Old heads: tell me about this Steve Walsh vs Aikman competition

[DCreppinBoysfan]

Sounds juicy. I came aboard class of 98 aka the Chan Gailey season. Skip Bayless mentioned this this morning. That sounds like a great camp competition or was it.


And be honest, who were you pulling for? Was it close competition? Anything you have to say about it, speak on it. How did Jerry feel about it?

 

[jazzcat22]

It wasn't close at all. Troy was the clear front runner.

 

[DCreppinBoysfan]

It wasn't close at all. Troy was the clear front runner.

This wasn’t Quincy vs Clint vs Drew? Romo vs Bledsoe?

 

[jazzcat22]

The fans and media made more of it than there was.
Jimmy took Walsh in the supplemental draft as he was his QB at UM. He stepped in when Troy was injured. Walsh was then traded to the Saints for 3 draft picks including their 1st rounder. Jimmy played that one up and came out on top.

No way was Walsh ever going to replace Troy, and Jimmy knew that. Actually I did not like he took Walsh as he gave up the next years #1 overall pick. But in hindsight for Jimmy it worked out. Another lucky item in his tenure that fell his way. He had quite a few things that fell his way actually.

 

[Creeper]

I didn't like the Walsh pick and thought Jimmy wasted one there. But somehow he managed to get a #1 back for Walsh even after he showed he was nowhere near Aikman in ability.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

It wasn't that big of a deal. In the first season Jimmy wasn't 100 percent sure that Aikman was the guy, so he drafted a QB whom he knew from his time at Miami. Walsh ended up being a good backup and quarterbacked the team for their only win that year (against Washington). But Aikman ended up being the guy, and so Johnson sent Walsh to the Saints.

 

[Doomsday101]

Sounds juicy. I came aboard class of 98 aka the Chan Gailey season. Skip Bayless mentioned this this morning. That sounds like a great camp competition or was it.


And be honest, who were you pulling for? Was it close competition? Anything you have to say about it, speak on it. How did Jerry feel about it?

I head many voices after the 1-15 where the only win vs Washington where Walsh was QB of some fans hollering how he should be the QB. After all Jimmy wanted him, he played for Jimmy at Miami. Myself I was pulling for Aikman before Dallas drafted him when we knew in all likelihood Troy would be our pick.

 

[garyo1954]

He was Jimmy's QB in college, selected in the supplemental draft. It was rumored Jimmy preferred him and he started while Aikman recovered from a hand injury the first year. He got the on win as well.

Dallas traded him for a 1st and 3rd to New Orleans. From there he bounced around the league a few years.

He was on on the edge of above average, but Aikman was the guy from the moment Jerry mentioned that "he looks great in the shower!"

 

[fivetwos]

The fans and media made more of it than there was.
Jimmy took Walsh in the supplemental draft as he was his QB at UM. He stepped in when Troy was injured. Walsh was then traded to the Saints for 3 draft picks including their 1st rounder. Jimmy played that one up and came out on top.

No way was Walsh ever going to replace Troy, and Jimmy knew that. Actually I did not like he took Walsh as he gave up the next years #1 overall pick. But in hindsight for Jimmy it worked out. Another lucky item in his tenure that fell his way. He had quite a few things that fell his way actually.

Very correct as I recall.

They did forfeit the overall #1 pick the following season, but did recoup a low 1 and other picks from NO eventually.

So no, on paper the trade was not worth it, but we were nowhere without a QB, and theres no way to know how much that move motivated Aikman to become what he eventually became.

 

[Chuck 54]

I head many voices after the 1-15 where the only win vs Washington where Walsh was QB of some fans hollering how he should be the QB. After all Jimmy wanted him, he played for Jimmy at Miami. Myself I was pulling for Aikman before Dallas drafted him when we knew in all likelihood Troy would be our pick.

Thank the Lord Jimmy didn't know during the draft that Walsh would be available in the supplemental draft. No HOF for him or others had he selected Tony Mandarich and Walsh....yikes!

 

[fivetwos]

Those were the days folks!!!

Even in 1990 we just knew where we were headed.

Full confidence in Jimmy to pull the right strings.

 

[cowboy_ron]

There was no competition.......Jimmy had us in a position we could buy low sell high on Walsh and that's exactly how it played out.

 

[jterrell]

Sounds juicy. I came aboard class of 98 aka the Chan Gailey season. Skip Bayless mentioned this this morning. That sounds like a great camp competition or was it.


And be honest, who were you pulling for? Was it close competition? Anything you have to say about it, speak on it. How did Jerry feel about it?

Troy was always the better QB athletically but Walsh was a natty winner at Miami with Johnson and most of his NFL staff.
Jimmy wanted to draft the Roid Freak LT and start Walsh but Ackles/Jerry would let him and they took Troy.
Troy struggled a bit at first but you could see the insane arm strength he had. And he was bigger and faster.
That first year Walsh actually won the only game they won as a team.

Aikman had Norv Turner present him for a reason.
Norv was always all in Troy and developed the offense to suit him perfectly.
Run first, then repeated absolute darts to Irvin and the occasional deep shots to WR2 who was always single covered.

As only Jimmy could he turned it all around and got an R1 and R3 for Walsh plus got Aikman to buy in after jettisoning Walsh and bonding over exotic fish.

In the end Troy's sense of discipline and routine were matched perfectly with Jimmy.

 

[cej757]

I was in Highschool during those days and you could see who had the better arm talent a mile away. Aikman was like Aaron Rodgers and Walsh looked like Cooper Rush throwing the Football. I mean Walsh had no zip on the Football and couldn't throw deep at all.

