Aikman's Standards For Success At UCLA: Beat U$C* & Lead Bruins To The Rose Bowl

by Nestor on Jul 18, 2009 9:27 AM PDT in Football

It's a big day in world of college football today and a Bruin alum is leading the story.

Superbowl Champion Troy Aikman is officially getting enshrined in the college football HOF today in South Bend,Indiana at the 2009 National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame. The announcement first came out last year. He was then inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in a ceremony in December in New York. Today he will get official enshrined and you can watch it all on TV

Per the official site the Enshrinement show will be televised live for the first time ever by CBS College Sports Network from 8:30 to 10:15 p.m. ET (5:30-7:15 pacific). ESPN360.com is also going to stream it live. Some of the other college legends featured today will include Notre Dame's Lou Holtz (who also coached at USC among other places), Wilber Marshall (Florida), Don McPherson (Syracuse), and Aikman's Cowboy team-mate Jay Novacek (Wyoming). More details over at the official site.

Interestingly though, heading into this ceremony Aikman provided some telling quotes to AP's Tom Coyne re. UCLA days. Come with me after the jump.

Aikman went on record saying UCLA career "is not quite complete":

Troy Aikman goes into the College Football Hall of Fame with a feeling his school days weren't complete.

It has nothing to do with the fact he didn't earn a degree before he was the first player selected in the 1989 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He filled that void last month when he earned his sociology degree from UCLA. The incomplete feeling comes from losing the two regular-season finales against USC his junior and senior years, costing the Bruins berths in the Rose Bowl both times.

"The one I regret I have on any level is that I didn't lead a team to the Rose Bowl," the three-time Super Bowl champion said. "I think a lot of times in the NFL a quarterback is measured by whether or not you lead a team to a championship. For me at UCLA, it was whether or not you led your team to the Rose Bowl. I failed to do that."

Aikman didn't care about winning the Hesiman:

He had a standout senior year, completing 64.4 percent of his passes for 2,771 yards, but Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders had a better season and won the Heisman.

Missing out on the Heisman doesn't bother Aikman. Missing out on the Rose Bowl does.

"My college career, in my opinion, is not quite complete," he said.

If there is a silverlining to the story, I would say that Aikman's comments provide more ammo. for Rick Neuheisel and Norm Chow to current/future UCLA quarterbacks and the entire football program what are the standards for success at UCLA. It doesn't get any clearer than that. When a football legend such as Troy Aikman come out and make those kinds of comments regarding the standards under the football tradition at UCLA, it will make it that much harder to accept mediocrity in our program.

No doubt to climb back to those standards is going to be tough. I sure don't expect it this season. However, if we can take a step forward this season by putting together a bowl season, I think we will have our program back in a position where we belong: regularly competing to get into the Rose Bowl as serious contenders (unlike the smoke and mirrors, fluky (much written about on BN) "10 win season" from 05-06).

Thanks again to Aikman for publicly reinforcing the standard for success at UCLA.

GO BRUINS.

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Hmm...

I actually view Aikmans comments a bit differently. Juts a feeling this is all, but he makes it sound like he might join RNs team in the near future! RN was his QB coach, and he just received his degree!
Here in socal there are so many Cowboys fans, and what kid would not want to play for RN, NC, and possibly Aikman ( QB coach?) in the near future?!
Juts get the feeling he has unfinished business in leading a team to the Rose Bowl…could get it done in the future joining RN’s staff!

by uclachuy on Jul 18, 2009 2:31 PM PDT reply actions

Disagree

Mr. Aikman has stated several times before CRN became coach he would easily trade one of his Super Bowls to have had a chance to play in the Rose Bowl. I think the reason he has appeared more often at UCLA events is because of his loyalty to CRN (his QB coach) and not that he wants to get involved in college coaching. By all indications, he is happy with his announcing job and his life in Dallas (he has some other business projects in the Dallas area).

Of course, if Mr. Aikman were to decide to join CRN’s staff or serve UCLA football in a greater capacity, I would gladly welcome him with open arms. I would just miss seeing him announce on Sundays.

by bruinbabe2000 on Jul 18, 2009 3:17 PM PDT up reply actions

My Favorite Bruin FB player

I spent 2 great years in the first row behind the band bowing praises to Troy (Aikman, not the clowns from *u$c).

His pro career and the way he has always handled himself on and off the field since his UCLA days have only strengthened my regard for him.

I’d love to see him get closer to the program. He would be an incredible role model for recruits and players.

greg in denver - UCLA guy for life

by gbruin on Jul 18, 2009 2:35 PM PDT reply actions

If you ever watch PTI

When he is on their “Five Good Minutes” segment, he usually wears UCLA gear. I love pointing that out to Mr. BB, who hates the Dallas Cowboys with every fiber in his body. I try telling him that college ties are much more important than NFL ties, though he counteracts that with the fact that Mr. Aikman is better known for his NFL career than his UCLA one.

If it wasn’t for Mr. BB’s hatred of the Cowboys, I would have done everything to name our little guy Kenneth (Mr. Aikman’s middle name).

by bruinbabe2000 on Jul 18, 2009 3:20 PM PDT up reply actions

My mom loved Troy

My mom loved watching Troy play for the bruins. She became a bruin fan after I enrolled at UCLA; we were kinda a bandwagon trojie family before. I don’t know if she could have “watched” that game(she was in a coma), however 5 minutes after the game, the hospital called to say she passed.

by 10amla on Jul 19, 2009 2:12 AM PDT reply actions

He's a good guy

I was still in school back then and I bumped into Troy a few times around Westwood. He was always a nice guy, not arrogant or stuck up at all. There was the one time He was in a crowded bar, and I thought, “he’s not that big”. I kind of wandered over and got back to back with him so my friend could see how tall I was compared to him, and he caught me at it. He was amused by the incident.

Bob O. (Signholder #3)

by TuneMan7 on Jul 20, 2009 11:07 AM PDT reply actions