Cowboys Legend Troy Aikman Makes Big Family Announcement Amid Ongoing Lawsuit Against Lamar Jackson

When Troy Aikman’s family moved to Oklahoma, his father preferred the lad play football instead of baseball or basketball. Senior Aikman liked the roughness of the sport, and so Troy started playing eighth-grade football. Then came ninth-grade football, and all of that eventually led to his prestigious NFL career. “He always said he wanted to be a professional athlete,” his sister Tammy Powell had shared in 1992. But she had her own dreams—to serve her community.

Her path was nursing. Her work at the St. Anthony Hospital began in December 1988, and she eventually became its CEO. Tammy was also there on April 19, 1995—the day the bombing in the city shocked the country. She was working just five blocks away from the site. It was time for the hospital workers to get into action, and that’s what they did. “Our employees would park miles away and they would run to our hospital to make sure we had adequate nursing care, adequate physicians,” said Powell back then. “Everybody ran to help instead of running from it.” Like Powell, her son has now also chosen to help his people, albeit in a different role.

Her son and Troy Aikman’s nephew, Reid Powell, who studied at the University of Oklahoma, is now a lawyer. He announced it today by sharing a picture of his graduation ceremony, where he posed with his parents. “Reid Bailey Powell, J.D.,” he captioned it. His parents are proud, and so is Troy Aikman, who took a moment to share his nephew’s achievements with his own fans. He did it even before Reid Powell could announce it!

On Saturday, May 10, Aikman proudly wrote on his Instagram story: “Couldn’t be more proud of my nephew Reid for graduating from OU Law. We finally have a lawyer in the family—which means I might actually start saving money on legal fees. Congrats, counselor!” During his time there, he was involved with the Dean’s Leadership Fellows Program, Phi Alpha Delta, and the Board of Advocates. The young graduate plans to pursue a career in civil litigation.

While Reid chose a different path than the family’s gridiron legacy, Troy Aikman has been involved in a legal battle involving another NFL star.

Troy Aikman vs Lamar Jackson – A fight for the number 8 legacy!

Lamar Jackson, the Baltimore Ravens QB, has built an entire personal brand around the number 8. From his Louisville days to his NFL superstardom, the number has followed him like a trademarked shadow. Literally. Jackson owns several trademarks, including Era 8, You 8 Yet?, and Era 8 by Lamar Jackson—all tied to merchandise and promotional campaigns.

Enter Aikman. Through his company, FL101, he attempted to trademark the word “EIGHT” for use on a range of products, including apparel, bags, and even beer. But the move ran into a legal roadblock in July 2024, when Jackson’s attorneys filed an appeal against the trademark.

Aikman responded with a lighthearted tweet at the time: “Hey Lamar – looks like a worthy conversation over a couple cold EIGHT beers! 🍺🍺 Maybe Steve Young can arbitrate??” But Jackson’s team isn’t playing games. Their argument? The use of “EIGHT” on merchandise could confuse fans, potentially creating a false association between Aikman’s products and Jackson’s established brand.

Interestingly, FL101 already owns nine trademarks that incorporate the term “EIGHT.” But Jackson is only challenging the application as it relates to bags and apparel—the cornerstone categories of his own brand. The case is ongoing, with both sides standing firm.

The dispute highlights the growing complexity of branding in modern sports. As athletes continue to build empires off the field, intellectual property disputes like this one are likely to become more frequent and more high-stakes. However, Jackson and Aikman are not the only famous athletes who dinner the number 8. Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young also wore it. Then, in basketball, Kobe Bryant and Walt Bellamy also wore #8 jerseys.