The real qb controversy that was starting to brew was Aikman vs Steve Beuerlein.

 

[blueblood70]

Sounds juicy. I came aboard class of 98 aka the Chan Gailey season. Skip Bayless mentioned this this morning. That sounds like a great camp competition or was it.


And be honest, who were you pulling for? Was it close competition? Anything you have to say about it, speak on it. How did Jerry feel about it?

wasn't Steve Pelluer in this mix all at the same time.. one was a supplemental draft pick from I believe Jimmys Miami hurricanes and he liked him a lot..with troys bad play and injuries, there was a true QB controversy AT FIRST..it was short lived but nonetheless wasn't pretty..

btw those say it wasn't a competition and it was clearly Troys job didnt live through that 1-15 season.. Jimmy brought in HIS guy and was seriously givng him a shot..

 

[DFWJC]

Sounds juicy. I came aboard class of 98 aka the Chan Gailey season. Skip Bayless mentioned this this morning. That sounds like a great camp competition or was it.


And be honest, who were you pulling for? Was it close competition? Anything you have to say about it, speak on it. How did Jerry feel about it?

As good as things eventually ended up being, Troy and Jimmy were actually not on good terms at the very beginning

Jerry picked Troy 1st overall. Not saying Jimmy wouldn't have (we'll never know) but Jerry picked Troy all the way.

Troy had an air of arrogance about him and Jimmy thought he might be a bit entitled. He made a VERY controversial move by using the following years 1st round pick (via current year supplemental draft) to bring in Walsh--who was his boy in Miami.
That pick ended up being the top pick in the draft! So initially a truly awful move.

Troy was furious and even considered asking for a trade. He felt Jimmy had stabbed him in the back...real hurt. Troy was bit like that. I won't say a prima donna, but he did have a big ego and wanted things his way. Luckily, his way was often the right way.

Real rich stuff that so many seem to forget.

But what it did was fuel the flames and convince Jimmy (and everyone else) that Troy was the man. He was clearly better, though Walsh wasn't terrible.
Once this was decided, Jimmy smartly traded Walsh away for a pretty good haul from the Saints.
It all worked out great, obviously.

 

[jterrell]

There was no competition.......Jimmy had us in a position we could buy low sell high on Walsh and that's exactly how it played out.

Inaccurate.

They used the top supplement pick, round 1, for Walsh.
Jimmy recovered nicely but it wasn't a win.
They gave up pick 1 overall in 1991 for Walsh. We would have drafted U of Miami DT Cortez Kennedy, RB Blair Thomas(unlikely as the RB coach LOVED LOVED LOVED Emmitt) or traded down.

They ended up with a 1 and 3 in 1991 and a 2nd in 1992. Not bad at all, but not really great value for the top overall pick.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Jimmy supposedly wasn't sure if Aikman had the winner's mentality, etc. at first, so he took the known quantity in Walsh.

Bad move by Jimmy because Walsh wasn't a tenth the QB Aikman was. Walsh was skinny with a noodle arm, and simply didn't have the physical ability to be a top NFL QB. Meanwhile Aikman was basically the perfect prototype. As others said, Jimmy got away with a sort of rookie mistake by duping the Saints into giving a first (and more) for Walsh.

 

[garyo1954]

After reading the thread had to go back and read what we got for Walsh....

Johnson, also his coach in Miami, reportedly favored him as the starter,[4] but Walsh was never able to move out of Aikman's shadow and was traded to the New Orleans Saints three games into the 1990 season, in exchange for a first, second and third round draft picks.[5] With the third draft choice the Cowboys selected (#70-Erik Williams), the other two picks (#14-Leonard Russell and #52-Patrick Rowe) were traded to the New England Patriots as a package to move up to the number one overall draft choice to select Russell Maryland.

Final analysis we got Erik Williams and Russell Maryland for a supplemental pick.

 

[jterrell]

As good as things eventually ended up being, Troy and Jimmy were actually not on good terms at the very beginning

Jerry picked Troy 1sy overall. Not saying Jimmy wouldn't have (we'll never know) but Jerry picked Troy all the way.

Troy had an air of arrogance about him and Jimmy thought he might be a bit entitled. He made a VERY controversial move by using the following years 1st round pick to bring Walsh--who was his boy in Miami. That pick ended up being the top pick in the draft!

Troy was furious and even considered asking for a trade. He felt Jimmy had stabbed him in the back...real hurt. Try was bit like that. I won't say a prima donna, but he did have a big ego and wanted things his way. Luckily, his way was often the right way.

Real rich stuff that so many seem to forget.

But what it did was fuel the flames and convince Jimmy (and everyone else) that Troy was the man.
Once this was decided, Jimmy smartly traded Walsh away for a pretty good haul from the Saints.
It all worked out great, obviously.

Bob Ackles forced the pick and yea Jerry sided with him because of jersey sales.
He wasnt giving up a 6'2" 25 blue haired boy at QB.

Jimmy felt Troy hadn't beaten Rodney Peete in college and thought he was a "loser".
He was also prolly rankled Troy had turned him down twice in recruiting.
Choosing first Barry Switzer over him than UCLA.

In pre-season he has his staff vote and they voted almost unanimously it should be Walsh starting.
But Troy's physical gifts kept shining through in practices and even though Walsh won the only game that year, they realized they had to move Walsh that off-season and insert Troy permanently.
Jerry worked back channel to find the best OC he could in Norv Turner (they had struggled mightily finding an OC) and Jimmy worked his Psych degree on Troy.
The rest is Super Bowl history.