Troy Aikman contemplated retirement after Tom Brady effect as ‘sizeable’ NIL snub leaves him done

Troy Aikman is one of the most recognizable voices in sports broadcasting, but his career was almost cut short thanks to Tom Brady and Eli Manning.

Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Aikman was a legend on the NFL field, and he has become a star in the broadcast booth too, renowned for his hot takes.

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He first joined Fox Sports as a color commentator for the 2001 season, and was named to the network’s lead announcing crew soon after, teaming up with Joe Buck.

The pair have worked together now for almost a quarter of a century, and have covered an impressive six Super Bowls to date, while also landing in the list of the highest-paid broadcasters in America.

One of those big games, though, nearly prematurely ended Aikman’s career.

Troy Aikman contemplated retirement after Super Bowl left him ’empty’

Back in February 2008, Manning and the New York Giants stunned Brady’s New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

The 17-14 result, which saw the 12-point underdogs ruin New England’s perfect season and lift the Lombardi trophy, apparently left Aikman feeling empty inside.

“It was Eli Manning hitting Plaxico Burress for the touchdown against the New England Patriots,” he told the Sports Media with Richard Deitsch podcast of Super Bowl XLII

“I was at the hotel after the game having dinner with my then wife, and I just remember thinking, ‘This could be the greatest game that I will ever call.’

“It was a tremendous Super Bowl, it was a great finish…it was a historical game.

“And yet, after the game, I don’t know that I felt more empty than I did at that moment in my life.

“I just thought, ‘Wow, if this is how I feel, maybe I’m in the wrong profession.’ And I didn’t do anything to address that. I didn’t go into the offseason thinking anything differently, but I did think at that moment, maybe I should be doing something else.”

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Aikman, though, decided to stick with the gig, and is now in his 24th season with Buck. The pair are the longest-tenured broadcast duo in NFL history, and moved from Fox to ESPN three years ago.

The three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback hasn’t had that ’empty’ feeling since ’08, but added he can’t explain why his mindset changed.

“Every year, I’ve enjoyed it more and more,” Aikman said

“At some point I’ll walk away, hopefully it’s my decision whenever that time comes. But for right now, I’m really enjoying my time at ESPN. I love working with Joe. I don’t see the end coming anytime soon.”

While Aikman is a big fan of that role, he has recently decided against offering his NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) support to student athletes.

Troy Aikman explains why he is cutting NIL donations

The Hall of Fame quarterback, who led the UCLA Bruins to a 20-4 record during his own college career, is ‘done’ with funding the current generation of stars after a bad experience left him out of pocket.

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“I gave money to a kid, I won’t mention who. I’ve done it one time at UCLA, never met the young man, ” Aikman explained during his conversation with Deitsch.

“He was there a year, he left after the year. I wrote a sizable check, and he went to another school.

“I didn’t even get so much as a thank you note. So, it’s one of those deals, to where I’m done with NIL. I want to see UCLA be successful, but I’m done with it.”

While Aikman did acknowledge that student athletes should be allowed to leave a school whenever a coach does, he called for further guardrails with NIL legislation that would hold players accountable.

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“There’s got to be some leadership at the very top that kind of cleans all of this up,” the three-time Super Bowl champion added.

“Starting with players that accept money. There’s got to be some accountability and responsibility on their behalf, to have to stick to a program.”

Clearly, Aikman won’t be cutting any NIL checks unless something changes in the college football landscape. He will, though, be on the airwaves for many more years to come.

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