Cowboys Legend Troy Aikman ... Out Of Retirement?
The Dallas Cowboys drafted Troy Aikman with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft, and it was with "America's Team'' that he spent all 12 of his NFL seasons.
When you think of Dallas, Aikman's one of the ones you think of because he was a "Cowboy for Life,'' bringing the franchise and city three Super Bowl victories in the process. However, the Hall of Fame quarterback re-told an old (but true) story on ESPN insider Adam Schefter's podcast, "The Golden Age of Football," that he almost came back and played for a different team.
"The Dolphins were looking at me, and Dave Wannstedt was the head coach, Norv Turner was the offensive coordinator," Aikman said Tuesday. "I had trained that offseason prepared to come back and play. They felt that they were a quarterback away from achieving what they wanted to, and so I was going to do it. I thought, 'Well, you know, I'll give it a shot.' Rick Spielman was the general manager, and he, ultimately, I believe, was the one that decided not to sign me."
(Sidebar: The way CowboysSI.com has always told the story is that the Dolphins were concerned about Aikman's concussion history and shied away from the move due to that issue.)
The conversation this time around started when Schefter brought up Tom Brady and his potential broadcasting career that awaits him now that his career is over.
Aikman was reflecting on his retirement process and his transition to the booth afterward, and he said when he walked away after the 2000 season he was "emotionally spent." Aikman said the hardest part after his retirement was missing the locker room, relationships and postseason games.
The Dolphins came calling (our understanding was this was in 2003) and Aikman waffled back and forth between sticking with his gig that he had earned at FOX or going to rekindle his desire to play the game. However, he said he made the right decision.
"It was not an easy decision because you've got a great job (at FOX) and you don't just leave and then just come right back to it," Aikman said. "It's something that never happened. I'm glad it didn't."
There was one person who would've torn up the contract if the quarterback would have signed: Joe Buck, Aikman's broadcast partner since 2002.
"I wouldn't have let him leave," Buck said before the trio shared a laugh.
Aikman in a Dolphins uniform would have been weird, just like when Brady first wore a Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey. He made the correct call back then, and he and Buck have grown into one of the most iconic broadcasting duos of the 21st century. ... with Aikman's "Cowboy for Life'' legacy remaining intact.
