Troy Aikman

In April 2001, shortly after being waived by the Cowboys, Aikman announced his retirement from professional football. In the end, it was concern over a potentially disabling injury that forced him from the game. In his last twenty starts with the Cowboys, through the end of the 2000 season, Aikman had suffered four concussions. He told the AP: "I wanted to play. I just can't do that any-more. I think when all things are considered, it was the right thing for me and my family."

Aikman, who in April 2000 married former Cowboys public relations staffer Rhonda Worthey, lives with his wife in Plano, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. He's traded his helmet for a microphone and now works as a member of the FOX Sports broadcasting team. Former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson summed up Aikman's brilliant career as well as anyone when he told the Dallas Morning News: "He's the greatest big-game quarterback you could find. It's like he trained his whole life to perform in the spotlight."