Troy Aikman

The Cowboys' dreams of a Super Bowl "three-peat" were dashed in 1994. Although the team played once again to a 12-4 record, the Cowboys fell to the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. Determined to return to the Super Bowl, the Cowboys battled their way to a 12-4 record again in 1995. After defeating the Green Bay Packers 38-27 in the NFC Championship Game, the Cowboys found themselves facing off against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XXX. Each team had won four previous Super Bowls, and the winner of Super Bowl XXX would become the winningest team in the history of the big game. Aikman became the first quarterback in NFL history to lead his team to three Super Bowl victories before the age of thirty as the Cowboys battled to a 27-17 win over the Steelers.

Injury and growing disenchantment with Cowboys coach Switzer took its toll on Aikman in 1996. He nevertheless turned in an impressive performance for the season with a pass-completion rate of 63.7 percent and total passing yardage of 3,126. The Cowboys made it into the playoffs but lost their second-round game to the Carolina Panthers, 26-17. Things got worse for the Cowboys in 1997. The team ended the season with a losing 6-10 record, and Aikman's pass-completion rate fell to 56.4 percent. In 1998, Aikman missed five of the Cowboys' regular season games and threw for only 2,330 yards and five touchdowns. He was also successfully treated for skin cancer during the year. The Cowboys made it into the playoffs once again but lost their first-round game to the Arizona Cardinals. This scenario was repeated in 1999 when the Cowboys lost their first-round game in the playoffs to the Minnesota Vikings.