended the University of Oklahoma before transferring to the University of California, Los Angeles, where he sat out the 1986 season, later led UCLA to a 20-4 record over two years, and was named All-American as a senior.

Career highlights

Britannica says the Dallas Cowboys made him the overall number one selection in the 1989 NFL draft. The official Pro Football Hall of Fame biography independently says he joined the Cowboys as the first overall pick in that draft, and that he became the first Dallas rookie quarterback to start a season opener since Roger Staubach in 1969. Britannica says he led the Cowboys to Super Bowl victories in 1993, 1994, and 1996, and was named Most Valuable Player of the first of those games. The Hall of Fame biography independently records a 52-17 victory over the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVII, with Aikman earning Super Bowl MVP honors, and later victories in Super Bowls XXVIII and XXX. Both accounts mention six Pro Bowl selections, and both give career totals of 32,942 passing yards; the Hall of Fame biography also lists 165 touchdown passes. The Hall of Fame biography also says that in 1991 he completed an NFC-best 65.3 percent of his passes, that he reached 10,000 career passing yards in 1992, and that with 90 wins in the 1990s he was, at retirement, the winningest starting quarterback of any decade then. Britannica says he retired in April 2001 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006. The Hall of Fame page lists him in the class of 2006 and says he announced his retirement after the 2000 season.

Name notes for searchers

People looking up Troy Aikman or Troy Kenneth Aikman are looking for the same quarterback, including the later Cowboys Super Bowl seasons most often associated with his name. Search traffic often uses the professional name Troy Aikman.