Troy Aikman...?

Question

Aikman was a first ballot HOFer. If he had never won a super bowl (much less three), would he be in? What if he only won one?

Answer 1

As good as Aikman was, he would not be in the HOF without any Super Bowl wins. The Cowboys offense was based on pounding the ball with Emmitt Smith.

I don't think he would have gotten in with only 1 Super Bowl win because his numbers aren't HOF caliber.

All of that said, Aikman was one of the best QB's ever and also one of the best leaders on the football field. He was capable of putting up the numbers of Marino and Elway, but the Cowboys system precluded that. And that just goes to show you the true leadership and team-first-attitude that Aikman had. He could have griped about the offense not using his talents enough, but he didn't because he understood their offensive system made the best use of everyone's talents.

He also could have refused to play for the worst team in football if it drafted him, but that is another story...

Answer 2

I love those types of questions. Why don't you ask the same about Bradshaw, Montana, Tom Brady or even Staubach? They had solid numbers but none of them is among the top 5.

If he had never won the Super Bowl, he would have never been capable of turning a 1-15 Cowboys into a dynasty.

What about his 32000+ yards? His completion %? The 165-141 TD/Int ratio? The 6 Pro Bowl selections?

Or probably the most impressive one? 90 wins during the 90s. The most by a QB over a decade.

With everything they've done in the 2000s, Manning has to average 8 wins in a season and Brady 10 to beat that.

So, take out the 3 SB victories and you still have in Aikman a Hall of Famer.

Answer 3

Jim Kelly is in the Hall of Fame and he never won a Super Bowl. Aikman is a better QB than Kelly. Aikman is a first ballot HOFer wheather he won a Super Bowl or not.

Answer 4

Very good question. Troy Aikman was a very good quarterback, probably the most accurate passer in NFL history. But most HOF qbs have won at least one Super Bowl.
Of course a good qb with a good team will usually win at least one Super Bowl.

Answer 5

The three Super Bowl wins in four years punched his ticket to the Hall of Fame, as well as Michael Irvin's. I loved the 'Boys back then, still root for them (although, I can say, in public even, that I root for my hometown Colts now), but most of that team, save for Emmit Smith were not first ballot HOFers without the three wins. If they only would have won one, Aikman still would have gotten in, but, as others have said, probably 2nd or 3rd ballot. Irvin wouldn't have made it at all (career too short to account for HOF stats without the SB wins). So, team success means a lot to HOF enterance, well, without buying your ticket anyway.

Answer 6

Most likely not. There are few QB's to never win a superbowl but make it to the HOF. Dan MArino is one of them. However if you take away the win and he made it to the superbowl as much as he did and lost he would have a good chance of being a canidate. But if you mean he never came close he would never go to the HOF

If he won one super bowl then he would go because he is good.

Answer 7

He wouldn't make the HOF if he didnt win a Super Bowl. He would if he won one.

Answer 8

Marino is in and he never won a superbowl, so yes yes he would not sure about first ballot but definitly in the HOF, it didnt hurt his cause to those superbowl victories.

Answer 9

No superbowl=no hall for troy. Just one and his numbers get him in second or third ballot.

Answer 10

of course hes like tom brady not thebig stats but the big wins