Jerry may think he runs the Cowboys, but it's really Troy

By DAVE GOLDBERG

AP Football Writer

If Dallas makes it back to the Super Bowl next season, credit Troy Aikman, not Jerry Jones.

For America's Team is now Aikman's team.

During the offseason, Aikman has quietly put his stamp on the Cowboys after hinting to Jones that the team do things his way. If not, Aikman suggested, he might retire early and the team might have to find another franchise quarterback.

Jones relented and Aikman's good friend Daryl "Moose" Johnston re-signed instead of heading for Jimmy Johnson and Miami. Aikman also went to Baton Rouge, La., to work out David LaFleur, the tight end from LSU, then recommended that the team draft him.

In fact, if the Cowboys had managed to draft Ike Hilliard, the wide receiver from Florida, that would have been Aikman's doing - he liked Hilliard, too. But the Giants got to Hilliard much earlier, leaving Aikman - uh, Jones - to draft LaFleur.

All of this is part of the effort to clean up the team's image, about which Aikman has been vocal for the last two years. That was one reason Calvin Hill was hired as a consultant (the young players probably know him as Grant Hill's father rather than a former star running back).

So when the Cowboys showed up for minicamp last weekend, who sounded like the coach?

Not Barry Switzer, who Aikman believes is too lax.

"We've had to take a hard look at our team in the offseason and we've made some positive changes," Aikman said. "We kept free agents like Daryl Johnston, Broderick Thomas and Brock Marion. We had a good draft. We've taken steps to correct our off-field problems. I think we are starting this season in a very positive atmosphere."

Perfect coachspeak.

Cowboys Chatroom.....Dallas Cowboys.....Saturday, May 3, 1997

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