Was it Jimmy Johnson or Jerry Jones who drafted Troy Aikman?

Answer 1

Most likely it was a joint decision. Selecting UCLA quarterback Aikman with the first pick of the 1989 National Football League college draft was a no brainer. But Johnson gets credit for taking running back Emmitt Smith in the 1990 draft.

The Cowboys head coach was seeking a blue-chip linebacker such as James Francis from Baylor and Percy Snow from Michigan State. But both players were taken before the Cowboys could make a selection with the 21st pick in the first round. Although Johnson's priority was defense, he realized that Smith, a Heisman Trophy candidate from the University of Florida, was still on the board. As the head coach at the University of Miami in the mid-1980s, Johnson had tried to recruit the Pensacola-born Smith. So Johnson made a deal to switch places with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who had the 17th pick of the draft, and promptly selected the University of Florida star. As they say, the rest is history.