Aikman Awaiting Word from Hall of Fame

Troy Aikman anticipated a restful night Friday.

The former UCLA quarterback, who led the Dallas Cowboys to three Super Bowl championships in the 1990s, was awaiting word today on whether he’ll be voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But he didn’t plan on losing sleep over it.

Aikman, who was 20-4 in two seasons at UCLA in the late 1980s after transferring from Oklahoma, is among 15 finalists for pro football’s highest honor, as voted upon by a 39-member panel composed mostly of sports journalists. Only those receiving 80% of the vote will be enshrined in the Hall next summer at Canton, Ohio.

Being voted in would be “the most meaningful individual achievement” of his career, Aikman said Friday. But, he added, “that’s not why we played the game. I played it to win championships and win as many games as I could. I feel like I did it as well as anybody that’s played the game and I’m happy with the fact that we won three world championships, and if 39 guys find that that’s worthy of being among a select group of guys, I’ll be very humbled.”

The late Reggie White, the NFL’s all-time sack leader, is expected to make it, and Aikman is considered a good bet too. Though his career was cut short because of concussions, he is among only three quarterbacks -- the others are Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw -- to lead teams to at least three Super Bowl titles.

“He re-created the Dallas Cowboys,” Hall of Fame quarterback and Cowboy icon Roger Staubach said of Aikman, who was at his best in his team’s biggest games, completing 70% of his Super Bowl passes. “He was a spectacular football player when he was asked to be spectacular.”

White, who victimized Aikman on seven of his 198 sacks, was a 10-time All-Pro and among the most ferocious defensive linemen in NFL history during 15 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers.

The other finalists are:

* Thurman Thomas, who rushed for more than 12,000 yards and helped the Buffalo Bills to four Super Bowl appearances.

* Michael Irvin, who was Aikman’s favorite receiver but was hampered by off-the-field transgressions, among them drug abuse.

* John Madden, who won a Super Bowl and more than 75% of his games in 10 seasons as coach of the Oakland Raiders.

* Warren Moon, a former West Los Angeles College quarterback who in 17 seasons passed for more yards than anyone else in NFL history other than Dan Marino and John Elway.

* Art Monk, who caught 940 passes, including at least one in a record 183 consecutive games.

* Harry Carson, a linebacker who in 13 seasons with the New York Giants and was named to the Pro Bowl nine times.

* L.C. Greenwood, a defensive end and part of the “Steel Curtain” defense that helped the Pittsburgh Steelers win four Super Bowl titles.

* Russ Grimm, a four-time All-Pro guard and member of “The Hogs,” a group of offensive linemen who helped the Washington Redskins to three Super Bowl victories.

* Claude Humphrey, a defensive end credited with 122 sacks in 14 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons and Eagles.

* Bob Kuechenberg, a six-time Pro Bowl guard who in 1972 helped the Miami Dolphins to the NFL’s only unbeaten season.

* Derrick Thomas, who was named to the Pro Bowl nine times in 11 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs before his career was cut short when he died after an automobile accident in 2000.

* Rayfield Wright, an offensive tackle who played in five Super Bowls with the Cowboys.

* Gary Zimmerman, a former Walnut High standout who was a seven-time All-Pro offensive tackle and helped the Denver Broncos win the Super Bowl in 1998.