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| Thursday, March 8 Associated Press | |||
DALLAS – Longtime Dallas Cowboys executive Tex Schramm was
disappointed to learn his old franchise had waived Troy Aikman, one
of the team's few remaining links to its prosperous past.
"The old Cowboys are gone," Schramm said Wednesday. "That's
sad. When your quarterback leaves like that, there's not many links
to the past."
Schramm helped usher in a new era of prosperity for the Cowboys
when he made Aikman the first overall pick in the 1989 National
Football League draft.
During Aikman's 12 seasons with the Cowboys, he won three Super
Bowl rings and earned six Pro Bowl selections.
"The era is gone, the players are gone, there's no need in him
sticking around and risking his life," Schramm said of Aikman, who
has suffered 10 concussions in his career.
Only Emmitt Smith and Darren Woodson remain from the teams that
won Super Bowls in 1992, '93 and '95.
"I can't even put into words the emotions I'm feeling right
now," Smith told The Dallas Morning News in Thursday's editions.
"We all know decisions come down and they happen, but I didn't
know it was going to be like this.
"He's been the main fixture of the Cowboys for 12 years," he
said. "He was Jerry Jones' first draft pick with the Cowboys."
Dallas severed ties with the 34-year-old quarterback because his
contract counted too heavily against the salary cap.
Aikman wasn't surprised by the team's decision, but said he
still isn't prepared for life with another team.
"I never envisioned the opportunity would present itself to
play for another team," Aikman said. "I've always realized it was
a business. But to achieve what we've been able to achieve, it
transcends business."
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones expressed regret at releasing Aikman,
but insisted Wednesday night the team would still be competitive.
"Troy will always be a Dallas Cowboy," Jones said. "But we
had to do what was in the best interests of the team."
Daryl Johnston, who was Aikman's teammate for 11 seasons, told
Dallas television station KDFW that he was disappointed Aikman
couldn't end his career with the Cowboys.
"That's the sad thing for Troy," Johnston said.
Aikman was one of the last players ever drafted under Schramm's
watch, who was the Cowboys president and general manager for 29
years.
Schramm retired in April 1989, almost two months after Jones
purchased the Cowboys from former owner Bum Bright and two days
after Aikman signed his first contract with the team.
Although Schramm hasn't been officially _ or even unofficially _
involved with the Cowboys in the last decade, he still looks fondly
upon Aikman's accomplishments.
"He's had such a great career, I would've liked him to out the
way great ones should," Schramm said.
Schramm also watched another star Cowboys quarterback _
Hall-of-Famer Roger Staubach _ retire in 1979 after 10
concussion-filled seasons. He was 38.
Staubach, Cowboys' quarterback from 1969 to 1979, said Aikman
will be remembered as a winner.
"What he did in three Super Bowl runs is unprecedented,"
Staubach told Fort Worth television station KTVT. "He's only
played 12 years and he had three Super Bowls. There are some Hall
of Fame quarterbacks that have never taken a team to the Super
Bowl."
But Schramm dismissed any comparison between the quarterbacks'
situations.
"This is such a different time for the league," he said.
"They were both great, but (the Cowboys) were still a good team.
The team now has lost a lot in the last few years."
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  Jerry Jones announces that Troy Aikman has been waived by the Cowboys.RealVideo: 28.8   Jerry Jones discusses the factors involved with the Cowboys decision.wav: 231 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 Troy Aikman talks about being a salary cap casualty.wav: 253 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 Dallas assistant coach Bill Bates looks at the Troy Aikman situation as a coach and as a friend.wav: 1334 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 What's next for Troy Aikman and the Cowboys? ESPN.com's John Clayton offers possible answers.wav: 1139 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 Dallas assistant coach Bill Bates knows that Troy Aikman still has a cannon for an arm.wav: 740 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 | ||