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Industry News
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Troy Aikman
Home Town News Despite its relatively small population of 6,500, Henryetta, Okla., is called hometown by a well-known actress, a number of world champion rodeo stars, a world champion football player and one NFL referee. While most people have become familiar with Henryetta due to the popularity of the Dallas Cowboys and its quarterback Troy Aikman, few realize that local dentist Dr. David Warden has been applying his skills as a referee in the National Football League for the past several years. Born and raised in Henryetta, Dr. Warden was the dentist selected by the Aikman family when they moved there in 1979. While tending to the dental needs of the local citizens during the week, Dr. Warden was spending his Friday nights refereeing area high school football games. What began as an interesting avocation became more serious when Dr. Warden was selected to referee at the college level in the Big 8. This was a big step which demanded more time and extensive travel. However, Dr. Warden was up to the task and earned good marks for his officiating skills. After more then 20 years of perfecting his skills, Dr. Warden finally reached his goal. With the support of his wife Cathy, their three children, and his many patients and friends, Dr. Warden accepted the challenge of becoming an on-field game official in the NFL. Although Troy ceased to utilize Dr. Wardens dental skills when he left Henryetta for the Dallas Cowboys in 1989, they continue to run into each other on the football field. Its then they can reminisce about what neither knew back in 1979 how each would realize his dream of making it into the National Football League. | ||||||||