After transferring from the Oklahoma Sooners, he played college football for the UCLA Bruins and won the Davey O'Brien Award as a senior.

[3][4] Aikman was also a co-owner of the now defunct NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team Hall of Fame Racing from 2005 to 2009, along with fellow former Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach, and is a part-owner of the San Diego Padres in Major League Baseball (MLB).

[12] Barry Switzer oversaw Aikman's transfer to UCLA, which was coached by Terry Donahue and more effective for a passing quarterback.

Following Aikman's rookie season, Dallas selected Florida Gators running back Emmitt Smith in the first round of the 1990 NFL draft.

With Smith and Irvin, Aikman led the Cowboys to a 7–7 record in the 1990 season but was injured in the 15th game, against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Beuerlein went on to lead the Cowboys to a road upset over the #4 seed Chicago Bears in the wild card round.

[21][22] In Super Bowl XXVIII, Aikman was kept out of the end zone, but a combination of key turnovers by the Buffalo Bills offense and the running of Emmitt Smith helped lead to a 30–13 victory for the Cowboys.

In 1994, the Cowboys finished with the second-best record in the NFC (behind the San Francisco 49ers) and Aikman again missed playing time due to injuries.

The Cowboys won their Divisional Playoff game against the Green Bay Packers 35–9, but fell to the 49ers in the NFC Championship, 38–28.

The Cowboys won Super Bowl XXX against the Pittsburgh Steelers 27–17, with Aikman throwing one touchdown pass.

In 1996, despite offensive troubles, Aikman again helped lead the Cowboys to another NFC East Division title and a home game in the wild card round, a 40–15 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

In 1997, Aikman became the first quarterback in Cowboys history to have three straight 3,000-yard seasons, but the team finished 6–10 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1990.

During the 2001 offseason, Aikman was waived a day before he was due a $70 million/7-year contract extension, and ultimately announced his retirement on April 9, after failing to find another team.

[10][23] During a late December 2013 radio interview, Aikman said the real reason he retired was due to persistent back issues he had in his final season.

In 2003, Aikman agreed to play for the Miami Dolphins with Turner as their offensive coordinator and began training again, but the team decided not to sign a contract with him.

[25] After he retired from professional football as a player, Aikman joined Fox's NFC telecasts as a color commentator for the 2001 season.

A year later, he was named to Fox's lead announcing crew, teaming up with Joe Buck and (from 2002 to 2004) Cris Collinsworth.

[26] Aikman received an Emmy Award nomination for his television work in 2004 and has broadcast six Super Bowls (XXXIX, XLII, XLV, XLVIII, LI, and LIV) to date.

[34] At another halftime ceremony, on February 7, 2009, at the UCLA-Notre Dame basketball game, Aikman's induction into the College Hall of Fame was honored.

He participated in UCLA's 2009 Sociology Department commencement ceremony with current quarterback Kevin Craft and former linebacker Marcus Reece, who also came back to finish his college education.

[36] In the fall of 2011, Aikman joined the Oxford Preparatory Academy Charter School Advisory Board in Southern California.

Before a 2020 NFL broadcast between the Packers and Buccaneers in Tampa, Aikman and his partner Joe Buck were caught on a hot mic questioning the necessity of a military flyover when only 15,000 fans were allowed in Raymond James Stadium for the game.

Aikman most notably said "That's a lot of jet fuel just to do a little flyover" and "That stuff ain't happening with a Kamala-Biden ticket, I'll tell you that right now, partner."

[41][42] In late 2005, Aikman together with another former Cowboys quarterback, Roger Staubach, established a NASCAR team known as Hall of Fame Racing, fielding the No.

96 car (derived by multiplying Aikman's jersey number as a Dallas Cowboy by Staubach's) shared between Terry Labonte and Tony Raines during the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series.

[43] Aikman has owned several car dealerships in the Dallas–Fort Worth area and launched a light beer brand called Eight in 2022.

[44][45] Aikman was once named the most eligible bachelor in Dallas by Texas Monthly, and dated country singer Lorrie Morgan.

[50] On June 2, 2017, Aikman announced his engagement to high-end fashion retailer Catherine "Capa" Mooty[51] on Instagram.