The Key Link

Troy Aikman remembers standing in the pouring rain, his passes and his composure slipping away. It was Halloween 1993 in Philadelphia, and Aikman was living in a quarterback's house of horrors. His Dallas Cowboys were clinging to a three-point lead over the Eagles, and Aikman's waterlogged throws were as accurate as Darryl Strawberry's income tax returns.

After watching yet another incomplete pass slide off his hand, Aikman stomped to the sideline, picked up the telephone and began talking with his mentor, Cowboy offensive coordinator Norv Turner. During this crisis the bond between the two men was downright inspiring.

"What's the problem?" Turner asked from his perch adjacent to the Veterans Stadium press box.

"What do you mean?" Aikman shot back.

"You're throwing the ball like crap."

"Yeah, 'cause it's wet," Aikman explained patiently.

"Well, you're throwing it differently."

"I am not throwing it differently."

"Oh, hell, you're not even trying."

"——, yeah, I'm trying!"