Hall of Fame quarterback and Monday Night Football analyst Troy Aikman has been extremely blessed with his career in broadcasting.
Aikman was a guest on The Stephen A. Smith Show on Monday, and the former Dallas Cowboy was asked how he felt about his broadcasting career on a personal level. Troy said it’s exceeded all expectations.
“It’s beyond anything that I could have imagined quite honestly,” Aikman said. “When I was playing, first of all, the players in the locker rooms we didn’t talk about going into television. I think most players in most locker rooms around the league now do talk about, ‘Hey I’m gonna go into television. There’s a lot of opportunity there.’ And that’s not uncommon. When I played that was not the norm.”
Aikman added that prior to retiring after the 2000 season, a few offseason assignments calling NFL Europe games for FOX changed his tune about what life would be like after his playing days were done.
“I had no interest in going into television, but I went over to NFL Europe and I did some games and I enjoyed it,” he said. “I was told by FOX at that time, when I retired that they would have a job for me, and things worked out. I got paired with Joe (Buck), and here we are 22 years later, he and I are working together and we’re at ESPN and it’s been an amazing ride.”
Troy Aikman said the gig with FOX not only allowed him to be more present at home post-playing, but it also reinforced the idea that he needed to keep broadcasting.
“This profession afforded me an opportunity to be a single dad and not miss too much with my girls,” Aikman said. “So I’m forever grateful for that chance. But never in my wildest dreams could’ve imagined that I’d be doing it this long.”
“I thought I would do it for a couple years and the move on to something else,” he added. “I always thought that when I was playing that eventually I’d go to work in a front office. And there’s always been a part of me that wanted to see if I could put together a roster that was capable of winning a championship. I think that opportunity has sailed at my age, which is fine. I love where I’m at with ESPN. It’s been a great place for me to work, and I’m hopeful that I’m able to do it for a lot longer.”
Stephen A. said that Aikman’s skills as an analyst have drawn comparisons to the late John Madden, particularly in how Troy doesn’t sugarcoat anything. Smith asked Troy if he liked being characterized as someone who tells it like it is.
Troy Aikman felt like it was a badge he didn’t hate wearing.
“I don’t mind it,” he said. “What I hope isn’t the case is I have enormous respect for the participants that take the field, the coaches that coach, and the officials that officiate. I’ve got enormous respect for everyone involved, and I know that what they do is not easy because I was a part of it at one time.”
“And so I would never want any comments that I make to take away from the respect that I have for them,” he said. “So I’m a little guarded in that regard, but if I feel something I tend to say it. And some people I think like that, and some people don’t. But that’s true of any analyst whatever their style may or may not be. I’ll take it. I wouldn’t say it’s unfair if that’s how people see me.”
