Monday, September 14, 1998

Troy Aikman out four to six weeks with fractured collarbone

By Kevin Lyons

Knight Ridder Newspapers

(KRT)

DENVER - Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman is expected to miss the next four to six weeks after suffering a fractured left collarbone Sunday in a 42-23 loss to the Denver Broncos.

"I don't care about the ... game, but why did it have to be Troy we lost?" Michael Irvin asked in the Cowboys' locker room after the game.

Aikman was expected to be examined again early Monday to get a clearer feel for the severity of the injury as well as pinpoint his exact return to the lineup. The Cowboys are 7-7 in regular-season games that Aikman has not started due to injury, including 3-1 since 1993.

"I hate to use the word devastating, but it hurts our football team," Cowboys coach Chan Gailey said. "(Troy) is an all-time great player. We've got to go on. They are not going to cancel the games because we have an injury."

Aikman was examined immediately after he was hurt, and X-rays revealed the fracture, which should keep him out of the Cowboys' next four games at the least.

Team physician Robert Vandermeer said the injured area was near the end of Aikman's collarbone. The collarbone was not displaced, Vandermeer said, and Aikman will not need surgery.

With 9:15 remaining in the second quarter, Aikman was injured when he fell on his left side under the weight of Broncos defensive linemen Marvin Washington and Neil Smith at the end of a 6-yard scramble. The injury is to Aikman's non-throwing arm.

"I thought I could get a few more yards but then I landed on my shoulder," said Aikman, who has not missed a game because of an injury since Dec. 4, 1994.

He was still acclimating himself to Gailey's new offensive scheme, which gives him the freedom to run out of the pocket more than he did under former Cowboys coaches Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer.

"This is one of those freak injuries," Aikman said. "It's disappointing, no question. I've been fortunate enough to have been through the past few seasons healthy. It's frustrating, especially now with the excitement and enthusiasm on this football team. But other guys will step up, and I'm not out for the year."

The Cowboys next four games are next Monday against the defending NFC East champion New York Giants, Sept. 27 vs. Oakland, Oct. 4 vs. Washington, and Oct. 11 vs. Carolina.

The Cowboys were trailing 28-14 when Aikman, who completed five of his 12 passing attempts for 88 yards and one touchdown, was injured. Backup quarterback Jason Garrett replaced Aikman, completing 14 of 19 passes for 113 yards. Garrett is expected to start against the New York Giants, Gailey said.

With newly signed Mike Quinn as the only other healthy quarterback on the roster, the Cowboys are expected to sign another signal caller to be the third quarterback, owner Jerry Jones said. Jim Miller, whom the club was close to signing early last week, is the most likely candidate to play with the Cowboys until Aikman is healthy.

On Thanksgiving Day, 1994, Garrett started in place of an injured Aikman and had a career day, completing 15 of 26 passes for 311 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in a 42-31 come-from-behind victory against the Green Bay Packers.

Cowboys players and coaches expressed confidence in Garrett. But they acknowledged the tough road ahead without the six-time Pro Bowl selection, who is one of three quarterbacks in National Football League history to lead his club to three Super Bowl victories.

"First I wanted to choke him for running, but then I put my arm around his neck and told him that I love him," Irvin said. "I'm not quitting, this team is not quitting. We're not going to put our goals on the shelf. It hurts us a great deal, losing Troy. But we've got to get dressed and play the Giants (next) Monday night."

(c) 1998, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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